Sweating It Out On New Year's Eve

I spent the New Year's Eve of 2006 at the local hospital with Joanne, who was down with contact dermititis on both her feet. It was an agonising evening for both of us. Last night was yet another agonising New Year's Eve for us.

No, we didn't usher in the new year at the hospital this time. We were at home, but we might as well had been in a furnace. Dear God, it was HOT! It was hot all day with the temperature soaring past 41 degrees Celcius. It was so bad that at one point, the local authorities were considering banning the annual New Year's Eve firework display in the city. Luckily for the revellers waiting to see the big show, the firework display was allowed to go on.

I couldn't help wondering how those revellers took the heat. The crowd must have been overwhelming. Even in the so-called comfort of our home, the sweltering heat was unbearable. Unlike our Cheras home, which is fitted with 4 air-conditioning units, there is none in our rented home here Doncaster. We have 2 standing fans and a mobile cooler, which is totally useless in hot temperatures.

So we all sweated like pigs on New Year's Eve. I couldn't even watch the TV in the living room because the mobile cooler had been moved to the bedroom. You can imagine what a boring New Year's Eve that was.

We all went to bed early, trying to sleep. I couldn't. I woke up several times to open the windows to see if there were any cool changes. There was none. The air outside was still. There was hardly any breeze at all. So I did what I could to cool down.

I splashed cold water on my face. I sprayed water all over me. I stuffed my little pillow in the freezer for a while so that it would be cool to the touch when I took it out. I even stuck my own head in the freezer a few times!

Luckily the kids have a better fan in their room. Otherwise, they would be wailing too.

Morning came and the temperature was only slightly better. Now, as I'm writing this, the temperature has shot up to 36 degrees and it's not even 11am yet. Guess it's going to be another HOT HOT day.

I really dread summer sometimes ... Thank goodness there are cool changes now and then.