Wednesday 1 July 2009

Heat

I like the idea of Summer but I am not sure I like it in person. The last couple of Summers have been nice, they were wet and dull enough not to ever get too hot for too long. It is only just July and it is already too hot.

This sort of weather is the sort where you want a house with stone flooring so it stays nice and cool. The sort where when I lived with my folks, if I went out in the heat of the day, more often than not it would be to go and lay in the long cool grass in the shade of the orchard. OK, so my house has nice thick granite walls, downstairs doesn't get unbearable....

But work? I work in a giant tin shack. To be fair I work in the cooler end of the shack but it still gets a wee bit hot. Us Brits, we don't build for hot weather. We like to think we are hard done by in terms of weather. Thing is, that is just our pessimistic outlook. We actually have more than enough hot weather to justify a little consideration.

In the city I remember one particular building which was recently built, with no air con and no opening windows. They then filled it with people and computers. It was horrid. Nasty. Cheap. Inconsiderate.

Thing is, we don't design for the cold either. Scandinavians have oodles of insulation in their homes. They make us look like amateurs. The technology is there and cheap and not very far away.

We design for mediocre weather that we don't get very often. Thing is, our ancestors were much better at this whole thing. They designed to last and made their buildings look beautiful. They had windows that opened and huge fireplaces. To be the wrong temperature encouraged illness and they had no penicillin to make it all better.

My house is far cooler than the sorts of new build rabbit hutches around. I could happily stay here, all nice and cool, and not go to work. (which by the way is improving, at least for me it is anyway)

I sat outside in the sun for about ten minutes today, before I had to move into the shade.

Other countries work around the weather. They have siestas. They get up early and go to bed late but in the middle, they sleep.

Why can't we work with the weather? Why can't we be flexible? It isn't natural...

5 comments:

  1. I hate the heat.. and my Cornish ancestral blood shreeks every time summer comes.. we get unbearable heat here sometimes over 40 degrees centigrade.. thank heavens I have Spanish olive skin..
    I have been away and also a little scatty the past few days so have not been visiting blogs.. thanks for letting me know that you have a post that I will like.. I will read your blog today!!
    (if you can ever think of any books that may help me with learning how the ancient Cornish folk lived, I would love to know.. and also i have a HUGE favour to ask.. about Serpentine.. can you email me when you have time?) xo

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  2. *giggles* So what exactly constitutes 'hot'?

    True though...if the dwellings aren't designed to accomodate, it can be rather wretched....

    I think we sacrifice too much when we try to get on in spite of what the weather is telling us....I'm all for siestas and hibernating in the winter...;)

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  3. I am all for the summer, but it is near impossible to live in at the moment. The heat is intense and that fact it does not let up in the evening is cause for some hard core grumpiness from moi. Bring on the thunderstorms and the rain! Someone said in work today that we should sign a petition to refuse to work in these conditions. I had to laugh. Never gonna happen. Glad things on the work front are improving for you!

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  4. don't sweat the serpentine.. just if you ever go walking and find some.. I was wondering if you could send it to me.. I will pay for postage of course!.. if not, that is ok as maybe I will get a chance to go look when I come over.. as to stones:smokey quartz is the best.. I have a beautiful pendant that I don't wear and would love to send it to you.. email me your postal details..(I will also need postal details to send the clay disc for the Full Moon Healing ritual if you wish to join in..).. I think hematite could be a little too heavy for you.. I cannot wear it.. it makes me lopsided.. hee, hee...
    as to other stones.. leave it with me.. I will meditate on it tonight.. and let you know xo

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  5. I'm with you Rose, the hot weather just drains me and siestas are such a good idea. I live right by the water so even on hot days there is usually a breeze blowing off the water but in the city it is stifling. We have had a beautiful run of weather since he end of May, most unualy in rainy Vancouver but it has been moderate around 20 most of the time, not too bad. Like you, I don't really mind rainy, dull days as long as they don't last for weeks on end, there is something cosy about rain and wind as long as you are inside, although a walk in the rain can be fun too. Happy to hear things are improving at work, hope they continue to improve.

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