Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Scarves and coats have finally been unearthed and thrown on as Bahrain experiences a windy winter. Even store mannequins are now heavily bundled and shorts are on clearance discounts in the malls.
Palm trees are dancing furiously in the wind with the threat of being uprooted. Lonely kites flutter helplessly orphaned, caught in branches.
With this transition of season, the customary colds, flu, sniffles and sore throats have been making the rounds. Empty seats in schools and missing staff hold testimony to this fact.
It's not only Bahrain that has been vulnerable to the cold snap and winter woes. As temperatures plummet in the UK and the US, people are falling sick in large numbers, much like a plague.
It is strange how such a small thing as a virus causes misery for people worldwide.
I am no exception as I sit here, one of its victims.
A sick businessman shakes the hand of an investor as a deal is signed. A teacher pats a child, congratulating him on his work. Disease spreads when we least expect it.
With the fortifications of my immunity temporarily crippled, I feel exhausted and listlessly stare at the large pile of work that is waiting to be done.
All I can do is patiently wait as the flu runs its course. In the meantime, I'll need to stock up on oranges and plenty of fluids! Pass me the tissues, please.
