Thanks Brigitte for the tips about the heat! I completely agree, please bring clothes that are made from light, breathable fabrics for all of the daytime events. For evening events, the temperature will not be as high and can sometimes even be fairly comfortable, and also in some indoor venues, the air conditioning might be a little too cool for some people. Fortunately, for the hottest parts of the day, usually between 10 am - 5 pm (10:00 - 17:00), we should all be safely indoors enjoying the presentations at the air conditioned conference facilities of George Washington University :)
Sincerely,
Nicholas Michael Bashour President Wikimedia District of Columbia Washington, DC, USA
2012/6/23 Birgitte_sb@yahoo.com
On Jun 23, 2012, at 2:14 PM, Andy Mabbett andy@pigsonthewing.org.uk wrote:
On 23 June 2012 15:56, Birgitte_sb@yahoo.com wrote:
I have to admit the first thing I thought of when I saw this on thie
schedule was the invite-only party at Boston. I think it is great, that the reception is opened up this Wikimania. I am excited about this event, really excited. Perhaps because it was such a surprise to me while I expected all the other great things planned. Not just because it will be fun, but because of the soft effects of having everyone connect at one event the night before the main schedule begins.
Not everyone. I for one won't have space in my luggage for non-jeans attire; and anyway the event clashes with Wiki Loves libraries.
I meant this as opposed to the two tiered events at Boston. Of course not everyone will attend, but when group A connects at one event and group B at a separate event the rest of the conference your first instinct is to recognize a face from your assigned group.
On a seperate note, you might want reconsider jeans. The heat, and especially the humidity, will make denim and heavyweight fabrics less than comfortable. I say this as someone who has spent a day no more than three feet from a toliet after insisting on wearing my "coolest" jeans to the neighborhood house tour (as much time indoors as out) and becoming overheated. If you are unaccustomed to what a difference high humidity makes at 90 degrees, please seriously look into travel websites and their clothing recommendations. D.C. was under a heat advisory just last week, and while we may luck out in July, I wouldn't count on it. I doubt you want spend money on clothes shopping or cab rides because you are not prepared for the climate
Washington Post linked this summary in last week's article about the heat advisory:
capital-weather-gang/post/heat-wave-and-hot-weather-guide/2011/07/18/gIQA8K5bMI_blog.html
The key information from my experience with heat related illness: You get really hot and sweaty. You lose your appetite and a significant amount of energy. >< You feel REALLY hot and your face turns beet red. (It feels like your face is an oven heating your surroundings rather than the opposite.)
< Your face turns pale and clammy. You stop sweating. You collapse.
Between the two >< marks, I act to get quickly into air-conditioning and cool off. Sip water, but don't drink too much or it won't stay down. Then I might recover with little more than a headache, but sometimes I still might be sick. If I get to the point were my face goes pale and clammy after it was bright red, I IMMEDIATELY get into A/C. I haven't collapse since I was ten but I have, too often, cursed myself for how far I pushed past my better judgement. If you notice the pale clammy after beet red stage happening to you or a companion, I recommend that wherever you are: stop, find A/C, call a cab, return to your lodgings. You will not make it much further walking.
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