Gloop 2 - The Dust Rides Out

Sawdust (Photo credit: ganatronic)

It's still there, the fine dust suspended in the air. It's worse over in Fujairah, apparently, where visibility is own to 500 metres and flights from the emirate's tiny airport have been disrupted.

You know those boards you get in hotels that look a little like a washboard, with the rows of felt runnels accepting letters pushed into them for events and the like? We were delighted when we dropped into Fujairah airport for a 'nose' to find those boards being used for arrivals and departures. That's how small Fujairah airport is.

It's all very Mission Impossible Four, isn't it? Which reminded me this morning of the pal who worked on the set of the film - the sandstorm scenes were made possible thanks to two metre high fans and a whole load of specially imported Hollywood sawdust.

Yes, sawdust. Sand doesn't show up on film cameras (neither does 'real' rain, BTW, they have to use rain machines to make super-heavy rain) so a very fine sawdust is used instead. They had to fit AC filters to the car radiators to stop them 'brewing up' because they quickly became clogged in sawdust.

To tell you the truth, I'd be happier with sawdust. This fine stuff is getting  everywhere and I've got a tickly throat. Hundreds are apparently presenting themselves at various hospitals around the country with respiratory problems.