CATCH UP: the long road home...

We walked home from work again tonight - well, I say home, but of course I mean the hotel apartment, which if I'm quite honest is starting to get a bit annoying. It's baking outside now. It's so humid that when T and I step out of the office block, our glasses steam up. It's an instant thing. And when a breeze does actually blow, it's like someone pointing a hairdryer in your face.

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually starting to miss the tube. Even the shitty District Line is forgiven. Ramming your nose in someone's armpit all the way from St James's Park to Mile End in a square inch of space suddenly seems like luxury travel, now that we're trudging half an hour along a dusty highway by foot in 45 degree heat, feeling our lungs fill up with sand.

We've taken to stopping half way home for some air-con in the Arabic equivalent of TK Maxx. It's really quite remarkable - you're ambling along, your eye on the mirage ahead with dust in your hair and hope in your heart, when suddenly, out of nowhere appears a discount clothing store, with some surprisingly decent dresses in the window. We walk around in a clockwise fashion, holding a variety of tie-dye numbers up to our sweaty frames as though we might be interested in making a purchase, wait for our blood to cool and then leave again, back out into the kiln.

They're starting to recognise us now though. We're going to have to buy something soon I reckon, but that's ok. Most things are only 25 dirhams, which I think is about 4 quid. Even I can afford that for a ten minute pit-stop in the air-con. And if I get a muslin pair of slacks with detachable belly button ring thrown in, well,... all's fine and dandy in my world.

Although it's a tedious trek, the second leg of our journey was saved today by a certain giant Arab, riding a horse. On a billboard, I might add, about half way along the Um Zaab'eel Road. It was huge - taking up valuable Nike or Coca Cola space. I've never seen anything like it, quite honestly. It was even lit up. It must cost a fortune to keep him there, grinning through his abaya... legs wrapped tight around his wild stallion. Oh, I'm not saying there are any metaphors or hidden messages in this curious roadside rider, but it certainly stopped traffic. Well. foot traffic anyway.

I actually managed to access my blog today, when I plugged the ethernet cable at work into my laptop. I uploaded two posts and thought wa-hey! But now, back in the hotel room, it's blocked again. Cheeky. Naz said there are different "proxys" on the other side of town, so it might well work if I move out there - yet another reason to cross to the cool-side. (Not that I even know what a proxy is).

In other news - we've arranged to meet Rick (another friend of a friend), for brunch on Friday. Naz is coming too, I think. We're also going to look at some villas tomorrow night in Al Barsha, so that should be interesting. I've heard there are a lot of cowboys around, trying to rip you off. I spoke to a New Zealander on the phone today, who I contacted a few weeks before getting here. I noticed on Dubai's version of the gumtree - dubizzle.com - that she was looking for two more girls to live with. She still hasn't found a place, and said she's got friends living in Jumeirah for 2,000 dirhams a month. You can't get anything there now for less than 4,500. Rent has more than doubled in the last two years. The property market here sounds evil. We're meeting on Friday morning before brunch to see if we can join forces, which might make things a bit easier I guess.

As for these villas tomorrow, I had a bit of trouble understanding the landlady on the phone so god knows what we're actually going to look at. I'm assuming each will have a roof and a gym, and a swimming pool. Most places do here, apparently - even if they're swarming with insects on the inside... according to a bloke at work, who, since arriving here two weeks ago has moved in and out of a place, due to a lizard infestation in the corner of his bedroom.

Poor guy.