If there is one thing that unites Britain, it is our universal frustration with the weather. Summer never visits us for long so when it does we tend to go mad for it – we forget about work and hit the beach, let ourselves burn and eat a load of ice cream. We see it as an opportunity to relax. Here in India the temperature during the day currently ranges between 40-45°C, and a winter’s day isn’t far off a summer’s day in the UK at around 15-20°C. So do Indians see it as an opportunity to relax like we do? Well, yes, but perhaps opportunity isn’t the word – more an exhausting struggle to function sufficiently in their job roles.
This idea that the heat can prohibit progress and make it difficult for people to excel in their jobs first arose having seen how tired people look who work outside, and sympathizing as I sweat buckets. I suppose this assessment cannot be made for Indians who work indoors and have access to air conditioning, like the lecturers here at Symbiosis, but imagine how much more of a struggle it is for builders here, for example, compared with builders in the UK.
Taking a glance at the bigger picture, if you consider what has become known as the West – so North America and Europe – to host the most ‘developed’ countries with the largest economies, you will find none of them experience the heat conditions that much of the ‘developing’ world, like India, must endure. The busy working environment in thriving cities such as New York and London can simply not be achieved in these heat conditions. The pace of work is slower and it is difficult for people to be frantic. I do often wonder how some countries have become so rich and others so poor. Our friend the sun may well have a role to play, even on me as a write this blog post.