Summer – for most countries, at least – is a time of rejoicing. It’s generally synonymous with good weather, having fun outside and all sorts of sepia-tinged childhood memories. But while we get the odd slither of weather that accommodates that sort of happiness in our city, summer is generally an oppressive time here – and here are the things that make us most mad about summer in Hong Kong.
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Rats, bedbugs, cockroaches and mosquitos – summer is heaven for creepy crawlies. The humidity and rising water levels force them from their lairs and they reproduce more, bolstering their numbers to emboldening levels. That’s fine and all – circle of life, etc – it’s just rather disgusting when a rat’s having fun outside your doorway or a cockroach nonchalantly crawls over your exposed, flip-flopped foot like your body is their wonderland.
The only thing more annoying than umbrellas in the rain are umbrellas in the sunshine. We understand that it’s incumbent for the young and old to protect themselves from UV rays. But for 90 percent of us, there’s absolutely no need to create your own personal blackout with a borderline novelty-sized umbrella. If you’re that worried, slap on a bit of sunscreen and we'll keep our fingers crossed that you avoid bursting into a pile of scorched ash upon stepping outside.
It’s a cliché for a reason. While the tourists and the new arrivals marvel at a day that sees glorious sunshine, then apocalyptic rain, followed by a bit more sun then rounded out with a typhoon, anyone who lives here spends most of their day looking out the window and tutting. Variable weather simply makes it difficult to plan things or to even know what to wear.
Was it rain? Spit? Bird droppings? Chances are it’s some water dripping down from an AC unit, which, while a bit gross (and actually illegal), is hardly sinister. Still, that's not going to stop us thinking about it for hours afterwards or wishing we could run home to wash the smell out of our hair.
We love to work – don’t we all – but there's nothing quite like the unfettered joy of an extra day off that doesn't come out of our contractual allowance. Unfortunately, though, that T10 that brings society to a standstill always seems to hit first thing on the Saturday as Mother Nature raises her almighty middle finger to your weekend plans.
If 'unpredictable weather' is a cliché, then humidity is the classic Hong Kong summer cliché. Any light coloured, non-baggy clothing is out as you will look obviously and disgustingly sweaty. Walking for more than five minutes outdoors becomes an oppressive chore, meaning you have to take more cabs or the bus even for short journeys. And it’s especially bad if you had a late night and you're feeling rough as toast the next morning.
With rampant BO and/or an eye-watering amount of deodorant or cheap aftershave/perfume to overcompensate for natural odours, your nostrils are in for a rough ride over the summer. This problem is compounded by the fact that Hong Kong is hardly a spacious city, so you're almost always in close proximity to someone that reeks.
Combatting the heat is one thing, turning any indoor space into a Siberian prison cell is another. It's nice for the first two seconds, then once the Artic winds get a hold of the sweat that you're so disgustingly drenched in, you go from boiling hot to absolutely freezing, damp, miserable and quite often, sick. Not to mention, it's a bit of a disaster, environmentally.
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