Summer Truths in Bahrain
1. There will be no cold water coming out of any tap. The coldest water possible may still be too hot for kids and sensitive people. But the hottest setting will boil pasta in record time.
2. You may wake up some mornings thinking it's monsoon time. It's not. It (almost) never is. It's just the extreme humidity condensing on your windows, which when added to the steamy temps, make for chronic bad hair days.
3. You will learn to carry ice packs and frozen water bottles in the car. Leave them on the kids' car seats even if you're parked in a garage. In addition, always have a blanket to throw over the car seats in case you're not in a garage. Doesn't hurt to cover your steering wheel either. And don't smirk when your spouse says he's thinking of getting driving gloves to go with the 11-year-old minivan.
4. Your sunglasses will instantly fog up every time you walk from inside to outside. Just accept it. And yes, it's annoying.
5. For those of you who have experienced it, walking outside is akin to attending a hot yoga class. The bonus? It's free, and you get that "exhilarating" shortness of breath feeling.
6. There will be times when outdoor pools are uncomfortably warm. And there will be extreme times, when outdoor pools are actually closed for being too hot.
7. You may find yourself wearing long sleeves or carrying a sweater because many of the malls and houses are air-conditioned to frigid temperatures. Balance, people!
8. It won't seem the least bit odd to drag out your water table and set it up inside for the kids (ideally in a bathroom or easy-to-mop kitchen).
9. Some cars, not made in the region, may have various rubber and plastic parts that succumb to the heat like an ice cube in cocoa. Get friendly with your local mechanic. Even those cars made in the region may just give up on air conditioning on super hot and muggy days.
10. Your children will learn their three-digit numbers by checking the temperature daily. On a rare day when the temperature is only in the 90s, your child may be flummoxed; give them a minute, they'll get it.