Living with alerts and heatwaves: How ‘normal’ is being redefined

I arrived back in the UAE to be welcomed by a missile alert. It was just hours after the aeroplane’s wheels touched the runway and while our children played in the communal pool. The kids jumped out, knowing the drill well by now, and asked many questions about why alerts were following us around the world while dripping water all over my phone. 

You see, we had an alert the week before as well. This time in the UK. The same noise, same text format but with a very different message: don’t light barbecues as it’s causing forest fires.

 While forest fires are definitely to be avoided at all costs, it didn’t quite have the same urgency as recent alerts in the UAE. However, it did make everyone jump around us, while my two sons found it quite amusing. They’re old pros at how to respond to such messages.

The reactions made me think about how quickly something becomes ‘normal’. Our trust in the defence systems and leadership since the start of the conflict back on February 28 means that there’s very little panic or drama, even when it has been so long without a missile warning. All alerts are to be taken seriously and acted upon, but there’s a quiet confidence that allows our daily lives to continue with little interruption. 

So, while it was a strange welcome back, it reminded me why we remain committed to our life in the UAE. The summer is coming to an end, and we have an exciting few months ahead with lots of projects here in Gulf News HQ that are focused on you, our readers.

Brought back down to earth from the world’s highest pool 

Another thing that my children found amusing was an interview I did with Aura Skypool on the Palm that was recently released on YouTube. I’m speaking with the brilliant Kuby Springer on what makes Dubai special and our plans for Gulf News while seeming to hover over the world’s highest swimming pool (a piece of perspex allows for the illusion). I thought the kids would enjoy the content. Their main takeaway? ‘Why have you got your feet out? You should be putting them away as no-one wants to see that’. Nothing quite like our young people to pull us back down to earth. 

Hopefully you find the video more interesting. It was recorded before the conflict but it still all holds true: this is an excellent place to call home while being full of incredible stories - and Gulf News is the best place to tell them.

 The world is heating up - and no-one can deny it

It’s hot. Plants are struggling with the lack of rain, it’s difficult to stay outside for long periods and the ground is as hard as concrete. I’m not talking about the UAE, this was the last couple of weeks in the UK. Droughts have been declared, crops are dying and the vulnerable are struggling. It’s the same across Europe during what could be the hottest summer on record.

Climate change is happening before our eyes, and it is going to change all of our lives. There doesn’t seem a universal answer to the problem, and I fear that this is now a case of adapting to the changes rather than preventing them. It’s going to be expensive and unsettling as each country finds that food security, residents’ health and infrastructure are all challenged at the same time.

It’s been nice to be back in a country with incredible air con, desalination plants and buildings constructed with the fierce temperatures in mind. I don’t think anywhere in the world has adapted to heat as well as the UAE.  I never thought I’d be relieved to escape the UK summer for one in the UAE - and we have the great weather to look forward to in just a matter of a few weeks' time.