In my last blog post I said I had a tolerance for the heat. Clearly I spoke (wrote?) too soon. Damn it’s hot! Which isn’t the most tragic aspect of this situation. It’s the lack of air conditioning pretty much everywhere.
Dear Austria, thank you for being so eco-friendly. I appreciate it. I admire it. I hate it (right now). Go ahead and give me an awesome public transportation system. Go ahead and make me walk (don’t need a gym membership). Go ahead and make me separate my trash 4 different ways. Go ahead and make me buy energy efficient light bulbs and appliances (thanks, I save money). But for the love of god, do not take my air conditioning away.
I come into work a snarling beast because my U-Bahn ride was hot. I won’t go to lunch with my co-workers unless the restaurant has air conditioning. My husband has to call me home from work because I’d rather stay there (where there is air conditioning) than sit in a hot apartment. So what do I suggest? That we get a friggin’ air conditioning unit. Typical Austrian, he says no(!).
This is torture. Do I now need to flee Vienna twice a year rather than only once (February of course)? I was complaining to another American about this and he made a good suggestion. Now is the time to visit the mountains. It’s gotta be at least 5 degrees coolor there, right? Usually I avoid the mountains because we L.A. folk get a nose bleed if the air quality is too pure, but I might re-consider.
