Reading Jeanette's journal

Today is such a hot day. 42 degrees C. I went to the city, more specifically big department stores, to find somewhere cooler than home. Somewhere with aircon.

But to no avail. Every store's aircon was being pushed to its limit, just struggling to keep the temperature down.

Stepping into a store one would breathe a sigh of relief. Perhaps I might have some comfort, just for a while at least. Just until my body realised that although the store was much cooler than outside, in itself wasn't very cool at all.

The heat was everywhere. You could taste it, you could feel it soaking up the moisture in your skin, you could see it in people's eyes. No one wants to do anything or go anywhere, but you have to keep moving. If you don't move the heat envelopes you. Your body attracts it and it catches you if you stop.

Then there's the dryness. It too envelopes you, then sucks you dry, sucks your energy. There's never any escaping from the dryness, no matter how hard an aircon works. I reckon it's even dry inside fridges.

Aircons are all anyone seems to be talking about. Aircons in cars, in shops, in restaurants. All anyone can think about is how to be cooler.

There's nothing anyone can do though. You sit and bear it and hope and pray that tomorrow will bring a cool change. I seriously doubt it though. The TV drones no cool change expected...conditions for firefighters worsening...total fire ban...hottest day for this time of year since... and on it goes.

That's why I drivel too. Nothing else better to do.

Which world is Plato in?

...Do you live??

"Sie wollen nichts anderes. Sie wollen kämpfen! Sie sind Soldaten! Fucking Wahnsinnige!" - Noel G.

Just like Orchid asks: Where do you live! Here, we would trade you or at least accept a good portion of your heat! It hasn't been above freezing for a month! Temperatures in the last two weeks have barely touched 20 F. (I don't know or at least am too lazy to convert to C. but it hasn't been above 0 C.in a long time!) Tonight it is supposed to get even colder with snow showers tomorrow with accumulations of 2-3 inches. I almost forgot to mention the foot or so of snow already on the ground.

The snow has been plowed and replowed in parking lots until there are huge mountains of icy snow piled 8-10 feet high at the end of every lane.

Reading your post made me feel a bit warmer. I certainly hope this one is making you feel cooler.

We went to see Lake Erie, one of the US/Canada great lakes last weekend, and it is nothing but ice. Even small choppy waves were frozen in mid splash. Send me an email, and I'll reply with jpeg photos I took of ice, ice, and more ice. (Are you feeling cooler yet?)

I'll even send you a photo of me standing on a fishing pier above Lake Erie, bundled in layers, wrapped on the outside with a down filled parka, wearing a fur hat, with the Cleveland skyline in the background. But seeing me wrapped up like that might make you feel even hotter, so maybe I shpould just send icy photos.

I hope this helps!

I did not vote for Bush!, ChefPB

This post was edited by ChefPB on Jan 25, 2003.

I live in Melbourne Australia and I reckon anyone here would gladly take your snow and icy conditions.

In the city you don't feel the drought so much despite the water restrictions. I figured out that 20F is -12C and 42C is 107.6F. That's if I did the formula right. That's bloody cold. I don't think I've ever even felt -12C. I've never even seen snow. Well, nothing more than a dusting of snow on top of a high mountain. Here it only snows on mountains.

It's not that hot a day today- 26C (78.8F). The cool change came yesterday afternoon. It even drizzled.

I will send you an email. And I'd love to see some of those photos.

Which world is Plato in?

I envy you Jeanette! For two reasons:-

• You are having such a nice weather out there (compared to -8 degrees Celsius which we had in Houston yesterday).

• And, you will get a chance to watch the Cricket World Cup starting in 10 days from now! Here in US, there is no way I will get to watch it, as none of the cable channels care about it, and buying a dish antenna just for the matches is way too costly :-(

So, what do you do Jeanette? Please make yourself at home, and tell us more about yourself.

Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye opener.

This post was edited by ReallyCoolDude on Jan 27, 2003.

Yikes! You envy me? Well, I can understand the weather part, but honestly, I can't stand cricket.

I do get what people see in it, but I swear, the whole of Australia revolves around sport. I reckon I'm part of the 10% of the population who doesn't like sport. Everyone else is obsessed with it.

As for the nice weather thing, well, knowing Melbourne it won't last for long. We're the city reknown for its "4 seasons in 1 day". Don't be envious though. I'm betting you don't have water restrictions.

Which world is Plato in?

We too would like to see the photo of this beautiful description you have given.

wow... besides the fact where you live... HOW can one live with 42 C?????
I was in Mumbai 3 weeks ago, it had 35 over there with high humidity... THAT was already almost unbearable.... but 42.... close to hell!

After decades of construction my website is finally up an running: www.kkds.de

Well, I guess that they are just used to that. You should think the same sort of questions concerning all the ones who live in Russia, and in Siberia actually. How can anyone live when it is -50 outside? And with not a really terrible hot inside? But still, they live like that.

My Russian teacher has been in Italy for 23 years, but her sister still lives in Siberia. Their family was exiled there during the rule of Stalin. Well, a couple of weeks ago, my Russian teacher told us that her sister called, and she said "Oh you know, we had such a warm weather on new year's eve" Turned out it was -15 Celsius!!

I guess that living there and being used to live there (and in India or any other country as well) playes an important role. It's obvious that if someone who comes from the northern part of Europe goes to India or any other hot country, he will obviously find it much hotter than the people who has always lived there or other people who, even not living there, are used to mild weather conditions.

For example, I remember that once in March I was celebrating my birthday in Florence (my parents made me that gift for my birthday, and I spent one week in Florence with my two best friends). Well, my point is that we were all covered in winter jackets (well, maybe not the ones we used to wear in December, but warm jackets anyway), and we saw a German group of tourists wearing short pants. And we thought "Hey, we're in March!! How can they wear short pants right now. We're dying of cold, and they are apparently fine with the weather!"

Just a little anecdote to tell you that it is possible to live with +42 or -50... it's just that you have to be used to that. If you were born and raised in Siberia, you'd be pretty used to that low temperatures, just like if you were born and raised in India (or any other hot country) you'd be pretty used to that high temperatures.

Un bacio è un'apostrofo rosa scritto tra le parole "ti amo".

True. But that 42C day was the hottest day for Melbourne since 1930-something. I know I'm definetly not used to that kind of weather. And generally I prefer cold weather.

Which world is Plato in?

:-) The place where Shabnam comes from - Jodhpur - is in one of the most dry zones in India, and the average day temperatures during summers are around 45 degrees. I still remember days when the temperatures used to touch 50 degrees, and we used to be thankful as the temperatures in nearby cities like Bikaner used to be around 56 degrees at that time.

It is pretty tough to live in such extreme conditions. As Andromacha has said, if you are used to it, it is easier to cope with it, but if you are not used to it, then it is surely hell!

Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye opener.

One gets adjusted to the climate he is living in. As my personal experience, it was never so difficult for me to live in Jodhpur, India where during May June the temperature used to be between 45-50 in centigrade. I still remember the days when I used to go to college and had to cover up hands with high gloves and face with the chunni(about 2 1/2 ft long dress material worn with Salwar Kurta, because of the scorching heat which used to tan the skin within few minutes of exposure to sun rays.

But for me I think that was much better than the humid climate of Houston or Chennai or Bombay. I just cann't tolerate this humidity, it makes me so dull.

I can imagine your situation in Mumbai

Looks like we have someone from the southern hemisphere joining NAO at last! Welcome to NAO, Jeanette, and do let us know more about you.

Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye opener.