Saturday, December 7, 2013

Bangkok Temperatures Dropping into the Low 20's!

The sun is rising, and I'm on my motorbike enjoying an early morning ride. I notice something unusual: something I haven't felt in a long time, at least not without the assistance of climate control. I'm cold. I can feel it in my bones.


Many times here, I've felt 'not warm', but feeling cold is different. Cold is when you think, “should I have worn a jacket?”. Cold is uncomfortable.


Temperatures here in Bangkok during the early morning hours have been dipping into the low 20's! That would be Celsius. That's the low 70's for us Farenheiters. I don't even have to turn on the AC in the mornings. I just turn on the fan and open the balcony door. One of my co-workers, a young man from Northern Ireland whose been in Thailand for three years now, admitted whilst we talked in the staffroom that he woke up in the middle of the night and had to find his rarely-used blankets to cover himself. He was too cold. Now, if an Ulsterman feels cold, it's cold, even if he's been acclimated to tropical norms.


That morning I felt cold on the bike was the beginning of a wonderful day this last Thursday. I was heading off to my regular visit to the national Thai Institute of Dermatology to get my UV treatment for my psoriasis. I got there and the place was closed! Why? It was the King's Birthday, a major holiday here in Thailand. Yeah, sure, school was closed, but hospitals?


Anyways, I made the best of it. As long as I was in the heart of Bangkok on a cool morning, it was time to go motoring. I drove all over the town and enjoyed the rare feeling of being cool here. As it was a holiday, there was little to no traffic either, another rare occurrence here in my new hometown.


I got lots of questions for longtime Bangkokians. Has this last week been normal for BKK in December or are we experiencing a 'cold snap'? If the former, is this how it's going to be in January and February too? We're in the northern hemisphere, I can see that much by noticing how lately the sun isn't directly overhead, so I shouldn't be surprised that it's a bit cooler in December. 

Unusually cold or not, I'm loving it. Back on the bike for a long ride tomorrow. I'd promise you a video, but there's an issue. My camera is in the shop. The flip-out screen has stopped working. So, I'm planning a weekend adventure without thought as to what would make a good video. New for me.


I do have what I hope is an entertaining video to share from the most recent Seasons of the Ukulele Contest...










2 comments:

  1. Loved it! Where do find these songs! We will surely play it for the boys.

    You look really good. Your face is showing some weight loss! Congradulations.
    By the way, is that your place? It too looks very nice.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sure wish we were having some warmer weather. I love the 80's and they have done disappeared for a long time. So I'm cold even with a coat. Enjoy your weekend.

    ReplyDelete

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