Canicule

Suffering in the canicule (heatwave) of 2006 is better than in the canicule of 2003. I no longer am at a desk being brought water so I can continue working, although they did let us go early. There is no death toll this time. Last time figures varied from 15,000 to 25,000 people who were killed by the heat in Europe. Or maybe they haven't started reporting it yet.

This year I can turn on my air-conditioning. I can go to the beach or the pool. There are a couple of cafés that seem to have a direct line to order breezes.

The US is suffering too. We are killing the planet.

Less and less I understand why humans are so self-destructive.

Meanwhile I hear the word canicule roll off the tongues of my franco-phone friends and neighbors. Such a pretty sounding word for such an unpleasant condition.