I have no idea how to start writing this blog post, because I’m drenched in sweat and that’s all I can think about. We’re currently in a Heatmaggedon (if CNN made Snowmaggedon a thing, I can call this Heatmaggedon). It’s boiling hot. Not quite “make an egg on the sidewalk hot”, because I heard that doesn’t actually work, but this past Saturday was the hottest day on record in Shanghai in 145 years. It hit 106ºF (that’s 40ºC for everyone outside America). But the kicker is (and there is a kicker), the “real feel” of the temperature was close to 114ºF. Yikes!
Shanghai is so hot that my AC is running non-stop. It’s so hot that my throat itches from the dry air coming out of the air conditioner. It’s so hot that pool water feels like lukewarm tea and that my kitchen faucet is actively tepid not matter which way I turn it. It’s so hot that the drywall on our bathroom has started peeling away and the landlord can’t send anyone to fix it until the heat dies because he’s worried about the workers getting heatstroke
It’s times like this that make me grateful for the powers that be that grant us cheap electricity here in Shanghai (though those powers also take away the ability to have central heating in the apartments, so I guess we’re one for one). My air con has been on almost perpetually for the last month, set to 70ºF (or rather 22ºC because in this is China) and (through glorious, glorious means), we are still paying under 200rmb. How? I am honestly too afraid to ask, but the fact that there is AC means that friendships and relationships will survive through this summer.
Speaking of sweating through, I’m finally getting myself into shape. I’ve been to six exercise classes the past seven days thanks to the magic of GuavaPass (the asian ClassPass rip-off). It’s the same idea, where you can only visit a studio up to three times a months and where there is a steep penalty for cancelling or not showing up to a class, but I’m making this work for me. The goal is to make GuavaPass lose money, by working out every single day. That’s easier said than done, because getting myself to a class at 7am is hard. Seriously hard. And then the post-class shower feels useless because you’re sweatier when you get to work than when you left the studio.
But I am feeling more.. wholesome? Is that the right word? So far, I’ve gone to three restorative yoga classes, a vinyasa class, a spin call, and a HIIT workout (the 7 am one that I regretted almost immediately). This week I will try something called Piloxing Barre (like Pilates + Boxing + Barre?? I imagine this to be the ‘avocado toast’ of fitness classes) and TRX, because I need to get my strength back up. Maybe I’ll even get back to CrossFit, but the last time I did it, I basically joined a cult for 8 months, so on second thought I’ll hold off on that.
How do you survive summers like this? Ice luges? Daily ice-cream Sleeping in a walk-in freezer? If you’re reading this, I’d love to hear your hot weather survival tips!
It’s not been too bad here. In the zone of tee-shirt wearing nice summer. You told me about the fork book after I queried why America used the cup system. I read it. I forget. I still can’t quite believe it. I am also puzzled how you use Fahrenheit. Here there’s some debate on the internet about when we stopped using Fahrenheit in weather reports but it seems to be 1970 and so now it’s only talked about by old people, over fifties. To most of us it does seem incomprehensible so thanks for the conversion.
ahh yes, Consider the Fork by Bee Wilson! I may be weird about this, but I actually really like using Farenheit for temperature (though weight over volume, and metric over imperial any day). I feel like it’s much more precise, since Celsius is calibrated to water and a 5º difference in F is much milder.