Don't touch that

The only way word to really describe today really is humid (습기있는). My classrooms have no windows and when the heat starts to go up everyone suffers. Today was really bad, almost but not quite insufferable.


Adding insult to injury was the fact that our manager has placed huge new air conditioners in the hottest rooms but we're not allowed to use them right now, and I don't know when we can. Not good for me and certainly not good for the students.

When something is missing

Today was so hot that I took my bike to work. I cycled in on the hope that I would feel better than the five minute trek from my apartment to my academy. The five minute walk to work is extremely convenient for me. I can roll out of bed or whatever I'm doing or dash out if I'm busy and easily make it in without getting into any trouble. But in Summer those five minutes make you sweat and sweat and sweat. The worst five minutes of the day.

I was already running late. I was busy doing some house chores so I was still cooling off from my shower as I peddled my way in. No bother, the air conditioner would soothe my pain. But no. Not today. To my horror I found and I'm sure to everyone else' too I arrived with no sign of air con working. I checked the teachers room, reception and the study room and nothing. Bugger. Surely it was hot enough for the air con today?

I asked teachers, the receptionist and the jaeshi teachers and no one could give me a great answer. Eventually I found out that everything was off. All the rooms including the classrooms had their air con off because they were cleaning them. What a great time to clean everything, just before classes start. That's great planning. Oh and our manager was not in today which did not help the situation. Why not clean them last night, this morning or god forbid tonight after work?

I nipped into the coffee shop below and bought a drink. As I waited, the cool air surrounded me and the feeling was one of relief but I headed back upstairs to more pain. Just before the classes started the air con came in the teachers room but in the classrooms, nope. Not happening yet. Without the air con, rooms become like saunas here. It's not a nice feeling. How do Koreans not sweat in this weather?

I turned off the lights in the first class just to make me feel cooler. Ten seconds in and I feel saturated with sweat. Take it easy I think but that's easier said than done when you're trying to entertain ten kids who barely speak English. Ten minutes in and the air con starts up and is working for the rest of the day but the damage had already been done. Yes today was my wrst day at work in a long, long time. Oh Korea, why do you play with me with days like today? Curse this infernal heat.

Ready for Summer

Last night I cleaned our two fans and put up some blinds so that we can have our windows open as long as we want without neighbours being able to look in. Having already sorted out the air conditioner we are now ready for the Summer onslaught. The air conditioner isn't particularly strong but ANYTHING is better than my apartment in 2006.

Then, my first Summer in Korea, my air con was in the kitchen and effectively useless because the air would not circulate through the rest of the place. On top of that during one week where everyone was off work my fan broke. Unable to contact my manager I lived miserably which led me to head to bars and cafes in search of cool places. Why didn't I just buy myself a new fan and charge work later? At the time it felt like I was living in a volcano but I am much more used to the temperatures now and how to deal with them.

Later on we put our feet up and had some beers and enjoyed the football. This is perhaps as good as it's going to get for me in Korea this Summer so I better make the most of it. My weather resource says temperatures will get to 34°C this week. It can only get hotter and I wonder if we will get close to 40°C this time round. I estimate twelve more weeks of this left.