I wanted to start visible a thread about ways to cope with the extreme heat

[Lydia Leftcoast]

46. Yes, when I go swimming on a very hot day, I don't completely dry my hair afterwards

This makes it much more bearable to stand outside waiting for the bus home.

One thing that worked for me in Japan, where I somehow survived without AC for a year: lie down to sleep spread out like a starfish. That way, no part of your body touches any other part.

Wear natural fibers.

Hot countries have the custom of the siesta. When I was in Wenzhou, China, for several days in 1990, our guides would leave us after lunch and tell us that they'd be back at 3:00PM. We soon noticed that the whole city was napping: pedicab drivers sleeping in their pedicabs, seamstresses stretched out on mats under their machines, almost no traffic. Even in the vicinity of Beijing, much farther to the north, but still capable of getting really hot in the summer, a drive through the countryside after lunch would reveal all the farmers sleeping under trees.

If you need your caffeine, stock up on instant ice tea (Twining's has an unsweetened variety) or instant iced coffee mix that you can make with cold water.