Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Goldilocks Syndrome

One of the hardest things for me to get used to in Egypt was the weather.  Yes, it's sunny 350 days a year.  Yes, there's an almost constant wind that makes it a dream-come-true for windsurfers.  Blah, blah, blah.  I want seasons, dang it!  I love the crisp air and new buds of spring and the colored leaves and nippy temperatures of fall.  Egypt only has two months of spring (April and May) and two of fall (October and November). 

This one's too hot!  There are four months of summer with temperatures ranging from 80-110 degrees.  Ouch!

This one's too cold!  From December to March, temperatures range from 30-60.  I'm sure that doesn't sound bad to people used to snow and ice -- but here's the difference.  There's no indoor heating in Egypt.  None.  Zip.  Nada.  You end up putting three blankets on the bed and wearing clothes to sleep.  Lots and lots of clothes.  Two pairs of socks, two sweat-pants, turtlenecks, and assorted sweaters.  I have an angora scarf I wrap around my head. 

The biggest problem is once the temperature dips in December, you never thaw out until March.  You spend days, nights, weeks, and months in jackets, sweaters and woolen footie-slippers.  I sometimes type in gloves.  My mouse hand frequently gets so cold I can't feel it.  Yikes!

Ah, well.  No place is perfect, right?

45 comments:

Kate Larkindale said...

I never imagined Egypt getting so cold in winter. But the lack of heating sounds like New Zealand. I've lived in places where it got to 40 below, but I've never been as cold as in NZ.

Ravena Guron said...

It sounds better than Britain, where we get rain 360 days a year. I suppose I'm better off though - we can do things in our temperature. I heard that you can't even go out in the middle of the day (is that a rumor or the truth? I believe everything I hear :)

Dr Blood said...

Sounds just like upstate New York to me. :( I've never been so cold in my life as during the winter here and never been praying for death as much as during the summer heat. BTW, it only rains so much in Britain if you measure the country as a whole. It's an island with a mostly maritime climate, of course, so every day feels much the same. There are still droughts in the South and there's still deep snow up North. It just doesn't change from one to the other with no warning unlike where I am now.

Kelly Hashway said...

Wow, I didn't know this. I love spring and fall because I love in-between temperatures. I'm not sure I'd survive in Egypt.

Jimmy Fungus said...

Wow. Well, can't you get a space heater? That would help out a little bit at least. That's mainly how I get though winters. My space heater keeps me warm at night, as no one else is interested in doing that.

shelly said...

I always thought of Egypt as stifling. Wow! And not heat. Are they that backwards?

Hugs,
Shelly

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Ha, I didn't know Egypt got cold, though really I should've known. It's a desert and desert nights get FREEZING!

michelle said...

My word! I always associated Egypt with dry hot weather. I didn't know that the temperature fluctuates between the two extremes!

Murees Dupè said...

Wow, that sounds really uncomfortable. We don't have internal heating in South Africa either, but you sound so much worse off than me.

Anonymous said...

I had no idea. Yikes.

I once lived in a building where the a/c couldn't be controlled by tenants, and it only ran cold, so even in the winter cold air was blowing inside. I also remember living up north and being in a building where the radiators didn't always work in the winter. I've been doing well for the past few years. I've had some a/c breakdowns, but other than that I've been pretty comfortable. The heavy Florida rains can be bothersome, though.

mshatch said...

ok then no central heating = no visiting Egypt between December and March! It get's even colder here where I live (Maine, US) and even with central heating I feel your pain.

Suze said...

Autumn and Spring are seasons of grace -- I can totally understand you missing them! (Here I am, counting down the days to September ...)

Mina Lobo said...

What? No electric heating units, even???
Some Dark Romantic

cleemckenzie said...

Being a native Californian I'm a total weather wuss. I hate it when a place is too hot. I hate it when a place is too cold. Seasons? We pretty much have two: summer and spring with a nod to fall and winter. Want me to send mitten? I have some that I never use.

Unknown said...

WOW, I had no idea it got that cold. I live in Utah and I often look forward to summer then it gest too hot and I want cooler weather. Spring and fall are my fav seasons.
It's nice to meet you. I followed you from YALITCHAT, so find me too, k?

Kathi Oram Peterson said...

Oh my stars! I had no idea it became cold in Egypt. I'm like you, I love seasons and look forward to all of them. I'm glad I found your blog.

Anonymous said...

That would be quite hard in winter... do you at least have a small heater for the colder months? I think the hotter months would probably be the worst for me... I'm so not a heat person. For those cold days when you right, you may need to get a big cat that sleeps on your lap for extra warmth:)

Anonymous said...

What an interesting life you lead. I've scrolled down through Salt Hogs, but it's two in the morning, so I'll have to return and discover just what you're doing in Egypt.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

It would be difficult to live without definite seasons. Although we often don't get much of a winter and our springs and falls last about one week.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

I travelled from northern BC in Canada to Mexico, and at night I had to use 2 extra blankets. I was cooking during the day and freezing at night. But for 3 weeks, I suffered. Our youngest has been all over the world with the Army and I love listening to his stories. He said the smell in Afghanistan was horrendous. Did you notice anything bad smelling in Egypt? I have no idea, but do they have a good sewer? I knew they didn't have heat during the winter because there's nothing to burn. Interesting place to visit, I bet.

AlishaKlapheke said...

I can't imagine being cold for that long. Ugh. I want to go to Egypt someday--my uncle just returned--what time of year is the most moderate?

Nickie said...

