It's Dusty

This is the dustiest place!

Within about 2 days, the patio furniture collections a film of dust that must be wiped off before sitting down or else you run the risk of a dusty bum when you stand up again. When I take the laundry out to the patio to hang it out, if I even brush up against the wall or patio tiles, I have to rewash the item (speaking of which I have a sheet in the laundry that is in for its second wash). In the corners of the patio and in the pool shower, little dust or sand dunes have accumulated. When we first moved in, we'd spend some time each weekend trying to was down the patio. Either we've gotten used to it or become lazy - well probably a bit of both - but that has become more and more rare.

Even the floors in the house get dusty. Sanjay, our house cleaner, has been home in Sri Lanka for the month of December. One weekend, Lyra and I went through the house with mops and brooms. Now we're waiting for Sanjay to come back. The floors need as brooming (as Lyra would say), but I can't get motivated to do it. Our front door has decorative squares carved in the wood and each of the squares needs to be dusted. That will be on Sanjay's list, too.

You can't leave your car for long or else it gets covered in a coating of dust. There's a Saab 93 convertible parked near my office with the roof down. It has been there, untouched, for several months. It is so coated with dust that you might not even know what color the upholstery really is. Honestly, I don't know why it hasn't been ticketed and towed. I don't think the owner is coming back. Many people who leave the country just abandon their cars (and pets, apartments, furniture, etc).

You can be fined by the municipality for having a dusty car. Many people arrange for car washing service every day (or they have their live in maid/houseboy wash the car every day). Russell sprays our car down with a hose every week or so. That seems to get most of the dust off.

The thing I don't understand is that the Arabs walk around with floor length white (for men) and black (for women) clothes and you NEVER once see any dust on the hem. How do they do that?