But first here's Bob with the weather....

    While most of you are getting geared up for summer back home, here at the bottom of the earth winter has definitely arrived.  Winter in Pretoria means no rain, no humidity, and no central heat.  Temperatures at night can dip into the 30’s(2-5), but usually stay in the low 40’s(5-7).  Once the mornings heat up the temperature go into the 60°’s and 70°F’s (20s) and is actually quite pleasant.  With never a cloud in the sky you can still feel the heat of the African sun as if you were on the beach.

    It doesn’t sound too bad does it? But there’s a catch and the reason why I’m sitting here wearing pants, socks, and a sweater.  When people build houses and buildings in South Africa, they have a decision to make.  Would I rather bake in the summer or freeze in the winter, obviously most have chosen the latter. So most buildings are designed to stay cool during the long extremely hot and humid summers and offer no insulation for the 3 months of winter. It makes sense since summer is most of the year and quite intense. 

     Now any of you who know me at all are wondering, “why the hell are YOU wearing pants”! For those who don’t know my past; first I have always been known to be a 4-season shorts and sandals attire person.  Then after living in Alaska where winter temperatures are commonly -40°F(-40°c) and the lowest I’ve experienced is -59°F (-51°C), there are very few “normal” temperatures that bother me.  I can remember when after weeks of -30°(-34°C) or so in Alaska, it would warm up to 0°F(-18°C) or 5°F(-15°C) and we would go out in shorts and sandals and sun bathe.  This last summer I worked in Canada where it snowed quite frequently throughout July and June in the mountains.  Thus I’ve always have had thicker blood and am rarely seen in pants, unless social circumstances require it. 

      However it seems like the African sun has thinned my blood a bit.  Also the 7’x7’ single pan glass window next to my bed makes sure that I never get warm in my flat when the sun goes down. It is that constant cold that starts to get to you. Even when I go into school, I walk down the hallways and see professors in big winter coats huddled around electric heaters.  Most people do not think that Africa can get cold, but even last year it snowed in Pretoria for the first time in 10 years.  During the day in the hot sun I watch the leaves fall off the trees, yet most trees are evergreens (not pines).  So you still have typical African trees flourishing in the cool hot sun, but an autumn scene of crunchy fallen leaves surrounds them.  

It is definitely an interesting experience!  I’m not at the point of needing a coat yet, but I am wearing pants at night.