Sleeping in the heat in China

Thursday, April 6, 2006, 6:10 a.m.

By Terry R. Cassreino

NANCHANG, China - After more than a week overseas, we finally feel like we are in a foreign country: Our hotel air conditioning is out.
So, Pam, Camryn and I are trying to sleep in a room with the air conditioning circulating lukewarm air (but not cooling) while our 11th floor window remains open to the constant noise of traffic you would expect in a city of 4 million.
It kind of looks like a scene from those films that take place in Mexico or Asia in which the Americans constantly sweat and sleep in a room with the windows open and no air conditioning.
Hey, it’s an adventure.
At any rate, it’s hot in here. Not unbearable, just not too comfortable. At least Camryn slept from about 7:30 p.m. all the way to 5:30 a.m.; she woke a little while ago and is still half asleep.
Today on our agenda is a trip with other families from Holt International Children’s Services to a small village in the country so we can get a taste of rural China.
The trip will take about an hour.
Then we’ll shift into the hurry-up-and-wait mode for Camryn’s Chinese passport. I think I have some paperwork to complete this afternoon, but I’m not sue exactly what.
Maybe the air conditioning will be back on by then.

Copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino