Monday 24 February 2014

Something About Mexico-Olé!

It’s hot here. Like, too hot for people from Edinburgh hot, kind of similar to Southern California hot. I was quite pleased to realise that I needed a light coat, sweaters, and boots in Mexico City back in December, so I brought some back with me after Christmas. And everyone told me that January is the coldest month, so I was prepared! Then, come January and the 70 degree weather is back. Come February and you would think it was April. Today the high is supposed to be 82. Tomorrow, 84. Sigh, I’m not ready for this yet. In my brain this is abnormal and I feel like I’ve been cheated out of a whole sweater season! But there are some good things about the warm weather in winter here. Such as:

I can wear sandals and a dress to pop to the store
I can get away with carrying a light sweater and not a bulky coat
My boots won’t need to be re-soled from repeated wear before next winter
I don’t look pasty white because there is always enough sun to give you a healthy glow, just by walking around, and I can walk around in tank tops to get tan arms
My hair and nails grow faster in the sun and warmth
Sunshine=happiness. It’s a brain chemistry thing

Of course, every rose has its thorn:

The metro and metrobus are always too warm, especially mid-day when there are loads of people. Luckily, Mexicans are quite good about hygiene.
Walking around, lugging all my crap, I end up sweaty everywhere I go during the day. Sigh.
Bugs are starting to come back out in the evenings. Mosquito protection needed!

So overall the unseasonal warmth is a good thing, and I keep reminding myself that I’ll be missing this come next January in Edinburgh, so I’m trying to take it all in now!

Sidenote, It’s funny to me just how few people here wear sunglasses. This is a sunny country, and you can buy them from almost any street market-fake Ray-Bans and fake Chanels and fake whatever else you want. But it is a small part of the population who actually wear sunglasses. Why is this? Is it just not the cultural norm? Is it because they are more accustomed to dealing with the sun in their eyes in other ways? Is it a generational thing? Is it only pansy Americans who can’t handle bright sunlight? I have no idea. But I’m leaning towards it being a generational thing. All my Mexican friends here wear sunglasses, and when I’m out and about I notice some young adults and middle aged women do as well, but very few men, and even fewer older people.

The random things we notice…

Alas, I need to focus on my own research and not the cultural conceptions of sunglasses use in Mexico City.


Kim x

No comments: