Northern Expats and Heat

The human body is amazingly adaptable - and cold showers are lovely.

IrishMan25 wrote:

Hello,

This sounds like a rather odd question, but how do expats from Northern countries handle the heat in Hanoi? I know there are plenty of brits and never enough Irish, but what do they think of the summer heat?

I was in Hanoi late last August and all of September.

I'm of British Isles and Northern European extraction.

It was pretty miserably hot and humid during most of that time...in "the heat of the day", meaning about 1 PM thru 5 PM, approximately.

These things worked for me:

Rise and walk/exercise for an hour or so by one of the lakes between 4 AM and 7 AM.

It's amazing to see how many people are active during those hours.

Learn to ask restaurant help to turn an electric fan in your direction. In many instances, it's just as effective as air conditioning.

If there isn't a fan in your hotel room, request one.

Try to schedule outdoor activities in the morning before lunch or in the afternoon/evening after 5 PM.

Wear lightweight, loose fitting clothing, plus a hat when you are in the sun.

Carry a travel umbrella if you must be out in the brutal sun and don't let your pride keep you from using it.

Nap and work indoors after lunch, from about 1 till 5 pm.

Don't oversleep in the morning. If you don't go outside until mid morning, the jolt from the heat will be too much for your body to adapt to.

Drink a lot of WARM botted water throughout the day. I didn't always follow that one, but locals kept telling me to do it. Not good to be shocking your overheated system with very cold beverages.

Shower at least twice a day.

Eat what the Vietnamese eat. If you try to maintain a Western diet there, I fear you'll find yourself weighed down too much by your food.

Along the same lines, learn to eat with chopsticks from one of the small individual bowls. Much harder to overeat that way.

If you arrive in Vietnam or any sub-tropical place from the temperate zone in January, you will think it is the hottest place on earth.  The following January you will be sleeping with two blankets.

And another tip, reduce your weight.

My weight was always between 65kg and 75kg.

The last years before I moved to Vietnam, my weight was always around 75kg.  Every time I was in Asia I sweated like crazy (especially in Hong Kong and Singapore).

When I moved to Vietnam my weight was 65 kg and I practically not sweated.

Now my weigh is 75kg again and I sweat more again. But not anymore so strong as in the time I not yet permanent staied in Asia.

You know, I've been looking at the temperatures and they don't seem that bad. They have a high of 35, but seem to go down to a manageable 22 at night.

IT might surprise you, but warsaw has a similar (less 5 centigrade) temperature during the summer with 10% less humidity and no rain. Any poles on here know what's up with the polish summers?

I actually think it could be okay. Get up early, stay inside during the hottest hours, and stay up late.

...unless I'm being a tad optimistic?