Nadia Idriss Mayen: The Big Sauna

When most people think of melting pot they mean a multicultural metropolis. When I think of melting pot I imagine one big sauna. I must think about this almost every other day when I’m in Dubai.

The moment I walk out the door I enter a big outdoor sauna. Why install a sauna at home when I get free access to one right outside?

Plus depending on the temperature I’m looking for I just step outside at a different hour of the day. In Europe it is said that taking regular saunas actually reduces the amounts of colds you get. I’m trying to think how that may work out in Dubai, especially with all air-conditioned indoor places. You walk indoors and you got your winter right there. Then you step outside and it all nice and heated.

In Europe and North America it’s the complete opposite, you step outside holding on to your mittens and tucking your head into your warm wooly scarf and as soon as you walk indoors you embrace the warmth of the heating system. When I think about it, I always get a cold whether it’s cold inside and warm outside or vice-versa.

Imagine just sitting in a wooden room with hot seats and hot air. Imagine again open space, your friends, and the world’s tallest building. What more to ask? This way you get the best of everything. Your skin gets softer, you reduce the chances of getting a cold and you get to complete errands as you walk around The Big Sauna.

(Nadia Idriss Mayen is Executive Producer of Web TV at Al Arabiya English. When she’s not taking a sauna, she can be reached at: [e-mail])