This year in Abu Dhabi the beautiful season is arrived earlier. At the end of August, the temperatures were not so brutal, as last years. September was quite pleasant, October and November pretty nice. Not to mention two real raining days in December. Anyway, after the official end of the summer, I was waiting for a sign, that special sign which marks the change of season. You know, the first day you wear a coat in winter, or the first tee shirt you wear in summer, things like that.
In Abu Dhabi you have to change your reference points, as, from the point of view of your wardrobe, the season is basically one and doesn’t require so many changes.
The first signal of a season’s change in Abu Dhabi comes from the community formed by people who wear glasses: “Look at my glasses! They don’t steam up this evening, really, the season is changed!” Yes, that definitely means that the hot and humid summer is ended, the nice season is coming.
The second signal comes from another special community, formed by those who hate the extreme conditioning air: they stop to say sentences that can sound senseless, but that make sense if you live here, as: “Please, let’s go outside as I am cold inside”, (in the middle of October).
To be honest, I have my personal sign which announces the seasonal change: it is my special meeting with the jellyfish. This year I was really missing that.
Then, at the end of September, on Corniche beach appeared warnings about jellyfish danger.
So I started to inquire to lifeguards and security staff: did you really see jellyfish? Did they hurt someone? How many victims today? Someone tried to reassure me: “C’mon ma’am, they are not the dangerous and aggressive jellyfish you have in Europe” (mmmhhh), somebody else answered with a non-answer: “Ma’am, take care” (all right, guys, if I see the jellyfish, I will change my way), while one very nice guy tried to reassure me, showing the near first aid, where, in case of anaphylactic shock, I could crawl to.
Finally, about in the middle of November, my jellyfish came to say hello to my arm. The lifeguard on shore understood, simply from my disappointed eyebrow, and he rushed with his magic spray. “What’s inside the spray?” I inquired. “Ma’am close your eyes” was the kind but authoritative answer. Probably, he would have said: “Please, close your mouth, shut up and stop all these inquiries. Plus, it is three months that we advise you to be careful”.
Anyway, for this year it seems that I survived from the jellyfish attack announcing the wonderful season in Abu Dhabi. When the jellyfish appear, it means that the sea water temperature is fine, and after few weeks, the sea water starts to begin cooler enough to invite jellyfish to say goodbye. This is definitely the best season in Abu Dhabi, when you can totally enjoy the beach, even for a short break, to refresh you mind and your soul.