Hot

The thermometer in my car read 50 degrees centigrade again yesterday. During the day the temperature here fluctuates between 46 and 50, but of course it never "officially" reaches the 50 mark, because that's the limit at which manual labourers working outdoors are allowed to down tools, so (I'm told) it never goes above 49 as far as foremen are concerned. The overnight low is around 38.

Yesterday I walked with Abigail from the house to the embassy compound to return some DVDs. It's a five-minute walk and believe me, you wouldn't want to do anything longer than that in these conditions. You know how the inside of your car feels when you return to it after a day parked under the hot sun? That's how it feels here, outdoors. As we walked I felt my T-shirt, my jeans, and I couldn't keep my hand on them.

During the winter the embassy heats the water in the pool, but in summer it's heated by the Sun. I think this year's worse than last. We went to the pool the other day and the water was very warm, like a Jacuzzi. The water in the pipes to the house is heated underground too. When I take a shower I have to have the tap on the 'cold' setting, and the water is hot. If I had it at the normal 'half-and-half' setting it would be scalding.

So, we spend most of our time in air-conditioning: the house, the car, the shopping mall. But then the dry air plays havoc with my sinuses. Can't win can I?

Some of my UK friends have been moaning about the wet and miserable summer they're having. Wanna swap?