León is HOT. It's a heavy heat, reaching 38C/ 100F during the day and only cooling to 23C/ 73F at night. As we wait for the rains to come in a month, the air is starting to feel heavier. In Spanish, the word most often used is "suffocating." And they say it only gets worse until May when the rain comes.
In the midst of feeling hot, I've been wondering if sweating isn't such a cultural "gross" here as it is back home. I remember as a kid in junior high and high school there were always derogatory comments about "pitting out" when a person had sweat stains under their arms. Of course, a hard worker or a sports player will sweat, and it's not looked down upon unless they smell overly bad. On the other hand, people apologize for sweaty hugs in my circles.
Here, people walk around with soaking shirts, continue to kiss cheeks, and carry on as normal. Maybe I just don't hear the negative comments, but it seems like no one is grossed out by the sweatiness here. Maybe they're just used to it. One way or the other, it's something I need to adjust to yet.
Also, in the heat I tend to get crabby more easily (and I think others do too), so I'm praying for an extra measure of grace, peace, and patience in the next few months. Plus a few escapes to cooler climes. Guatemala last week was a wonderful reprieve, and I think a spiritual retreat on the lake during Holy Week will be also.
No comments:
Post a Comment