Monday, February 28, 2011

So hot, my thoughts have evaporated

It is hot. It has been hot for days and it looks like it will continue to be hot for the next week at least.


Yesterday it was 39 degrees Celsius. It felt like I was back in Africa, a wall of sweltering heat awaiting me outside the shelter of anything shady. Today is going to be the same and tomorrow is going to be hotter.

It is on days like these that I ascend the stairs in frantic haste in order to get to the office. On my wife’s desk lies a small white device covered in buttons; the air conditioner remote control! This is the only space in my house, apart from the bottom of the pool that has the potential to be a life saving oasis.

My kids, however, seem to have more intense afternoon sport than ever. The next few days will see a number of swimming galas and cricket matches. Hours in the heat of the afternoon sun! This, after hours of heat crammed into classrooms. And then there is judo, which is just sublime. A heavy white suite, vigorous exercise, hot house of a hall, and rivers of sweat; the epitome of discomfort! I almost feel sorry for them.

Sleeping has become an exercise in Zen control. As the evening approaches, the dying wind heralds the next full force mosquito invasion. With air as thick as pulp, one slowly leopard crawls to bed, trying desperately to avoid any exertion and the resultant sweat. Now that I am wise, I no longer towel off after my cold water shower. That way the possibility exists that If I am extremely lucky, I will be asleep before the last of the cold water droplets evaporate.

So glad we invested in solar heating, although I cannot remember what we needed all of this super hot water for anymore...

No comments: