Feelin' hot Hot HOT

When I first arrived here in Thailand it was hot, but not this hot. When I arrived in Nakhon Phanom the hot season was in its death throes and could only spit a few hot days at me. I sweated, I complained, I drank a lot of water, but it wasn't really a big deal; it didn't last very long.

Since November I have been living in the heaven that is the “cool season”, mild days that are not too hot, not too cold, just perfect. Now however I have to carry a handkerchief with me everywhere I go to wipe the sweat that drips constantly off my face. I finally understand the Thai philosophy of bathing and now take about three baths a day as they are the only relief from the heat. I apply cooling powder (talcum powder with menthol in it) to help keep me cool and absorb my sweat. Its so hot that even my shins sweat, I never even knew that was possible! Before when I would hang my laundry up to dry it would take about day to dry, now it is bone dry in a half hour. I am always thirsty, no matter how many liters of water I drink a day it is never enough.

This past Monday we had no school so I spent the day with a friends at their house. We took a minute walk to the store and back and my shirt was soaked through when we reached the shade of their house again. We spent the rest of the day lying on the tile floor in the kitchen because it was the only cool place we could find. My room becomes an oven and I cannot stand to be in it before 6pm. My little fan can barely combat the heat, it often just feels like hairdryer blowing hot air around my room. All I do is sweat and it makes me grumpy, lazy and a little short on patience!

This week I was talking to students about the heat, telling them how hot I thought it was. They looked at me and said “Oh no teacher. It is not hot yet.” Oh. My. God.