No Turning Back

-
It is March 19.  We have caved.

Every year, we try to wait as long as possible into the early summer months here in South Asia to turn on our air conditioners.  We gut out the hot weather just as long as we can possibly bear it in an effort to 1) condition our bodies to the hot weather; and 2) to save money.  

But finally, today, the maximum speed on our ceiling fans is just not cutting it.  The 'cool'-ish breeze blowing through the windows in the evenings is not sufficient.  We broke down and turned on the air conditioners.

Once we turn them on for the year, there is simply no going back.  Living without the coolness of these blessed machines is no longer possible once the summer, monsoon and autumn months, filled with their blistering and sometimes unbearable heat, are upon us.  It will likely be November before we have a day without the rattling of the output fan moving back and forth in an effort to bring the hot temperatures in our top-floor penthouse down to a live-able level.

We have 'ACs', as they call them here, in our bedrooms and in the office.  We long for a full house cooling system, but that is simply waaaaaaayyyyy out of our price range.  Our window units and 'split' wall units do a great job in taking the edge off.  Sleeping is much easier now and my beautiful computer lives a much happier existence now that it no longer overheats while simply sitting unused on my desk!  We've had computer equipment and other office supplies melt in the heat of our home office.  Therefore the AC is essential!

So, welcome summer!  The ACs are on... the watermelons are piled high in the fruit markets... school is nearly out... and the divine pleasure of mango season is right around the corner.

~lk

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On Compassion

-
The tension has really ratcheted up in the last couple of weeks.     It seems like people are on edge. Extra nervous.     Almost on the verge of panicking. Is it COVID? Is it the election? Is it the constant uncertainty that we’ve all been under for months and months and months… and months?     So many of us thought that SURELY by the holidays we would have returned to ANY KIND of normal – old normal, new normal, abnormal… something.     But no.     Here we are.     It’s in this unsettled state of existence that my heart has started hurting.  It’s started hurting so much for all the broken people out there.  Yes, there’s been a lot of breaking going on.  Broken hearts, broken lives, you name it, things are breaking.  And there is pain and suffering going on.  And people who are broken need to be seen and heard and understood.   I think what’s needed most right now is some g...
Read more

On Thanksgiving

-
I read an article this afternoon titled, “You have permission to not be thankful this Thanksgiving”.     The author’s point was that no one should have to force themselves to be grateful just because a date on the calendar prescribes that we should be thankful.     She even brought in to her argument the fact that “the original Thanksgiving” (think Pilgrims and Native Americans) was a horrible affair sans turkey or any feelings of thanks or of giving or of compassion and humanity.     True enough, I suppose. I would never argue that someone should be forced to be thankful.     I would never say that someone should be compelled to give thanks for things that they don’t have or for things which have been ripped from their grasp.     Forced joy is not joy.     I get that.   However, if I’m going to argue about anything, I would choose to argue passionately about one thing in this regard.  And here's the reason:   I ...
Read more

Thoughts on Election Day

-
                It’s election day here in America.     A day of red, white, and blue.     Many people have already cast their vote, but others are waiting in lines at polling places, eager to fulfill their civic duty. It’s a day that’s supposed to be a celebration of democracy.     It’s supposed to be a day when we exercise our right to choose leadership for our country that will represent us and help to guarantee that our voices are heard.     It is a day that women and people of color have fought for the right to participate in.     Fought for the right to be included.     It’s a day that’s supposed to bring us together in unity as a nation with hope for a future that will bring us the promises our forefathers, white, male and slave owners they may have been, founded this nation to bring to reality.                ...
Read more