This is the first real change of seasons that Marie and M?lia have ever experienced. By US mainland and even Dunedin standards it still has been relatively mild. We’ve had some nights drop below 30F, but by and large the weather has been tolerable. It seems that things will be fairly stable for the next two weeks, then a steep drop in temperature around May 25. We found out that the timing of our trip to Queenstown could not have been better – there was a considerable amount of snow there a few days after we left.
The one aspect that is particularly bothersome is the fact that when it gets cold here, the inside of the house gets colder than it is outside! The flat that we live in apparently has little insulation, the siding is made of corrugated metal, with plain plate glass windows. The infrequent rain is much colder than we experience back home; fortunately my sister June, AKA Aunty Bug, sent some great Minnesota-tested jackets and under-garments.
It was Mother’s Day today, so I took the ladies out to lunch and a movie in the Octagon. We walked back just after 4 with dusk already settling in, and it is dark by 5:30. We’re over a month from the winter solstice, so the days will get even short yet.
There are only two weeks of classes left at the University of Otago, followed by a few weeks of testing. The class I’m assisting in has no final, but there are plenty of group and individual essays to be graded, so there will plenty of work to do.
I’m making good progress on my research proposal, and have identified the theoretical constructs as well as the research methodology I will use – much to the delight of my supervisors. Sometimes progress seems slow, but when I look back on where I started just four months ago it’s hard to complain. I wish I could talk more about the research topic and methodology here, but as some potential interviewees read this blog, I don’t want to tip them off and possibly influence their responses. Sorry!
Keola,
In my own experience, houses being cooler inside than out during cold weather seems typical of homes built in milder climates.
I lived 8 years in Michigan and was never so cold with all that all ice and snow as I am in homes built here in Japan (or ones I remember from northern California). Lack of insulation and double-paned glass no doubt is a big part of it.
Older Japanese houses like the one we live in, are intentionally designed for the hot and humid summer, allowing airflow under and up through the tatami floor. Nice for summer, but makes for very cold winters even when the outside temperature is not particularly cold.