I’ve lived in Korea for over 29 years. I can’t recall it being hotter.
Now, I’ve been in hotter places. I lived in San Antonio, Texas for three years. I used to challenge myself on the drive home from work in the late afternoons: get out to the car (parked in the open for 10 hours), take off my uniform top and hang it over the back of the driver’s seat, get in, roll down the windows, and see how far I could go before giving up and turning on the A/C. I could make it quite a ways, but usually bailed out before getting home.
The record for the drive that I remember clearly — the entire 20 minutes, while driving, and the car’s external temperature thermometer never going below 110 degrees. And it wasn’t necessarily a “dry” heat either.
In Korea, I ride my bike to work, and you’d think that would be rough in the afternoons. It isn’t too bad though because I work in air conditioning and can usually get home within 15 minutes, so my body doesn’t get completely overwhelmed. Today was a bit different. Still got home no problem…stopped to buy kale and lettuce in the market on the way…but even the shade wasn’t very helpful. That’s a first. Usually in the shade you feel a significant difference. Not today. Today, it was hot in the shade too.
This is the worst time of year for riding. Even in the winter, as long as there’s no snow and ice covering the route, you can get by by layering correctly and wearing toe warmers in your shoes if you have to. Not so in the summer. You can only take off so much, and at my age, even less. There’s just a point where you say, “Nope.” Today is the perfect day for “Nope.”
So I’m writing this as I delay my dog’s walk. I’m not sure she’ll appreciate the heat either. She’s 14. Still gets around decently (being deaf doesn’t affect that), but on our walks of the past week or so, she’s made it about halfway before the tongue comes out and she’s ready to get home.
Me too. Except the tongue part. Most of the time.
