Going "troppo"

It is that time of year when it’s appropriate to slow down (even more) and think in depth how (insert your favourite swear word here) hot it is.

In fact, temperature related comments become the part of greeting among friends and nodding of heads all around affirms a group approval that not only us non-Cambodians are suffering the heat.

Top end Australians have a fitting name for the pre-monsoon season: mango madness or going “troppo”. Despite the different continent, the ripening of mangoes here also coincides with the time of year where we are almost losing our will to live, look up to the sky where pregnant clouds are promising rain but in the end greedily retract and leave us frustrated, longing for a few drops of long forgotten rain.

Doing overtime or generally just spending a few more hours in the office is not so much of an issue this time of year – the a/c horses galloping at full speed providing much needed and appreciated relief from what feels like a giant hairdryer left on running outside.

My one legged pony at home is a different story. It breathes and coughs warm air when at times of “normal” temperatures it is not a problem for me to create my personal winter and have condensation on the windows in the morning. The hot season is against me and as the power supply to the township of Siem Reap struggles to keep up any sort of consistency my little pony suffers his own ordeal.

It’s not much fun when your menthol based cooling shower gel bought specially for the effects described on the packaging (even featuring few glistening ice cubes) comes out hot. Shampoo – hot. Water – hot, no cold option. Everything you touch – hot. With the occasional (and more frequent these days) power cuts where candle light provides even more heat.

To my great amusement, my friend Caroline came up with an ingenious way of helping sleep in such times. She reversed the hot water bottle effect and proceeded to hug a bottle of frozen water in bed. The dripping condensation enhancing the desired effect. This would be worth patenting. Well done, Caroline!

There is no moral to this story, just maybe to harden (insert your favourite swear word here) up and wait for the rains.