Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 26oC, hot, sunny and slightly cloudy.
Last weekend was scorching, and today is no different. It will be 30+ degrees Celsius, which is a crazy high temperature for winter.
My Facebook friends from England complain when it is 28 to 29 degrees in English summer, saying that their clothes are sticking to their bodies and it is too hot at this temperature.
In Rio, the temperature often reaches 35-40 degrees Celsius during the summer. It is so hot that you must take two or three showers a day to stay refreshed. Sometimes, you sweat again right after a shower, so you need to take another one. The summer in Rio is sweltering, and it feels like living inside an oven turned up to the maximum. If you do not have air conditioning at home, it can be a serious problem.
Living in a climate with extreme temperatures poses challenges, especially for those working in modern offices with strong air conditioning systems. The contrast between the low office temperatures and the high outdoor temperatures can cause discomfort and health issues for many people, such as catching a cold or exacerbating allergies.
During the first few years of having the school, the classroom did not have an air conditioner because I did not have the money to buy one then. Teaching classes in the summer was unbearable for everyone, and many pupils complained. Eventually, I found a way to buy an air conditioner, which was a relief for all.
Before having the air conditioner, we had to leave the door open to let air circulate. Another factor contributing to heat is latent heat, the heat emitted from our bodies. In a confined space of about ten square meters with six or seven people, the body heat made the room very hot, in addition to the ambient temperature.
It is like going to a nightclub at the beginning of the night when it is not so crowded, and you can feel the strong air conditioner working. But as the night goes on and more people fill the room, you suddenly feel the heat and start sweating a lot, not because you are dancing, but because there are so many hot people giving off warmth that the air conditioner is not strong enough to compensate.
The English are well-known for being obsessed with the weather. When two English people start a conversation, they often discuss or ask about the weather. When they do not have anything else to say, they tend to start talking about the weather.
It is a part of their heritage to have conversations about the weather. When you watch a video on YouTube from England, and it is outside, there will likely be a comment about the weather. If the weather is not favourable, the comment is usually negative, with an air of disappointment or frustration. If the weather is favourable, the comment is often with an air of surprise, as it is not normal or scarce.
My late uncle Mick, who was like a second father to me, passed away about two years ago. I considered him a true gentleman; he was always correct, saying the right things and trying to do what was right. When my father disappeared, he was there for us. I have been living in Brazil for a long time, and there was a period when we lost contact for a couple of years.
However, I found a way to reconnect, and I would call him at least two or three times a month, if possible, to see if everything was okay with him, including his health. Every time I asked about the weather, it was raining.
In England, rain is usually associated with cold weather, but in Brazil, especially in Rio, a tropical city, rain comes with heat. There are tropical storms and rain showers in the summer, usually in the afternoon. It is like someone turning on a tap, and it rains heavily for half an hour, then stops. Sometimes, the climate can be slightly cooler because of the sudden downpour, but it is never cold. It is pretty strange to experience rain in a warm or hot climate.
One thing that concerns me about going to England is the weather. I will be arriving at the end of November, the beginning of winter. I intend to be active when not working or giving classes. I plan to go for long walks along the canals to continue doing outdoor exercise and not be stuck at home because of the cold. My mother lives near the canals and waterways built during imperialism and the industrial revolution. When I was a child, I used to go fishing along the canals behind my house.
I spent many days fishing, walking, and riding my bicycle along the canals. It was a genuinely fantastic way to experience the English countryside. The only thing that could not be guaranteed was the weather, which was still quite beautiful. One thing I always wanted to do there was take many photographs along the canal.
The canals were initially built and used to connect towns and factories and transport large quantities of products, goods, commodities, raw materials, etc., by barges. Two hundred years ago, the principal form of transport for goods would be along the canals. The barges or narrowboats would be long and thin steel boats that could carry large quantities of something, with a horse parallel to the barge on the pathway, pulling the barge along the canal with ropes from one place to another.
This was before the invention of the car, the truck, etc. For many years, the network of canals in England was the main highway for transporting large quantities of something from one factory to another or from one town to another.
The canals still exist today but are no longer used commercially to transport large quantities of goods. Instead, they have been transformed into a public park showcasing English history. People can now walk along the pathways, exploring the beautiful English countryside and getting closer to nature. Regarding tourism, it is possible to rent or buy your own narrowboat and go on holiday in the English summer, travelling up and down the canals from one town to another.
Many pubs and unique places near or in front of the canals make the journey pleasant. Travelling down the canals at a plodding speed, around three kilometres an hour, allows for a leisurely experience, providing beautiful views of nature on each side. Travellers can stop for lunch or even stay the night at the beginning of a town along the canals.
Some people nowadays have bought a narrow boat as an alternative way of living. These boats are usually made of steel, making them exceptionally strong and insulated against the cold, typically with a gas, electric, or wood burner for heating. If you do not stay in a marina, you need to buy a license, and every 15 days, you will have to move to another spot. This is something that I would like to try in the future, maybe for six months or one year, whether alone or with a partner, to live on a narrowboat for some time.
In the morning, I took Perola to the park. As usual, she made friends with many people, and I worked out. I taught classes and worked on the websites for the rest of the day. I need to make some changes to “Long Gringo”, and I have re-started “Place Beads.” I also need to buy silicone to make bracelets and clarify some size doubts. Tomorrow, I will go to a supplier, Income Cabana, and take care of this.
My main focus is exercise classes, websites, and money.
In bed by 9.30 pm.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
