From Surviving the Heat to Donations

It's September and it's still hot. The nights are thankfully cooler but the sun still feels really close to me when I walk outside in the middle of the day. (An occurrence I have learned to avoid whenever possible.) However, I think I can now say that I have survived my first desert summer. For someone who absolutely loves water & trees, and whose idea of a perfect temperature is anywhere between 20-25 degrees Celsius -- I consider this a bit of an accomplishment. (Yep, I'm starting to think of the weather in Celsius now. The weird thing is that I still think in Fahrenheit for baking...)

I think dealing with the heat was one of the things I was most nervous about upon moving here. And to be honest, that first week in June when the temperatures rose close to 40 degrees Celsius, I flopped on my bed content to be a listless lump of human with only enough energy to drink out of a water bottle. Yet practicality set in, or perhaps my sense of adaptability, and I decided that with a few adjustments the summer could be dealt with:

Rule #1 - Try not to walk outside anytime between noon and 4pm.
Rule #2 - Make sure your water bottle is always filled.
Rule #3 - Acquire a fan, but try to make sure it doesn't fall when turned on because then the blades crack and it eventually explodes.
Rule #4 - Buy clothing that is appropriate to wear outside but also appropriate for the heat: i.e. light material that covers everything up to the ankles, wrists, and neck.

It's with this last rule that I had some difficulties. I don't particularly care for shopping unless it is for food, art supplies, downloads, or gifts. Perhaps this is because I still eye all of my belongings as to how easy it will be to move them. However, I dutifully entered the shops and set about the trial & error process of finding clothing that could work for the summer.

I failed on my first attempt. The two skirts I bought were thin enough but when the wind caught them they revealed my ankles and almost up to my knees... scandalous.

Well, I eventually discovered the right combinations for my survival and after living through both summer & winter here, I have a pretty good idea of which of the things I own I need and which I don't. Looking at these belongings, I am also fairly certain that someone else could use them better. Which brings me to donations.

How do you donate in this country??

I think my ignorance is a byproduct of my upbringing in the States where I am used to looking up the nearest donation site on the internet. This country operates more on word of mouth. Well, let the search begin...