Humidity — Blog — Healy Chen

Two things of awesome

No matter how many times I empty the water tank on my dehumidifier, it never ceases to amaze me just how much moisture it has pulled out of the air. A true wonder of technology that the same heat pump that functions as an air conditioner can also serve to dehumidify a space. What did people do before its invention? Oh right, Chinese people used mothballs - to prevent mold - so much that it became a discriminatory meme.

In humid San Francisco - the city’s famous fog is essentially 100% humidity, a dehumidifier is an absolute must. Especially if you’re like me and live on a semi-subterranean first level of a very old house. I’ve found out the hard way that if not controlled for, humidity will cause mold growth in closets and drawers. Any steel that isn’t stainless will rust.

Another gadget that’s an absolute must in San Francisco is a dashcam. Even for someone like me who does not have a driving commute, having a recorder in the car is cheap insurance against the vagaries of other San Francisco drivers. You just never know if some old lady might plow her car into a bus stop. When actual auto insurance is the complete opposite of cheap, it matters greatly there exists concrete proof of your innocence. (Conversely, if you drive like an idiot all the time, maybe don’t get a dashcam to record your crimes against fellow humanity.)

For what brand of dash cam to buy, this Project Farm video is a fantastic reference. For my particular car - a 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI - I was able to draw power from the rain sensor right above the rearview mirror, using this device. No need sling and tuck a huge length of cable in order to power the camera. The dashcam turns on and begins recording automatically when the Golf’s ignition is pressed. It’s something to setup once and forget about.

Because you really don’t want to have to use it, right? Even if an accident is not your fault, it still requires time and effort to get the car repaired. In my many hours of watching online dashcam fail videos, the best device to prevent collision: brakes. It seems the larger the ego, the less willingness to used the brakes. Me? A bruised ego and temporary indignation is worth the tradeoff for an unblemished car. Drive wisely, my friends.

Bangkok, Part 3

One of the big reasons I have no interest in visiting any Southeast Asian countries is the weather. The equatorial location means it’s going to be hot and humid no matter what time of the year you go. For a life-long San Franciscan such as myself, accustomed to our wonderful natural air-conditioning and constant high 50s (Fahrenheit), traveling to hot weather is tough. Cold, we can do. We are used to bundling up tightly for the majority of our nights, year round.

But, when your good friend is getting married in Bangkok, you must go. I was born in Guangzhou, so high temps and intense humidity is not foreign to my upbringing. Perhaps some of that latent acclimation from my early childhood years can come in handy. Also, I’ve done Japan in the summer as well, and it can get equally hot and sweaty there during the post-solstice months. What am I saying is, as much as I would rather not be in constant high 90s weather, I consider myself well trained for it.

Lucky for me, the humidity during my brief five day stay in Bangkok was not all that bad. I’ve been informed that it can and does get worst. There weren’t any rain, either, which is always a plus because in these parts of the world, when it rains, it really rains. You go from completely dry to needing a boat to get around in matter of minutes.

But, high 90s is still high 90s. There’s no escaping the fact that when you’re outside, you will be constantly sweating. I think that is the thing to get used to: perspiration. We really don’t sweat much here in San Francisco, so we think of it as yucky and dirty. Over in Thailand (and, you know, normal places where there’s an actual summer season), you start sweating the moment you leave the air-conditioned confines of the hotel, and don’t stop until you return.

The key to combating the weather is to stay hydrated. Whenever I was outside, a bottle of something was always in hand, sipping every so often. Bangkok - like most other major Asia metropolises - makes this easy: there’s 7-Eleven convenient stores everywhere. Unlike the 7-Eleven here in the States, the stuff inside is actually good, and there’s zero risk of getting shot or mugged. Convenient store culture in Asia is something I deeply miss when I come back to America.