The Third Floor

If you think about it, or even if you don't, it makes no sense that a single graduate student occupies a three-story apartment.  I hardly ever go up to the third floor.  Based on the large office desk, I assume that Kaust intended for me to study up there.  This makes no sense.  Not only would I have to go up two flights of stairs to get there, but it's the hottest part of the whole place.  And of course, it hasn't been without its share of problems.

Bottom right, in white.  That's a fridge.

The primary problem with this floor is the heat.  It's in constant sunlight, it receives warm air from the two floors below, and the air conditioner is just not capable of keeping it cool.  And the air conditioner drips constantly.  During the overhaul of my apartment it was discovered that this drip was caused by condensation on poorly insulated air ducts.  The hot air was let in through slots between the external bricks where the original builders failed to put mortar.  This ceiling also collapsed due to drywall saturation.

Despite its superfluousness, the third floor has one very nice redeeming feature.  From it one can access a balcony on the roof of the building and look out over campus and the Red Sea.  This side of my apartment faces west, so I can watch the sun set on the coastal horizon.  We rarely have clouds so the evenings usually end in a smooth, uninterrupted canvas of blue sky fading into red, orange, and yellow.

A rare cloudy day.

I think we should end it there.