Egg-frying weather

So just how hot is it in Doha now? Well, this morning, on my way home from kendo practice (explanation to follow shortly), I decided to call into City Center to get some croissants before the market closed. (In Qatar, supermarkets are open Friday morning from roughly 8 until roughly 11.30, but then close for an hour or two for Friday Mosque, then open back up)

I purchased a package of croissants and a carton of orange juice. As I could see the price would come to 50 dirhams, and I wanted to avoid the fight with the checker over 50 dirhams, I put a chocolate bar in my order that had a price of 2.50 (so to make even riyals...).

I walked through City Center and across the street to my car. I put my bag in the car and drove home, a 5-minute drive. All in all, the chocolate was in the air for maybe 10, 15 minutes at the very most.

I came in my apartment and the chocolate had already partially melted.

How's that for warm?

My computer thermometer, which measures the temperature at the airport, says 35C. My car thermometer, when I left kendo, said 38C, but then dropped to 37C. Even when I drove to kendo this morning at 9 am, it was already 34C.

So, yes, I'd say winter is over. It has been for over a month now.

Another comparison:
3 weeks ago, when I went diving, the bottom temperature was 18C. Last weekend, it had already risen to 21C, and I'm sure when I go tomorrow it will be 21 or 22C. Which makes me happy, as I'll probably be able to stop wearing a wetsuit in a month or 6 weeks' time.

Regarding kendo:
I found someone in Doha who has studied kendo, and today we got together and practiced. As he is a beginning student (we are all beginners, though, in a long-run sense), and has been away from kendo for some time, we did some basics. We plan to try to get together at least once a week to practice.

I'm also going to join another dive club, in Al Khor (40 km or so from Doha... a fast drive north up the high speed roads). It's super cheap and gives me more options for diving.

So I'm rapidly filling my social schedule. I don't know if I'll have time to go to work anymore...

Sunday: kendo
Monday (once a month): Al Khor scuba club or work; Monday morning iaido
Tuesday: Doha scuba club
Wednesday: work evening; morning iaido if there is time
Thursday: get together with friends
Friday: kendo or diving or the desert
Saturday: diving or the desert

And people say there is nothing to do in Doha...