Good morning peoples.
"Mainit" - Literally "mainit" is Tagalog for hot, and hot is what it certainly is right now.
The most common expression you hear at the moment when someone comes inside is: "Mainit grabe!". I'm not sure exactly what the literal translation of grabe is (or even if I've spelled it right), but to put it in the New Zealand vernacular, it would mean "bloody hell, it's hot!".
Coming from New Zealand, which has a temperate climate, I always knew living in the Philippines was going to be a challenge for me. Could I adapt to the heat? Would I struggle to be able to do anything at all in this heat? Well, after three years I think I can truthfully say, that I cope, but that's about it. I don't think I'll ever quite adapt to the temperatures, but then even the locals struggle when the mercury tops 35 or 36. New Zealand has four seasons; Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring. In fact in Otago / Southland, where I come from, we can even have four seasons in one day.
I like to joke that we have four seasons here too: Hot; Bloody Hot; Unbearably Hot; and Rainy, but still hot. We're right in the middle of summer right now, which runs pretty much from April to June. This is when the temperatures really climb. The usual daytime temperature is around 35-36 degrees Celsius, with it dropping only to 25-26 in the early mornings.
From the perspective of temperature, if you were coming here for a visit, I would definitely recommend the best time to visit as being December, January and February. During this time we get a cooling breeze, from the North Eastern Monsoon. This breeze is known locally as the "Hangin Amihan", and keeps the daytime temperature down to a more respectable 28-31 degrees. The real benefit of this weather system is to be felt in the evenings and early mornings where the temperatures in Metro Manila have been known to drop to as low as 16 or 17 degrees Celsius. When this happens of course, everyone walks around shivering and saying how "malamig" (cold) it is. During these times I happily continue to wander around in my shorts and singlet proclaiming just how incredibly lovely this weather really is.
The rainy season here starts about July and usually runs for three months until September. Even though when it rains here, it is often torrential, and many places experience flooding, it doesn't cool the temperature down all that much.
The reality is, if you choose to live on or near the equator, as I do, it's going to be hot. It's not rocket science. Although I often complain about the heat, I wouldn't change anything about my life or where I live. I love this, sometimes stinking hot country, with a passion. The truth is, you can get used to living anywhere and doing anything, as long as you are surrounded by people you love and who love you back.
"Mainit" - Literally "mainit" is Tagalog for hot, and hot is what it certainly is right now.
The most common expression you hear at the moment when someone comes inside is: "Mainit grabe!". I'm not sure exactly what the literal translation of grabe is (or even if I've spelled it right), but to put it in the New Zealand vernacular, it would mean "bloody hell, it's hot!".
Coming from New Zealand, which has a temperate climate, I always knew living in the Philippines was going to be a challenge for me. Could I adapt to the heat? Would I struggle to be able to do anything at all in this heat? Well, after three years I think I can truthfully say, that I cope, but that's about it. I don't think I'll ever quite adapt to the temperatures, but then even the locals struggle when the mercury tops 35 or 36. New Zealand has four seasons; Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring. In fact in Otago / Southland, where I come from, we can even have four seasons in one day.
I like to joke that we have four seasons here too: Hot; Bloody Hot; Unbearably Hot; and Rainy, but still hot. We're right in the middle of summer right now, which runs pretty much from April to June. This is when the temperatures really climb. The usual daytime temperature is around 35-36 degrees Celsius, with it dropping only to 25-26 in the early mornings.
From the perspective of temperature, if you were coming here for a visit, I would definitely recommend the best time to visit as being December, January and February. During this time we get a cooling breeze, from the North Eastern Monsoon. This breeze is known locally as the "Hangin Amihan", and keeps the daytime temperature down to a more respectable 28-31 degrees. The real benefit of this weather system is to be felt in the evenings and early mornings where the temperatures in Metro Manila have been known to drop to as low as 16 or 17 degrees Celsius. When this happens of course, everyone walks around shivering and saying how "malamig" (cold) it is. During these times I happily continue to wander around in my shorts and singlet proclaiming just how incredibly lovely this weather really is.
The rainy season here starts about July and usually runs for three months until September. Even though when it rains here, it is often torrential, and many places experience flooding, it doesn't cool the temperature down all that much.
The reality is, if you choose to live on or near the equator, as I do, it's going to be hot. It's not rocket science. Although I often complain about the heat, I wouldn't change anything about my life or where I live. I love this, sometimes stinking hot country, with a passion. The truth is, you can get used to living anywhere and doing anything, as long as you are surrounded by people you love and who love you back.
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