Summertime, and the livin' is greasy!

So here we are folks, my second summer in Korea.
Last summer I was pleasantly surprised by how well I coped with the heat and humidity.  Considering how I had wilted in high temperatures in other countries, I had expected that I would become a blubbering wreck of humanity, whimpering my way through July and August.

Perhaps that is the trick of it.  The reality was nowhere near as vile as I had imagined.

I was also helped by the dazzling array of arsenal which Koreans have amassed to ward off sunstroke and dehydration.
I quickly learned to likewise arm myself.  So nowadays, I too would never venture forth without either a sunhat or parasol (depending on my ensemble, of course!), a fan, the occasional ice pack - a really nifty invention that freezes once you crack it - and of course consuming iced beverages on a near continuous basis.

In this consumption of cooling ices and beverages, we were helped along by the wonderful parents of our elementary students, who would regularly send their children into English School laden down with ice creams for us teachers and their fellow students.  May their names be praised forever!

This summer, we had a lovely, long run up to the horrible heatwaves of high summer.  In fact, I had begun to wonder if this summer was not as bad as last summer, or was I simply more acclimatised.

No such thing folks!

Last weekend, Mother Nature finally quit lurking around 27 degrees and made a break for 30, melting away my false sense of security in the process.
Those three little degrees have made all the difference in the world.  Now, whenever I leave the airconditioned apartment, school or bus, I walk out into the kind of heat and humidity, the likes of which back in Ireland I had only encountered on butterfly farms.

My number one priority in housework has become maintaining the ice cube drawer and keeping the fridge stocked with at least two jugs of iced drinks at all times.
Hoovering can wait.  An uninterrupted supply of ice cold drinks cannot.

Rather ickily, I have once again had to get used to sweating from places I hardly knew had sweat glands!
My chin!  Who the hell knew you could sweat UNDER your chin!!!!
So now, along with the sunglasses, parasol and fan, I also have a hankerchief tucked about my person.  That and the wonderful (social) life saving deodorant wipes!!

Hugging is a sport which has been relegated to cooler months. Exept of course when it comes to crying five year olds.  In that situation I just have to grit my teeth, haul the child onto my lap and endure the overflowing stickiness of it all.

On Saturday I head back to Ireland for my two weeks summer holidays. As if jet lag from 28 hours travel and adjusting to a 9 hr time difference wasn't enough, I will also have to cope with a temperature drop of about 10 degrees. I'm going to fuppin freeze!! 
I've already started dosing myself with Vitamin C in an attempt to ward off any possible head colds.  Though the cooler climes should help me have two weeks of blissfully unsweaty sleep, so I'm looking forward to that!

Wish me luck folks!