Showing posts with label hot season. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hot season. Show all posts

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Heat and other Adventures

Today's post is brought to you by my dear friend Amanda, who pointed out that for more than a week, you all have had to read about dead bodies each time you check for updates. And that's just not pleasant. Thanks to Amanda, you will read something new today! It's not much, but at least it's not dead bodies, right?

Hot Season is here. Soooooo-oh-oh-oh here. Here, and awful. Those of you in the Midwest or even just slightly above the equator may have trouble conceptualizing what 108 degrees Fahrenheit feels like. Let me try to paint you a picture: As I passed the threshold from my classroom to the outdoor courtyard, a wall of the hottest, stickiest humid heat knocked me in my chest, in a way that first sucked all the air out of my lungs and then made it impossible to inhale. It felt like drowning--the only logical way to get oxygen is to breathe, but you really don't want to inhale because you only have the option to breathe water. Okay, so like that, only with thick, filmy, hot air instead of water.

Better yet, just preheat the oven to 114 degrees (that's the forecast for tomorrow) and then stick your head in and take a breath or two. Or don't. Because isn't that how Sylvia Plath died or something?

Oh. One last picture-painting attempt: today during my 8th grade class, a drop of sweat rolled down the back of my knee. The. Back. Of. My. Knee. I have never sweated from there in my entire life. Good to know Africa is bringing out a new side of me.


Highlight of the Week: I held Parent-Teacher Conferences last night. One Mom told me in Serbian that I'm her kid's favorite teacher. The interpreter goes, "She says you are Vladimir's...how you say?...fohvreet?" I love international schools.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Happy 2 Months!

Dear Nigeria,

Happy 2 Month Anniversary! We've been in a relationship for 8 weeks so far, and I've loved almost every minute of it. I celebrated today by shopping at Garki Market, answering to the name "oibo," and sweating to the point of dehydration. Good times.

Look, Naija, I wanted to talk to you about something. You've been very good to me thus far--the very definition of hospitable--but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind turning down the heat. I mean, I know you and the Equator are really tight, but if you two decided to get in a fight and part ways for a little while, giving me a few days of sub-90 degree weather, I would really love that.

I'm sure we can sort this out. I mean, I'm in this for the long haul. I'm not giving up on you yet, Nigeria.

Love,
Maggie

P.S. We're taking a break for a few weeks in December, just so you know. I'm sure our relationship is strong enough for that kind of test. I'll come back to you, don't worry.