Those of us in town, with no exotic holiday on the horizon to help escape the summer lull, don't need to struggle to find things to do during the day. With a little amount of imagination, there are plenty of options available. Here's a silly guide to keep yourself entertained this month.
Visit every single water park in a single day
At the last count, the UAE was home to five water parks, from the well-known Wild Wadi and Aquaventure in Dubai, to the cult favourite Dreamlands in Umm Al Quwain, to the more obscure Wadi Adventure (Al Ain) and Ice Land (RAK). For an adventure likely to involve more driving than actual water, but a great story to tell the grandkids later, try to visit every single one in just one day. We suggest you start in Al Ain, head to Dubai, to RAK and then double back on yourself to Dreamlands where you can rest your sodden head for the night.
Play a game of Risk
The classic global conquest board game might not be to everybody's taste, but unless you're playing with a pack of genuine baboons, it's an outing that is likely to last at least two weeks as you attempt to take Africa, defend Africa, retake Africa and finally give Africa up in favour of South America, which has fewer borders to worry about. Sure, there might be fights and fallouts along the way and you way well end up hating your friends forever, but by the time a winner has finally been declared, it will probably be winter. 2013.
Start your own PR company
Every man, woman and child with a MacBook appears to be establishing their own public relations outfit, so why not join them? Granted, Ramadan might not be the best time to sort out the legal arrangements of setting up a company, but four weeks is plenty of time to come up with a cutesy name, throw phrases such as "multi-tiered bespoke branding solutions" into a business plan, design a colourful logo on Photoshop and perhaps find a small corner shop in dire need of revamping its social media strategy.
See how long you can last in the car without the AC on
Transform a dreary journey into an exciting battle of endurance. Turn the AC off and see if you can get to your destination without putting it back on again. If there's a group of you, whoever is the first to give in and push the on switch loses. For an added dose of wildness, don't just turn it off - turn the heat to max! OK, so you might arrive a sweaty mess (perhaps it's best not to attempt this when travelling to a job interview), but just think of the story you've got to tell.
See how long you can talk to your mum on Skype without mentioning the weather
If your nearest and dearest are far away, this is probably going to involve either some rather expensive long distance phone calls or a lengthy stint on Skype attempting to hide the fact that you're watching the TV at the same time. So why not turn this chore into a challenge? See how long you can speak without once mentioning the weather, so often a classic conversation starter for mums living in lands perhaps not experiencing our rather severe summer climes. Hang up every time she asks about the heat or how it's raining at home, remembering to note down the time.