Brrrrrrrrr

I'm freezing.

It's hard to evoke much sympathy from friends back in the States when you complain about how cold it is in Brazil. And actually, average temperatures during Southern Hemisphere winter in Sao Paulo don't seem bad at all. The average June low is 54 degrees Fahrenheit. I know, boo-hoo.

So why am I shivering? First, of all, it's been getting down to the high 30s at night here these days.  Yeah, I hear those of you who suffered through winter this year in New York or Michigan or Maine. Boo-hoo again.

For a few days, I was mystified myself. I used to dash around New York without a winter coat in January, and it never bothered me.  But I figured out why: In New York, you can escape from the cold. Easily. Enter any building. There's heat. There's insulation. Sometimes, there's even a roaring fireplace. As a last resort, there's soup. Everywhere. People know how to do winter.

Sao Paulo has heard of soup, but it doesn't go much beyond that. The vast majority of buildings — including the most important building, mine — don't have heat. Windows are far from sealed; a few of the windows in my apartment don't even close fully. Hot water is a la carte: Installing some form of heater for the shower is common, but hot water from sinks remains a rarity.

So that's the problem with the cold: There's no getting away from it. Friends have recommended an electric space heater, which is a good idea.

Hmm, I just noticed, while I've been writing this, that the sun has come out, and we're into the low 60s. So I'm going to go outside, sprawl on a park bench like an urban lizard, and stop complaining. 

http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/brazil/090604/brrrrrrrrr