For months, I had been dreading the onset of Huang Mei Tian, days wrought with heat, high humidity, and daily downpours. Well, those days are now over. According to the Shanghai Daily, HMT was the shortest it’s been in years: just 12 days.

I’m pleased because I have this thing against wet feet. Then again, I guess the reason for the short rainy season isn’t all that consoling either: heat wave. I saw pictures of cracked-dry rice paddies in Anhui province. The poor farmers there have no crops to harvest. Totaly SOL this year. Reports say power grids are maxing out, resulting in blackouts across the city. Yesterday, we saw a ton of people outside sleeping on cardboard on the sidewalks. I wonder if their homes lost power. Surely, the mosquitos will have a feast!

We’ve been trying to conserve, but it’s tough to concentrate on work when you’re sweaty. The other day, I called up a bunch of nearby cafes and restaurants inquiring about free wifi– gotta find alternative places to work, especially with John getting all stir-crazy.