Thursday, January 1, 2009

On temperate adjustment

It is a cold cold winter here in New England this year.

I personally have lived in the subtropics for about three years now, though I was born in the north east, and one of the things everyone complains about when they go home to visit more temperate climes is how much their blood has thinned living in the land of the coco palm.

I don't find that to be the case. In fact, it is interesting how little my system is shocked by the drastic change in climate. Now, don't get me wrong, six degrees is cold. But six degrees has always been cold. It just doesn't seem any colder than it has always been.

Interestingly enough what has been effected is entirely external. I spent the first three days with painfully chapped lips, from which I never suffer, even in the winters. My skin, which usually has time to acclimate itself to the cold was very shocked indeed. I will be curious to see whether it will become extraordinarily greasy when I return to more balmy climes. I do recall having that sort of problem when first I moved.

We will see.

Ironicly enough, my house in the winter is 63 degrees, which is pretty cold. I wear sweat pants socks a T-shirt, sweater, and fleece in doors. My classroom back in the tropics is air conditioned to 58 degrees. Generally, I wear light cotton pants, a T-shirt or tank top, and sandals in the tropics...

Someone somewhere is crazy. And he's running building operations for the university.

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