Hear ye. Hear ye. It is cold here. Winter in July is really interesting. Indulge my whining for a bit? That way, I can whine and you can learn about weather in the Southern Hemisphere. It's a win-win situation!
While www.weather.com reports that the average year round temp in Cape Town is 58 degrees, I am here to tell you that www.weather.com tells lies. LIES! I have zero scientific evidence to back up my accusations, but I will be happy to stick my cold hands on you for positive proof. To account for this difference of opinions, I have concluded that the infamous scientists must measure the temperatures on the other side of the mountain, rather than near the windy cape where I live. It's the only explanation!
It's just a different kind of cold here. It's definetely damp for sure due to all the rain. And then of course the famous Cape Town wind on top of the damp...on top of cold... which adds up to not so nice. Believe it or not, it's very common for people here to wear their coat and scarf all day at work... and maybe visit their car during their lunch break to turn the heater on! I'm sure everyone here is sick of hearing me state how I can't wait to get to REI the next time I head home to the States just to stock up on base layers and items made of down. REI here I come!
So now, knowing what I know about the weather here, I can understand why all the visiting volunteers are out-right fooled by www.weather.com in their attempts to pack appropriate clothing. I met a short term vol the other night that stated, that she was so cold since getting here, all she wanted to do was to wear a lamb! Sadly, we didn't seem to have a lamb on hand...
What the scientists really mean when they give the average weather, is that on average it is 58 degrees outside, but inside where there is no central heat, it is an entirely different story. South Africa across the board doesn't have central heating, which means that once a building gets cold... it's stays cold! And almost every house is built from concrete which means that it gets really really cold. And most buildings we keep the widows open due to TB, which means it's breezy to boot!
For further proof, I give you Katie the kitty-kitty. I'm house-sitting, and as you can see, she agrees with me! I have to say I have never seen a cat sleep like that! Have you? She's got to keep her nose warm somehow! I think I'll try that :)
So for now I will be wearing all the clothes I own, in multiple layers and walking around looking like the Michelan man in wool socks. From South Africa to you... Keep warm!
