International Population Shares Thoughts On Sweltering D.C. Summer

By Kavitha Cardoza

With temperatures routinely in the 80's and 90's and numerous heat advisories this month, residents in D.C. have sweltered. People here who grew up in extreme climates have some unusual reactions.

Alex Vidal-Porto is from Brazil. He understands steamy.

"I know what hot is. At least Brazilian hot. My hometown is 300 miles from the equator," says Vidal-Porto.

But D.C. hot? Oh that's different.

"It's beyond hot I would say. It's too hot to handle," he says.

But residents here aren't going to get much sympathy from Nail Al-Jabair from Saudi Arabia who calls high temperatures in D.C merely "bothersome." Back home, now that's HOT.

"This year we've had in the 120's. It's like opening an oven and having that heat hit you in the face the moment you step out the door," says Al-Jabair.

So it's one thing if you're used to the heat. What if you're say Annalie Halonen from Finland where the temperatures get to 30 degrees below zero?

"One feels immediately like home," says Halonen.

A hundred degrees? Like home?

"Finland is famous for it's saunas; this is like going in the sauna all the time. But dressed. We undress in our saunas ourselves," she says.

So short of undressing outside, you may want to take a break from the Washington lifestyle. Halonen recommends just going at a slower pace and taking it easy. And Doug Martin from Canada says a positive outlook always helps.

"The good thing about the heat is you don't have to shovel!," shouts Martin.

Good point, Doug. But winter's only four months away.