I used to live in Florida, and for some reason people are shocked -- SHOCKED -- that it freezes there. For most of December and January in Florida, I would wake up to frost on the ground. And it's a different cold from further up north that really seeps in and bites at you. Plus, there's no snow to justify the cold. Yuck.

Anonymous said...

I grew up in Michigan so I know cold, snow, and , well ... cold. Now I live in So. California and I know hot as in desert hot. One of these days we'll need to get to Egypt and do the tourist thing.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

No, no place is perfect. But you've reason to complain. I'd be whining like crazy in a climate like that. Will send you some "just right" weather when it hits Northern Cal.

Be well, Lexa.
xoRobyn

Christine Rains said...

I had no idea Egypt got so cold either! I love the seasons too. This summer in the US Midwest has been horrible, though. I'm not a hot weather person.

Cathy Keaton said...

That is crazy. Why don't homes in Egypt have indoor heating? I live in Southern California where we don't really have seasons, either, but that just means it never gets too extremely anything here.

Anonymous said...

I am in Turkey and I know exactly what you mean...

I would love to see some crisp autumnal days for one.

It's 100f here now at 2am in the morning and as you say.. winter is hell...xx

DMS said...

Wow! I had no idea that homes in Egypt don't have heat. I could understand if it didn't get too cold or if it was only a week or so- but it is a couple of months. We lost electricity for a week once when it was in the 30s and 40s outside. I had to put a few blankets on the bed, sleep in all kinds of clothes, and a winter hat. My nose was so cold when I woke up. My heart goes out to you.

If you have a microwave, then you can heat up a rice pack (two hand towels or something similar with rice in them, sewn into a little pillow like object. I am sure there are directions on Google or something)- and put it on your lap when you are typing or throw it in your bed before you get in to warm it a bit. I do this in the winter and sleep with the warmed pack next to me. Just a thought- because that sounds soooo cold!
~Jess

Dianne K. Salerni said...

No indoor heating? I had no idea. And if there are four months of winter where temperatures can dip into the the 40's and 30's -- why not? It seems that, at some point, someone would've seen the business opportunity here! Geothermal heat, for instance, would be cost efficient.

Ravena Guron said...

I've tagged you in a round of blog tag :) The post is up on Thursday :D

Alice said...

Wow. Egypt. cool. I'm a new follower who came over from my friend Lauren's Eclectic blog.

Patsy said...

No, I don't suppose anywhere would be perfect in every way.

btw - did you realise you have that pesky word verification set up?

Cherie Reich said...

Wow, no indoor heating in Egypt. That's just amazing to me. Although I'd rather go without heat in the winter than air conditioning in the summer.

Beth said...

I don't believe there are real seasons anywhere. In Texas,we had ten month of summer with lots of those months in the90-110 range. 80 was a nice day. In Wisconsin,we have 12 months of winter. (They say it's summer, but since this is my winter, I refuse to believe that).

Are you from Egypt originally? Just curious.

Ruth Schiffmann said...

Yikes, that's a pretty intense climate. Interesting for me to learn about - thanks for sharing. Although I can understand why it's less than ideal for daily living. I sympathize. I love the change in seasons - spring and fall being my favorites.

Rob-bear said...

I remember a night spent in a monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai about 20 years ago. It snowed that night. Yup; snow. It was "fresh," and too dangerous to climb the mountain the next day. But at least I have the story to tell, and that's good enough (or as good as it is going to get).

Blessings and Bear hugs from Canada (where we get lots and lots of snow).

DL Hammons said...

I SOOOOOO can't wait until Fall. My favorite season...by far! I would be miserable without it! :)

Elise Fallson said...

I have to agree with DL above, my favorite season is fall too. Here in France we don't have AC and it gets pretty hot in the summer. We end up having to keep our shutters closed during the hottest days. But that really only lasts about a week and then temperatures settle out. I guess it helps that we live in an old stone farm house that manages to keep a cool interior during the day. I don't think I'd like to live in a place that didn't have all 4 seasons. As a kid I lived in Aqaba for a few years and loved it. But then again, we spent most of our time at the beach along the Red sea...things were different then.

Catherine Noble said...

My goodness, can't you get an electric heater? That sounds insufferable! Autumn is my favourite season... I love all the falling leaves and not-too-baltic temperature. Winter used to be a close second, but after all the blizzards and mini-hurricanes we've been getting in Glasgow the past few years, I've gone right off it!

Gwen Gardner said...

I love seasons - all of them! Where I live in the Rocky Mountains, we have 6 months of winter! It might start snowing in September and we might get the last snow in June. We have mild summers, though. Sounds like you go from one extreme to another.

Ayden said...

Hey, Lexa! Sorry for contacting yout his way, but I can't find your email address anywhere. You won the One Ghost Per Serving giveaway on the blog. Would you mind emailing me so we can get the book to you? akmorgen at akmorgen dot com. Congratulations! :)

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

Oh my goodness. Even though our temperatures sometimes go as low as the teens, we have heat and a fireplace too. In the summer, thank heaven for air conditioners. Guess I won't take them for granted so much now.

Unknown said...

Wow! Me, I hate heat. Period. Anytime that thermometer goes up past 65, I start to sweat. I am absolutely miserable the entire spring and summer here in Chicago. Fall and winter can't come fast enough and I feel like crying when we start getting warm weather in March. When it's 40 degrees out, I will go out wearing nothing but a tee shirt and jeans. I can be outside like that for hours. I keep windows open in the winter, too. I really do believe I could live quite happily in an igloo. :)

Kate Larkindale said...

You've been tagged for an award on my blog....

D.S Taylor said...

The coldness in winter is something that I hadn't really thought of. You just think heat heat heat

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