Hot hot heat

While my fellow Canadians are suffering from an especially harsh winter this year, I’m on the other side of the world enduring the opposite misery.
I’m too hot.
Because Fiji is located in the southern hemisphere, summer starts in December. While I may have escaped the Canadian winter, I walked straight into a topical inferno.
I know some of you reading this are going to say, “So what, hot is way better than cold.”
But is it really?
Why then is Hell scorching hot instead of icy cold?
Although I personally have never visited Satan's lair, I imagine it’s only a few degrees warmer than Suva.
The heat is unlike any heat I’ve ever experienced. Yes there’s humidity, but the sun is the real killer.
I spend my days carefully avoiding the sun like I owed it money. I run my errands early in the morning while the sun is still tolerable. Walking down the street, I seek the shelter of every shadow I see, however small. Sometimes I wish I had a tall companion to walk beside so I could enjoy the coolness of his shadow. But then I snap out of my heat-induced craziness and remember nobody is taller than me.
I see Fijians carrying umbrellas on sunny days, and I wish my pride would allow me to do the same.
Even though it’s sweltering outside, I wear long-sleeved shirts to protect myself from the merciless sun.
It’s a good thing Hart went home in December because as a red-haired Irishman, he wouldn’t make it though the summer.
Even in December the sun was starting to overtake him. He would be house-bound for days after sunburns, and he even began wearing a windbreaker outside.
Now I know how he felt.
One of the worst parts about the heat is trying to sleep at night. Even the moon seems to radiate warmth.
While looking for an apartment I was adamant about having hot water, but now I take only cold showers.
I find myself seeking refuge from the heat at the air-conditioned movie theatre. But there’s only one problem: the movies here are terrible. However, I’d rather endure two hours of horrible Bollywood acting than two hours of horrendous heat.
As a Canadian I appreciate each of our four seasons. Although winter can be painful, it makes us appreciate summer when it finally comes around.
Hot, sunny weather all year long may sound appetizing, but remember, everything is better in moderation.