heat and odd cold things

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It feels like it's been getting hotter here lately, or maybe it's more humid. In any case I'm getting just slightly tired of being constantly drenched in sweat. I sweat in places I previously thought didn't have sweat glands. my shins sweat. my knees sweat. the backs of my hands and the tops of my feet sweat.

I wake up in the morning, warm and comfortable and relatively dry with the fan on Hi, 6 inches from the bed, blowing in my face, but by the time I make it downstairs to put the water on for coffee my tshirt is already sticking to my back and my hairline is getting damp. My morning routine continues with ten minutes of killing the resident ants swarming around last night's milk glass, listening to the news, making a butter and vegemite sandwich and by this point I'm drenched. and I stay that way until nighttime when I take a cold shower and plant myself in front of the fan again.

The ambient heat and moistness doesn't really bother me, but now and then I tire of wearing sodden clothes. So I've discovered the miracle of baby powder - something which everyone carries with them here and with which they liberally dust themselves constantly. It's an ingenious idea despite the way it (combined with blackboard chalk dust) turns my black skirts and pants a lovely mottled grayish color by lunchtime every day.

Aside from baby powder, they combat the heat with cold sweet things to eat...

At temples and other "ancient" places, they often advertise "ancient" foodstuffs like this ANCIENT ICE CREAM, which I find hilarious.

Fresh coconut ice cream on a stick
The brightly colored worms peeking out are pieces of dyed coconut

Pineapple slushy/smoothie
topped, strangely, with chocolate sprinkles and grape jelly balls

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