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Seriously, in UK and Canada the temperature may be down to negative two-digits but at least they have central heating systems and carpeted floors. Here, the only relief from the cold is get a portable heater if you can afford it, join Indians gathered around a small fire they made, or get on SRO bus or metro train. Trust me that when you're on a bus or metro during rush hour, you would forget it's winter in New Delhi. It also helps if you could just exclaim to anyone who would listen, "it's too cold!" as if they don't know it yet.
That’s today’s temperature in New Delhi. I whined to Michael this morning about how so not fair it is when weather bureaus forecast max-min temp (today’s is 15C/6C or 59F/43F), yet they 
also say that it actually feels colder. It has a debilitating effect on me. Every morning when I wake up I check the current temp so I could psyche myself up and decide how many layers of clothes should i wear. Today, at 7 am the temp was 5C, my problem was I don't have enough clothes to wear anymore; yesterday I wore 4 layers with the same temp as today, and the other day 3 layers.
also say that it actually feels colder. It has a debilitating effect on me. Every morning when I wake up I check the current temp so I could psyche myself up and decide how many layers of clothes should i wear. Today, at 7 am the temp was 5C, my problem was I don't have enough clothes to wear anymore; yesterday I wore 4 layers with the same temp as today, and the other day 3 layers.
Buying more warm clothes is out of the question, it's beyond my budget. And then without a washing machine it's difficult to handwash clothes with tap water that's close to freezing point. Add to that New Delhi has been covered with fog for 2 weeks now that even If i did my laundry last weekend, they're still damp today. The only solution I had was to reuse clothes from yesterday or the other day. And forget about good fashion sense, mixing and mismatching clothes I could be declared worst dresser in New Delhi.
But it isn't just about the clothes. It gets so painfully cold here because both our house and 
our office building have marble floors and huge glass windows designed to fend off summer heat. Even if i wore enough clothes and covered my head with beanie my hands would still be exposed, for how could I work with thick gloves on. The office has provided some low-voltage heaters but the quantity is not enough for the size of the building and the number of staff. The heaters are so inadequate that I stole Mike's and then he borrowed the chairperson's who is not in office today. Having said all that, I am still feeling so chilly that it proves to be extremely challenging to concentrate on work. Last week Michael, on our way home, was asking me several things but I could barely comprehend what he was saying. This must be what my son meant when as a kid, he would bellow "Brain freeze!!!" after slurping 16 ounces of Slurpee.
our office building have marble floors and huge glass windows designed to fend off summer heat. Even if i wore enough clothes and covered my head with beanie my hands would still be exposed, for how could I work with thick gloves on. The office has provided some low-voltage heaters but the quantity is not enough for the size of the building and the number of staff. The heaters are so inadequate that I stole Mike's and then he borrowed the chairperson's who is not in office today. Having said all that, I am still feeling so chilly that it proves to be extremely challenging to concentrate on work. Last week Michael, on our way home, was asking me several things but I could barely comprehend what he was saying. This must be what my son meant when as a kid, he would bellow "Brain freeze!!!" after slurping 16 ounces of Slurpee.
Seriously, in UK and Canada the temperature may be down to negative two-digits but at least they have central heating systems and carpeted floors. Here, the only relief from the cold is get a portable heater if you can afford it, join Indians gathered around a small fire they made, or get on SRO bus or metro train. Trust me that when you're on a bus or metro during rush hour, you would forget it's winter in New Delhi. It also helps if you could just exclaim to anyone who would listen, "it's too cold!" as if they don't know it yet.
Photos of me and the Indians by Mike.
You poor thing, it must be horrible. We complain about the cold here sometimes but that's from the comfort of our heated homes complete with carpets, wooden floors and (if we're lucky) double glazed windows to keep in the heat. Mind you, I've been wearing my warm thermal vest for weeks now! One day soon I will have to put it in the wash but at least it won't take so long to dry that it starts to smell of stagnant water while it's hanging on the line. UK law also requires that workplaces are kept at reasonable temperatures - whatever that means! Must be hard to enforce as some workplaces need to be kept cool (like butchers)but at least it means that employers need to try to keep offices reasonably warm.
ReplyDeleteHang on in there, in a couple of months you'll be finding it's too warm again!
xx