Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Heat

When I learned that I would be moving to New York, I remember dreading in advance the bitterly cold winters. I had seen TV News footage of people skiing in Times Square over the years and not being a cold weather person myself, I was not looking forward to that at all.

But what I didn't anticipate was how hot the summers are. In fact, nothing could prepare you for the sweltering heat and humidity apart perhaps from a prolonged acclimatization trip in the Amazonian rain forest! There are some days (like today) when, while the sun is shining invitingly, the 103F temperature and 40% humidity make it impossible to spend more than 15 minutes outside without melting into a pool of sweat.

Subway platforms are the hottest places of all, particularly at the end of the day when the heat has had a chance to accumulate. It is close to unbearable - especially with the addition of the smell of stale air and urine.

As a woman, one pretty much gives up on hair and make up on days like this. My wardrobe has almost completely changed since I moved here and I wear exclusively dresses in the summer as I find that floaty garments in lightweight cotton or silk are most effective against the heat.

Having said all that, I am prepared to deal with the few really hot days that we get every summer because the trade-off is amazing - temperatures start warming up by mid-April and stay that way until late October. As far as I am concerned, this means a summer that spans nearly 6 months and make the July and August heatwaves all worthwhile.

2 comments:

Viv said...

I can barely type... too ... hot... to ... move...
102? Seriously??? Why is the AC in Duane Reade so much colder than the one inside my office or in my apartment!!!???
stay cool! viv

Stephanie said...

I feel your pain - my apartment doesn't cool down enough either! Hope you stay cool also :-)