Dubai's seasons are different. Today brought cloudy skies and a temperature slightly below 30 degrees C, for the first time in perhaps six months. I went out to a park in the desert and, amazingly, a few hesitant drops of rain fell for about half an hour. I think the last time I saw it rain here was something like January 23rd. So for me the Dubai winter has officially started. The only trace remaining of this event is the pattern the rain left in the sand . . . . . ephemeral.