Somehow you are reading this text. You even got a few emails popping up, but it takes an eternity to open another tab in Google. And yes, it is irritating. You still can do something, but it feels like trying to run in your dream — slow, ineffective, and draining.

Do I think it is a solid reason to take a day off? Absolutely. Is it a reason to finally make something productive (or genuinely pleasant) instead of chasing cheap dopamine in a five-hour reels binge? 100 percent true. So here is what The Sandy Times team does when the internet is off.

But first — what actually happened?

On September 6, major slowdowns were reported across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, and large parts of Asia and Africa — with the UAE suffering most. Who is to blame? A ship very likely dragged its anchor across shallow seabed areas in the Red Sea, slicing through several undersea cables that carry almost all of the world’s data traffic.

Normally, if one cable is damaged, others pick up the load. This time, several heavy hitters — SMW4, IMEWE, FALCON, and possibly EIG — were all hit in the same corridor. With both Etisalat and du (the UAE’s two main telecom providers) dependent on those Red Sea routes, the Emirates got caught in the digital bottleneck.

The cuts are near Bab el-Mandeb, one of the busiest and trickiest shipping lanes in the world.

Repairs require specialised ships with submersibles, grapnels, and splicing labs.

The process itself is delicate, detailed, and maddeningly slow.

The good news: a total blackout isn't on the cards. The UAE still has dozens of cables landing at Fujairah and Jebel Ali. The bad news: things could remain sluggish for up to six weeks.

The clever response isn't to fight it but to lean into it. Rearrange your work schedule with pessimistic timing in mind — better to expect slowness than be tortured by looming deadlines and stuck uploads.

In personal life? Digital detox is never a bad idea. Here is what our team suggests when offline freedom strikes.

Sofia Brontvein, Publisher

Go cycling

For Sofia, the answer is obvious: she is already on the track at 6 am during a perfectly normal week, so she will happily use notification-free minutes to push new records. Sport is your one-size-fits-all answer to staying healthy, looking fit, and shaking off the blues. So grab a helmet and push some pedals.

Dara Morgan, Chief Editor

Sleep

I propose the activity (or passivity) that is free, restorative, and requires zero effort: sleep. Imagine going to bed at 10 pm because you do not waste an hour scrolling through Farfetch or watching otter clips. Imagine napping on a Sunday afternoon with a book beside you. Imagine waking up after nine hours instead of six — fresh, smug, and well rested. Even your smartwatch will applaud you.

Alejandra Mansilla, Senior Editor

Tidy up your apartment

As a mother of a teenager and owner of a dog, Alex knows a thing or two about time management. Her verdict: if the internet is crawling, forget procrastination and clean.

"No more excuses: work is on pause for now. Go through that pile of stuff on the chair, figure out which clothes you don’t wear anymore (maybe give them away), toss anything that is ruined, mop the floors, dust the shelves — just tackle everything you can while the internet is slow. Trust me, it will feel amazing. And once the internet is back, you will find a thousand reasons not to clean again", — sounds motivating, doesn't it?

Barbara Yakimchuk, Editor

Cook some comfort food

Cooking, when you aren't toggling tabs, is meditation. Barbara prescribes a classic potato casserole — hearty, soothing, and absolutely worth the carbs.

Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

Method:

Sophie She, Business Development Director

Play backgammon

Leave Alias, Twister, and Cluedo to the sad millennials. The real game is backgammon — ancient, strategic, slightly addictive, and perfect for partners, friends, or parents. By the way being offline is also an excellent excuse to visit your old pals — and backgammon is the perfect excuse to keep the competitive arguments around the board, not your personal life.