Cold

The weather has changed, and it keeps on changing which is really wreaking havoc on my fashion sense… In the morning when I leave for the day it’s pretty chilly and most buildings are not much warmer than the outside. But by the middle of the day it can be downright warm, and if you’re going to be on any kind of (crowded) public transportation for any period of time longer than 10 minutes, you better strip down before getting on – God knows there won’t be room to do so once the door closes. Layering is key…

Heat comes in two forms – gas or soba. Gas, I’m sure, most of you are familiar with. It’s used to heat water which warms radiators throughout the house which in terms warms the air. Gas is centrally controlled, meaning the government picks a certain day on which it is turned on – usually sometime in mid-November – and after that people can be somewhat warm, though most buildings never really get toasty. Sobas are sort of like think chimneys usually in the center of the house that radiate heat. One side of the chimney makes up part of a wall to a few rooms. Just about anything can be burned in these sobas – usually coal, wood, de-kerneled corn husks, dried corn stalks, or some mixture thereof.

At night, my room and much of the house I’m guessing hits somewhere in the low-50s. I’ve taken to using my wonderful longjohns and sleeping bag to stay warm. Fortunately, Peace Corps issued us portable electric radiators and will reimburse us for the added electricity they consume. Thus far, I’ve been very pleased with the operation of my unit, though I have no idea how I’m going to move this heavy beast to my site when training is over.

And of course, today I'm wearing a t-shirt because it's so damn hot.