The cats on the streets are looking out for cool corners in the compounds, and the wasps want to mark their territories where there is the slightest sign of water and plants.
Plants on the other hand are almost giving up under the glaring heat. They have no choice when their leaves are turning brown and crispy.
“It’s summer and this is how it is,” some people say.
In summer we also get to see people growing impatient especially motorists whether they are in the parking or driving on the road.
Honking is not entertained in Oman but you hear it more often in summer.
"Stop complaining," say others. There is a reason behind everything. We might go through a shock but nature needs it this way for the sake of dates.
As I write, we are enjoying Rathab Naaghaal. This is one of the popular dates to be harvested first as it gets ready by May or surely by June.
“Wadi al Tayeen tends to get the first dates harvested. The ones who greatly benefit are the ones who get them first. It fetches a good amount of money,” said my friend.
If the heat is good for the dates, it is not so good for the cars. And every time we have to enter the parked vehicle we remember it is summer. We feel it is hotter than before and others say it is expected.
And then our attitude - the energy level is not the same, we often feel tired.
With heat comes irritability and anger. Apparently exposure to summer heat could increase the heart rate thus the feeling of discomfort. This obviously leads to our crankiness and moodiness. Don’t forget stress hormones are at play and could make you aggressive. Staying cool and hydrated is good for our temperament too. The best practice would be to forgive and forget and blame it on summer heat.
Feeling tired also has an impact on our motivation.
But there are many positive sides to summer.
Summer also makes us realise there is nothing as precious as water. That is not to say we will say no to Kahwa or a cup of Karak tea. Watermelons are a relief and they seem to be in abundance from Oman and other countries.
When we consume seasonal fruits we are also being environmentally conscious as we would be actually helping in reducing greenhouse emissions.
Summer also reminds us it is the season for mangoes. The place to be is Qurayat where the farms with mango orchards thrive. Of course the farmers work whether the temperature is high or not. When we run for cover they are ready for harvest.
A few decades ago, if you drove past Sidab you would see young children waiting on the sides of the road with jasmine flowers packed in Almond tree leaves stitched together by natural fibre. There was no usage of plastic bags then. Somehow they felt better. The jasmines make summer even more beautiful.
The sun does make us happy. And remember the people of the desert mastered the lifestyle of summer, they used to move to the coast or to the edge of the desert. So enjoy the summer, the sand, the shore, the sea when the time is right, jasmines, the dates and coconut water.
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