Heat and Reflection

This last week was one of the hottest in South Australia's records. The mid-day temperatures were above 40 C and peaked at 47 C ( 115 F) on Tuesday. On the hottest days, public transportation was reduced because trams and trains couldn't cope with the heat, so the only way to get around was by bus or taxi. With that I have now started engaging bus-riderdom. There is a bus stop on a major road about two blocks from my house, which makes it very convenient (two minute walk to the bus stop compared to the 15 minutes to the tram). Some buses have good AC and some don't. Being outside during the hottest days is an incredible sensation. As they say, it is a dry heat, but you immediately feel the presence of the sun and know the wisdom of hats. Sunscreen is imperative.

I took to ocean swimming as my daily exercise starting Tuesday evening. In the heat, this to me is preferable to the walks I had been taking in the evenings (as a bus/tram rider I do a lot of walking anyway). Typically I swim about half a kilometer down the coast and then back. There is a big castle-like house on the esplanade that I use as my turning point mark. Yesterday (Saturday) I swam about twice as far in the afternoon, it was a good workout. The beaches are sandy, but there are cobbles out in the water, so getting in and out yesterday afternoon at low tide was a little tricky... the water is bathtub warm for the most part, but there is a thermocline that if you swim beneath the water is much cooler. There are usually a few people in the water escaping the heat, but it is not crowded. I am usually the only one who is swimming.

I won't discuss the circumstances, but my camera was damaged last weekend and I sent it to Olympus in Sydney to be repaired. So in place of my usual photo log, I'll describe some of the impressions and experiences I have had here. The first is the over-all color of the place is dominated by tan and deep green, very earth toned that glows golden under the mid-latitude sun. Buildings generally incorporate these colors through the use of stone structural elements, muted colored awnings, and limited paint. There are a large number of homes that use this format in a relatively timeless architecture, usually with a painted brick framework enveloping stone walls. The houses are mostly one story with well-kept tin roofs. They are usually not large and are set on small lots with limited lawns. The small front yards are often crowded with flowering bushes, roses, and wygelias and there many low trees. Occasionally there are large trees and palms. In Glenelg there are giant pine trees lining the avenues (see picture from last post). I am not sure what species they are, but they are obviously planted and seem very old, but for the most part healthy. When I walk back from the tram there is one tree, an ancient gum, that is at the edge of the park near my house. When I see it towering over the houses and road, I know I am almost to my house. It is a truly beautiful tree, with tan smooth bark and bushy clumps of deep green slender leaves at the end of sinuous branches, like a tree from a Dr. Seuss book there are no straight branches. I think it is my favorite tree here and its colors are perfectly Australian.

Roads, even main roads, change size abruptly, so walking along the side roads to downtown Glenelg is a jogged affair. These changes in size seem to be a legacy of the street's growth: there wasn't a set plan, it happened more organically. But far from detracting, it adds a bit of quirky charm. Unfortunately, power lines are typically on poles and not buried, which detracts a little from the overall quaint feel of the place.

There are some very distinct smells associated with many of the places I visit. One place that really stands out is the enterance to Rundle Mall from King William Street where there is a cacophony of smells from cafes, shops, and bistros. There are two overpowering aromas, one is a confectioner's shop that smells strongly of chocolate and the other is from a fragrances shop that exudes a very spicy aroma (I think intentionally). A little further down King William there is a shop that makes deep-fried pastry shells filled with custard. The odor from this place is at first enticing, but then becomes overwhelming... I try not breath as I pass by because it is very unpleasant. I also found that Subway sandwich shops have a very distinct odor about them so you know one is nearby without having to look. I haven't noticed this in the US, but it is possible they have the same odor there. The area of North Glenelg has the aroma of the ocean about it, but I would be lying if I didn't also note that the waste water treatment plant is just up the coast, so there is also an undertone from that facility, not overpowering but usually noticeable.

I am finally getting used to the Aussie accent and slang and can understand most conversations (really, most but not all). One thing I noticed is that I can't always 'read' the meaning of the conversation and I am afraid that sometimes I miss important clues. While the Australians are generally gregarious people and almost always friendly, there can be a sarcasm brooding under the surface that is hard for me to capture. An example of this is the term "good on you mate" which can be either great praise or a biting sarcasm. You might use it because someone has done something selflessly or you might use it to yell at the driver who just cut you off. It is said with a little different inflection between praise and sarcasm, but enveloped in the accent it can be hard to tell the difference. I sometimes get a feeling that there is an underlying expectation from me, but I can't discern what it is and that when I say something in response it may be misconstrued. This forces me to be frank and straightforward in my responses and to shy away from using any 'Americanisms'.

I picked up Frank Herbert's The God Emperor of Dune to read on the tram/bus. I chose it because I didn't read it once I completed the original Dune trilogy back in high school/college. I really loved the series, but by the time the fourth book came out, I was ready for other authors and never got back to it. When I came across it at the bookshop, it seemed an opportune time to complete the series (although now Herbert's son is writing Dune series books with a co-author, so the list has gotten longer). Anyway, the parallels between Arrakis and Australia, especially the precious nature of water, are not entirely lost on me... a fortuitous choice. The Australians are very water conscious, and necessarily so, it is after all the driest continent and there has been a prolonged drought. Most houses capture rain water in tanks and all toilets have two flushing mechanisms: big flush and little flush... I have seen a toilet that has a sink on top, so when you flush and wash your hands, the rinse water is used to refill the tank; what a great idea!