Dubai: In their own cherished ways, UAE residents are making the best use of the rainy weather sweeping across the emirates.
From enjoying the outdoors or staying cosy at home, people are loving every bit of the wet spell.
‘Feels like home’
Indian expat Preetam Savio, 30, a radio jockey, said the rains in UAE remind him of his home country.
“I am from Goa [in India] and it rains a lot there. When it rains, my friends and I always get out and get drenched. I have been doing the same here in Dubai. Since the last two days I have not wasted time - I got my hoodie on and stepped outside to enjoy the rains,” said Savio.
Savio added he also enjoyed some samosas (fried Indian pastry with a savoury filling) and chai (Indian style tea). “This is a tradition that many Indians keep when it rains. I did the same and it felt like being home.”
Being a radio jockey, Savio has been inundated with music requests from listeners for rain-themed songs. “It has been nostalgic reminiscing some old classic rain songs,” Savio added.
He said when it rains, he desires a long drive to Hatta. “It’s the ultimate outdoor place in the UAE.”
Special memory
Portuguese expat Frederico Martins, a fitness professional, said when it rains in the UAE, he feels like he is in London. “It reminds me of the time I met my wife in London. The weather was similar when I met her,” he added.
“Since the last two days we got cosy on our sofas and watched [movies]. We made some popcorn and created a movie theatre environment at home. It was a great bonding time for the family.”
He added that a visit to any park in UAE when the weather is cool is his idea of a perfect day spent. “Nothing like cool weather and some outdoor fitness in the parks,” Martins said.
Beach beckons
Filipino entrepreneur Glorianne Montefrio, 44, said: “I am reminded of home when it rains in Dubai. I live in Iligan close to the Timoga beach [in the Philippines]. When it rains in Philippines I head to Timoga for getting drenched in the rain and take a swim. In the UAE I do the same - when it rains I go to a beach. Off late I have been loving the Kite Beach.”
Montefrio said another rain tradition she adheres to is cooking Filipino dishes. “It feels like being home with loved ones.”
The last few days since it has been raining, Montefrio made some chicken tinola [chicken stew soup] and Arroz Caldo [rice with chicken]. “My friends and I loved it,” she said.
Desert drive
Ahmed Yousef, 23, an Emirati student at Higher Colleges of Technology, loves to drive to the desert when it rains. He also likes to heads to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah to see the mountains with his friends. “Sometimes we also stay at home, make some hot beverages – mostly Turkish coffee or traditional Emirati Gahwa [coffee],” said Yousef.
Family time
Pakistani expat Ayidah Tariq, a Year 13 student at a Dubai school, has also been making the best use of the cool weather. The 18-year-old said her family and she have been cooking traditional food at home and brewing hot beverages. “We have rolled up the blinds of our windows.”
Ayidah added that the cool weather is calming and sentimental for her. “I love to listen to some music or read a book or just bond with the family when it rains.”
Playing together
Egyptian high school student Raida Ahmed said she loves to go with her little sister to play in the park when the weather cools and drizzles. “It is not every day when we have rains in the UAE. So I take my little sister out. We love the rains and love to get wet,” she added.
She said the rains remind her of her hometown in Egypt, where summers are hot and the winters are breezy with grey skies.
Raida and her family bond during the rainy season. “We do many things together. For example, we recount old family stories, cook traditional Egyptian food such as fattet aa’ds and she’rya blaban and just have fun together.”
