Sweat

Bangkok really doesn't get that hot in absolute heat. Someone once commented that Washington DC hits over 100F in the month of August more often than Bangkok does in the entire monsoon season (depending on the year can be a whooping mid-May through November).

The worst is the humidity. The folks who have been here longer than me pretty much all say that one never really gets used to it. One may learn to tolerate it but never completely get comfortable. That's not a cheery thought given that the humidity stays pretty much the entire year.

To give you an idea, here's a comparison of average July humidity levels in several cities, courtesy of BBC Weather:

Bangkok	66-91%
Calcutta	80-86%
Dakar	66-84%
Dallas	48-76%
Hong Kong	77-87%
Honolulu	63-70%
Lagos	80-87%
Lima	77-94%
London	59-71%
Manila	68-91%
Nairobi	58-86%
New Orleans	63-84%
Paris	57-83%
Penang	67-77%
Riyadh	19-33%
San Jose (CR)	74-89%
Singapore	72-79%
Washington	53-79%

On top of all that, July is actually a cooler month for Bangkok, thanks to the downpours.

The first two weeks, any physical exertion, even just a block's walk, results with my being drenched with sweat. Which is pretty gross considering that that is how I start my day and I have to deal with it for the entire day.

By the third week, my body recognises a mere five percent drop in humidity... and appreciates it. I was cheered considerably when I noticed, one afternoon on the Skytrain, that some of the Thais are also sweating. Well, it's not a good sign when even the locals can't handle the weather. But it makes me feel less out of my element and less of a wimp.

I have now gone through two days without my shirt showing rather unbecoming sweat marks on my back. I have to feel quite pleased with myself.