...hello harmattan...

The Doctor is in.

"The Harmattan is a dry and dusty wind blowing northeast and west off the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between November and March (winter). It is considered a Natural Hazard.

On its passage over the desert it picks up fine dust particles (between 0.5 and 10 micrometres). When the Harmattan blows hard, it can push dust and sand all the way to South America. In some countries in West Africa, the heavy amount of dust in the air can severely limit visibility and block the sun for several days, comparable to a heavy fog. The effect caused by the dust and sand stirred by these winds is known as the Harmattan Haze, and costs airlines millions in cancelled and diverted flights each year. In Niger, people say that men and animals become increasingly irritable when this wind has been blowing for a while, (that could explain a lot for me....) giving it a bad reputation. However, the cool wind brings relief from the oppressive heat, which is why the Harmattan has earned the nickname "The Doctor"".

(Thanks, Wikipedia for your definition! Wikipedia...always a reliable source - ok, this is definitely said "tongue-in-cheek" people, don't have a heart attack...)

Alright, in my actual reality, Harmattan feels dry and windy, but has thankfully cut the humidity in half. As opposed to previous months, I'm now using moisturizer, lip balm, and hair conditioner like it's going out of style. I wish I had a humidifier, but it wouldn't do me any good if I did since we don't actually have the electricity to run it.

In other news...

TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT!

After weeks (ok, months) of rehearsals, we're finally putting on a show! Tonight AISF proudly presents, "The Emperor's New Clothes" a humourous adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale of a vain King and his obsession with the latest trend and fad. The music teacher, Mrs. Johnson has worked so hard with the students and they've really managed to pull it all together. I've been helping with staging, props, set, and just general direction. I'm in my element. I get to tell people what to do and where to go. How can I not love it?? Perhaps I should become a real director...