Summer Heat

I have to talk about the weather. Sorry.

Warsaw has been beyond hot for the past few days (or is it weeks? ... I am dizzy from the heat!). I am told this is unusual, but "unusual" shouldn't last this long. Unusual lasts a day or two. This shit seems kinda real and has a taste of having happened before. My wife tells me she does not recall this kind of heat from her childhood (she grew up in Poland). I feel like I am back in the deep south of the US (minus, of course, the "good ol' boys).

Having grown up in this type of heat, I am often told "you should be used to this! It must feel like home?!". No, it doesn't. In the Deep South of the US, everyone has AC. One has to have it because without, one would die. Here, there was no real need for it ... until now. The problem is putting AC into flats and homes that were built so long ago. I have seen some people do it and whereas it is a relief from the heat, the AC lies dormant more than it is used. And, at the risk of sounding elitist, it looks crappy. So, what does one do.

I have found a tiny answer: frozen towels in front of a fan. Let's call it "country AC". Works like a charm ... until the towel warms and there is water everywhere. But, it brings a moment of wonderful cool.

Another answer is to visit many modern buildings and just sit. My office building is air conditioned and I did find myself wanting to stay longer. The fact that I want to work longer is a clear indicator of the power of this heat.