Dried Up

When my Malaysian friends and I talk, we frequently talk about the strange weather in Melbourne - drought, oven hot days, 4 seasons in one day, unexpected cold snaps, winds that howl eerily, etc.

But there's something related that's not that often talked about - the dry air. Malaysians are used to humid conditions. So it's a big change here. Good and bad, of course. Dried food such as biscuits, cereals and crackers stay crisp even after being exposed to the air for long periods of times. And of course, clothes dry super fast, especially in summer. And because we don't sweat as much as we do back in Malaysia, we don't mind taking long walks. These are the plus points.

The downside of having dry air is that you tend to have dry skin too. And that's bad news for people with sensitive skin, like Joanne. So we have to opt for soap-free products and use lots of moisturisers and lip balms. No wonder these products are rather cheap here. There certainly is a big demand for them.

We try our best to apply them religiously. Otherwise, we will sport permanent flaky, itchy skin and cracks on our lips. Not a good feeling I can assure you. Alex got lazy a few days ago and couldn't stop scratcing his back. And now his back looks as though he's been whipped mercilessly. Yeah, awful scratch marks made by himself (Don't get silly ideas. I know some of you have twisted minds). Quite a feat. It must have been ultra itchy!

My hands have been spared much of the dryness-related agony, thanks to my daily routine of moisturising the kids' skin. Now, if I can just remember to moisturise other parts of myself, I will be spared entirely.