Thursday, June 7, 2007

We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave...

I just checked two websites to find out the temperature. One says 108 and the other says 115. One thing they agree on is that the 10 day forecast is not going to change much. Good thing we got out of Arizona for the summer! I don't care which temperature it is, it is flipping hot. Our poor little air conditioners work as hard as they can, but the fact of the matter is that they just are not strong enough. Last night the one in our bedroom shut off and I woke up from my perspiration. Lovely. Poor Nathan jumped out of bed and was checking fuses and switches all over the house. Fortunately, it came back on a little later and we could get back to sleep. I think it just needed a break. I figure that I will be moist for the next two to three months and hopefully drop some lbs in the process. Nathan and I are hoping to get away for a weekend to one of the hill stations. These are villages around the base of the Himalayas that everyone goes to during the summer to get away from the heat. Shimla is the most popular one. Funnily enough it is where the British Viceroy had his summer home. Now if the British built a town there you know it has to be good, right?

From what we have heard, strangely enough, the winters can get quite cold here. I am wondering if it is like Argentina in that all the floors are marble so there is nothing to absorb the cold. We are going to gave to get some space heaters and some rugs or I will freeze. Then apparently there is an hour and a half somewhere between October 26th and November 3rd where the weather is absolutely perfect and everyone runs out in the street and erupts into a parade. We'll find out, I guess. Should be interesting. People here do what people in Arizona do in the summer if they can - they get out. This is the big time for expats to go home. Some of them come back in the fall, but this is when most of their contracts end. I look at it this way, we are going to get over the nasty first and then get on to the cold but much easier to manage temperatures. I would much rather do it that way. With everyone leaving too, I am thinking I might pop over to the thrift shop at the American Embassy that the American Women's Association runs. I am hoping to score a microwave oven as they are incredibly expensive here. People just don't use them so they cost a pretty penny. If I could find one though... bliss.

Alright, one funny story. The other day my friend Merinda called me and asked me if I would like to go to the salon with her to get our hair done. I jumped at it! I was so ready to have someone pamper me a bit and they did not disappoint. It's this great shop just down the road from us where they have imported a Frenchman to be the master stylist (having spent some time in France I always wonder why everyone thinks they have all the style - doesn't matter, I'll take it!). So I have my little kimono on and I am getting my hair washed. There is lovely music playing. Then I get my head massage. Nice acoustic rock songs. Then I get a shoulder and arm massage. Then it happens. The theme song to "Popeye, the Sailor Man" starts playing. What? It's true. I start chuckling. No one makes a sound. I look out the corner of my eye to see if anyone finds the fact that we are listening to "I'm strong to the finish, cause I eat me spinach" as amusing as I do. Nothing. Everyone just continues on with what they are doing as if nothing odd is going on. When the song was over it went right back to the lovely acoustic music that was playing before. I half expected Rod Serling to step out from a corner somewhere and start a monologue about how I was about to get my hair trimmed in the Twilight Zone. No such luck, but my hair turned out great and I got a funny story out of it.

One other funny story. The other night Nathan was helping me with my statistics homework. He truly has the patience of Job with me and I completely understand why Simon liked having him as a tutor. Finally, after working for a ridiculous amount of time I turned to him with tears forming in my eyes. I said," Thank you so much for helping me. I don't know what I would do without you. You are the best. I am sorry that I ever made fun of you for checking out statistics books from the library. I will never do that again." My husband looked at me and gently placed a hand on my shoulder. "You really do need me," he said in all seriousness, "because those were algebra books." Oh dear.

2 comments:

Layton Clan said...

Haa haa! Statistics book/Algebra books same difference, right?! The popeye story is the best. I can't believe that! India is a CRAZY place! When I was on my mission in NYC, it was so hot and humid in the summers. We didn't have an A/C unit in our apartment (you know, the window kind) so we would soak our sheets in cold water, put them down on the hardwood floors and lay on them to sleep, and then half way through the night we would do the same thing. It was AWFUL, but we made it. I have empathy for you girl. I am sorry you have to go through yet another Indian mishap of window box A/D failure. Okay, so we need to talk. What phone number do I call??? Love you, Jen

Anonymous said...

You are right. It sounds far too hot for comfort!

There was a programme on BBC1 recently with Victoria Wood in India. From Delhi she took a little train (just a little larger than the one in Beal Park) into the mountains to escape the heat. The town she went to had all British street names and was where the Brits would escape to in the summer.

Today the UK is forecast to be a cool 17-18 C (down from the mid 20's) with heavy, thundery showers for today and tomorrow. Just perfect, since Deborah and Becky are going on a RS camp tonight at Gadfield Elm. (i'll get the wellies out!)

We miss you both. Keep the pages coming.