It's been over 40C here(read about 105-110 F degrees) for the past few days. How hot is that? It's somewhere between "stick your head in the oven" hot and "don't wear a metal necklace unless you want your neck burned" hot. Most of our school is outdoors.Yesterday I was trying to deliver a candy bar to David and by the time I walked from the canteen to his classroom, it was melted all over my hands.
It's the kind of heat that makes one's chief social activity staying inside and turn on the air conditioning. I confess that I've become way too much of a couch potato as a way to cope with the heat. Although we have air conditioning in our offices and classrooms, I also confess I've also become a computer potato (oh the visuals that come to mind) in my office. Rather than walking around the school and connecting with people, taking care of errands, etc, I find it easier to just send an email or look something up on the computer.
It's the kind of heat that makes this Minnesota girl crabby and exhausted.The thought of sitting on the deck on Lake Lida MN in about 16 days is about all that is keeping me focused. There are several times a day when all I can do is grunt because of the heat. When walking down the hall generates dripping sweat, I know it's time to get back to the land of ten thousand lakes. I'll even take mosquitoes right now if it means that there is cool weather. (remind me of this in 17 days when I am complaining about them!)
Now I know this is part of the cycle. I know that in January, when my loved ones in MN are complaining about the cold, I will smugly put on my sandals and walk about in my short sleeves and linen pants and say such intelligent, kind things to my Minnesota friends here as "Did you know it was -20 today?" We will smile, laugh and think ourselves quite smart for living in the desert.
Now having vented all of that, I know that I chose to live here in the Middle East where, duh, it's a desert. I know that I am not in a job where I work outside. I know that I am not stationed out in the desert with 40 pounds of gear strapped to my back (as our son Ben was). I know that I am fortunate to have air conditioning. Our maid Mali doesn't have AC in her apartment. So don't feel too sorry for me.
But uffda, it is DEFINITELY HOT ENOUGH for me right now.
It's the kind of heat that makes one's chief social activity staying inside and turn on the air conditioning. I confess that I've become way too much of a couch potato as a way to cope with the heat. Although we have air conditioning in our offices and classrooms, I also confess I've also become a computer potato (oh the visuals that come to mind) in my office. Rather than walking around the school and connecting with people, taking care of errands, etc, I find it easier to just send an email or look something up on the computer.
Now I know this is part of the cycle. I know that in January, when my loved ones in MN are complaining about the cold, I will smugly put on my sandals and walk about in my short sleeves and linen pants and say such intelligent, kind things to my Minnesota friends here as "Did you know it was -20 today?" We will smile, laugh and think ourselves quite smart for living in the desert.
Now having vented all of that, I know that I chose to live here in the Middle East where, duh, it's a desert. I know that I am not in a job where I work outside. I know that I am not stationed out in the desert with 40 pounds of gear strapped to my back (as our son Ben was). I know that I am fortunate to have air conditioning. Our maid Mali doesn't have AC in her apartment. So don't feel too sorry for me.
But uffda, it is DEFINITELY HOT ENOUGH for me right now.
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