Killing Weather

I need to move to a country with temperate weather. Here in Malaysia, there are months of hot and humid days that make me extremely uncomfortable. Today is one of them. 35C with 80% humidity is simply too much to bear for my body. The poor thermoregulation is caused by spinal cord injury.

Throughout the day, I have been splashing myself with water and then sit in front of the stand fan blowing at full blast. When the water on my skin dries off, I repeat the entire process again. I can turn on the air-conditioner in the bedroom and hide in there until late evening but I do not want to be too dependent on it.

There are days that I need to get out from the house. Should I become too dependent on the comfort of the air-conditioner, it will be difficult for my body to adapt to the sudden and extreme change when I am out and about.

I do not remember suffering like this in the first decade after the injury. Has the temperature gone up by that much since? There used to be a few places in Penang where the air was chilly even in hot weather. The Penang Botanical Gardens was one of them. Sadly, that ambience is no longer there the last time I went.

I dream of living a place with 20C and low humidity throughout the year, and where nature is still unspoilt and the air fresh as can be. That is my kind of paradise. Now, please excuse me while I go splash myself with water again.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

4 thoughts on “Killing Weather”

  1. I hate the heat and humidity since I sweat alot. When I was a kid in the 70s, my parents got me a tiny fan. I used that fan alot. It felt chilly at about 4AM. Sometimes, I woke up and turned it off. You need to move to a Mediterranean climate area, eg. southern France or California or Australia. The cheaper option is Cameron Highlands. BTW, I am thinking of retiring in Cameron Highlands:)

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