January 24, 2006

Humidity

It is getting very humid with the start of the rainy season. In a matter of days, my three wooden Congolese stools started rotting: their legs grew fuzzy green things and a series of flat mushrooms developed on the underside.

I am also quite worried about the old masks I bought a few days ago (will post a cool picture soon) as some of my earlier wooden masks have suffered the very serious threat of wood mites.

Solutions:
1. For wood mites, place mask in freezer for 24 hours until the bugs die. This is problematic if your wooden couch is developing mites and your freezer is not big enough to accomdate it.
2. For humidity, turn on A/C for three hours everyday, on dry setting.

Solution number 2 has not been very successful for me. First of all, my a/c is not very sophisticated and doesn't have a dry setting. Second, I have a system of breakers that doesn't allow me to run the large living room a/c for more than 45 mins. Finally, being a child of the 80s, I feel incredibly guilty about leaving the a/c on for a long time (freons and saving the world get in my way) and I end up sleep-walking at night to turn off the a/c.


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In other news, Candide wrote a great rant on Optimism Against All Odds that really made think. Unfortunately it seems the post is jumbled at the end and I couldn't read the conclusion! Also, just a little note to say that I've tried to leave comments there on two separate posts, unsuccessfully. Tragic!

2 comments:

TheMalau said...

I feel your pain... you should get another "fusibles" system or something. And please don'y feel guilty about leaving the A/C on. Even I - and I am from there - cannot stand the humidity

As for your stools, you need to put a layer of "wood protection", and artificial wax. If you just go to a "menuisier du quartier", they should give some to you for a buck or two US.

Keep on posting, you just make my day when I read your posts. :)

Beaver said...

Hey :) Yeah, what TheMalau said about guilt. You are working hard and doing your best. Treat yourself to some fresh air if you can fix the electricity problem.

Take care and hang in there.

Love, Beav'