Day 7 - 75 degrees: too hot

Today was the first rain-free day since I arrived. It was quite sunny, with a high temperature around 75F. I never thought I'd be saying this, but it seemed a little too warm for me. A 90-degree day in Norman feels rather cool, but a sunny 75-degree day here feels too warm.

Why? One reason is that air conditioners are extremely rare here. The average indoor temperature here is at least a few degrees higher than in Norman on the typical 94-degree summer day. Often it's a few degrees warmer than outside, which means on a 75 degree day, many places are near 80 inside, which is a little uncomfortable.

Another reason is that I (and most people who live here) do a lot more walking and bike riding than the typical person in Norman or San Jose who drives everywhere - and in an air conditioned car at that. When riding a bike up hills or briskly walking a few miles, the usual cloudy 67-degree southeast England day is just about perfect.

It's hard to imagine what it's like during those "heat waves" when it gets up into the 80's and 90's. Hopefully that won't happen while I'm here, because I can't sleep very well if it's above 70 in my room.

By the way, I always keep my window open, and there is no screen. Surprisingly, there are still no bugs in here. Try doing that on a summer night in Norman!!

posted by Matt @ 7:40 PM