AC

Air-conditioning. From reluctant to observant users... when the thermometer goes past 90°F, or above 30°C in Europarlance, we hit the fans!

It's been rather humid and sticky lately in these parts, and the freshness of the AC is irresistible. We're even getting used to it inside the shops (although sometimes a little cardigan is needed to warm against the polar temperatures inside, but your temples feel so blissfully cool...).

We know it's bad for the environment, we know it uses up a lot of energy, we know the air is cooled with the use of dangerous chemicals, just like in fridges, but the lure is too big to resist. And anyway, we turn it off to sleep at night, since the hum is too noisy. Ah, but if they had one whose hum was soundless, we would let it blow all night long.

You would understand if you were here. AC is an axiom of life in the "tropics" of Chicago, where rain and heat collide to create a wave that knocks you down, makes it hard to breath, to think, to move, to read, to cook. AC is our salvation. Viva AC!

(L)