Last week, I got to be in the concrete jungle of NYC when the temperature nearly touched the 100 degree mark (err, for the rest of the world, that's 38). So I was pretty ecstatic when I made it back to Berlin and found myself greeted by 80 (27!) degree weather. But a couple of days later, that all changed. We are now in the day four of sticky, record breaking heat. Tell me, is it possible to melt to death?
Now forgive me for getting a little feisty here but I'm finding myself more than a little annoyed about the limited cooling options available to me. First, let me preface this by saying I am not a huge fan of air conditioning. I can go quite a while before having to turn it on and when I do, I'll set it to a comfortable 80 degrees. And I understand that in general, the ole' AC is not too widespread in Europe. Overall, I very much dig that because let's not forget that the environmental effects are crazy bad. (Here's a little reminder).
So don't get me wrong, I did not expect that either of my summer flats in Berlin would have a little AC unit stashed in my bedroom window, as one would expect in most American apartments, to utilize only four days of the summer. HOWEVER (!!!), I did expect a little rotating fan to be a regular fixture in one's flat...you know, something sitting in the corner next to the infrequently used but equally important toilet plunger. Americans, if you don't have AC, count the number of fans in your home! Yet, neither of our flats have had even one! (Although quite frankly, my roomie and I would probably be at one another's throats if we had to share a fan).
Throughout the years, I have come to learn a lot about differences in American and European cultures. I adore the fact that overall, Europeans are much more environmentally conscientious and energy saving. But this, THIS is beyond my comprehension! Are you really telling me, Germany, that it never gets hot in the summer? How do you people sleep? Well let me tell you about my little secret for sleeping these days; Benadryl. Yep, not only does it make for a remarkable sleeping aid but it's also helping to manage what appears to be a lovely heat rash which comes back every day with a vengeance.
Hot, sticky, and itchy. Let me repeat: awesome.
But can I tell you how glad I am that I wasn't one of these poor souls? Talk about my worst fears coming to life!
I am also quite glad that I haven't had any class or appointments lately because folks, I haven't been out of the house since Saturday night. I had stepped out for a bit Saturday afternoon to do some shopping (foolishly assuming that the grocery stores and drugstores or at least the U-Bahns might offer some cooling relief, ha! ) and I pretty much wanted to die when I repeatedly discovered that everywhere I went, I was only greeted by more blasting temperatures.
So for the past 36 hours, my strategy has been to move as little as possible. I mostly just go to the kitchen to refuel with cold water and then to the bathroom to splash some cold water on my arms and legs to cool down. (This is my alternative to taking showers every six minutes). What a way to spend your free days in Berlin. But let me repeat...100 degrees, sticky, and no breeze. WWJD??
Well, a friend did tell me that the big shopping retailers are piping in the AC so I might wander around there a bit. Or I might spend another 24 hours inside. I mean, Roomie and I had also talked about getting ice cream last night but then we, err, sat down instead and couldn't seem to get up for the rest of the night. Maybe there's an ice cream delivery service?
Okay, time to make more ice.
Your melty correspondent,
Rachael
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