Adapting to a new country/climate

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Lexingtongue

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I moved to Burma for work about seven weeks ago and since I arrived I have been struggling with an inundation of minor health issues which I can only attribute to the massive difference in temperature and climate. The issues are nothing major in and of themselves, but the accumulation of small problems is trying. Has anyone else moved to a similar place and how long did it take for your body to get used to its new surroundings? Or did you struggle with little niggles for the entirety of your stay?
 


Kevj said:
Are the problems respiratory? Does you apartment have air con?
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I'm getting bunged up noses in the morning from the air con, but they quickly pass. I've had a few issues related to cuisine here and sweat related stuff. I have a case of tinea versicolor on my chest, for example, which although painless is unsightly. I'm medically insured here, but the doctors are either medieval in their methods or don't speak English which is problematic. :lol: Our insurer recommends trips to Bangkok for any medical treatment.

Evil Jimmy Krankie said:
Nope. Moved to Oz 11 years ago and I adapted straight away.
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I think my body is struggling with the hot and wet tropical-like conditions over here. I'm constantly covered in sweat unless I have the air con on full blast.
 
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I went to Vietnam in 2000, and been all around these parts ever since. Took me a while to get use to the heat, well working in the heat really, had a few fungal infections, nowt serious, 6 month in and it was free and easy, 10 pints of Tiger a night also helped. Never use to the bugs and critters, scorpions in Indonesia, snake here in Malaysia, as well as every bug being git massive. It was cockroaches and ants in Vietnam which were a pain. Mosquitos, was an issue at first, but they barely touch me these days, not sure what it is, I could sit in a swamp of them, none seem to want to bite.
 
Lexingtongue said:
I'm getting bunged up noses in the morning from the air con, but they quickly pass. I've had a few issues related to cuisine here and sweat related stuff. I have a case of tinea versicolor on my chest, for example, which although painless is unsightly. I'm medically insured here, but the doctors are either medieval in their methods or don't speak English which is problematic. :lol: Our insurer recommends trips to Bangkok for any medical treatment.


I think my body is struggling with the hot and wet tropical-like conditions over here. I'm constantly covered in sweat unless I have the air con on full blast.
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I think you need to allow your body to acclimatise to the heat and don’t rely on the air con so much. There’s a good chance the recirculated air isn’t as clean or fresh which will affect your chest to an extent, but so too will extremes of hot then cold. By using the air con, you are not allowing your body to get used to operating at a different temp range, so your poor health will just continue as is.

When I worked over that way, they’d use the air con in temps of 40deg C but set at above 26deg C so there wasn’t such a huge temp difference. It certainly wasn’t blowing cold.

I struggled to sleep in the heat, but just had to literally sweat it out for a while.
 
Been out in sticks in UAE for 5 months and took a while to get used to the heat, but starts to cool down again from next Month--supposedly! Still cant get used to starting work on a Sunday and finishing on a Wednesday (usual week but some Mon-Thursday). Red meat has been rubbish in camp catering but better this last month or so eating more Chicken and fish than usual. Not doing as much outside exercise as I would at home and really missing my walks in the Lakes and a nice pint of Real Ale afterwards!
Go to work in HQ on outskirts of Ab Dab for a week twice a month so get to stay in a nice hotel with a Bar:D
 
natinnam said:
I went to Vietnam in 2000, and been all around these parts ever since. Took me a while to get use to the heat, well working in the heat really, had a few fungal infections, nowt serious, 6 month in and it was free and easy, 10 pints of Tiger a night also helped. Never use to the bugs and critters, scorpions in Indonesia, snake here in Malaysia, as well as every bug being git massive. It was cockroaches and ants in Vietnam which were a pain. Mosquitos, was an issue at first, but they barely touch me these days, not sure what it is, I could sit in a swamp of them, none seem to want to bite.
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I'm having savage allergic reactions to the mosquitoes over here. Everywhere else I've ever been they've never bothered me; the place I end up living long-term and they love me and I can't handle whatever they're pumping in to me. :lol:
 
heroesof73 said:
Been out in sticks in UAE for 5 months and took a while to get used to the heat, but starts to cool down again from next Month--supposedly! Still cant get used to starting work on a Sunday and finishing on a Wednesday (usual week but some Mon-Thursday). Red meat has been rubbish in camp catering but better this last month or so eating more Chicken and fish than usual. Not doing as much outside exercise as I would at home and really missing my walks in the Lakes and a nice pint of Real Ale afterwards!
Go to work in HQ on outskirts of Ab Dab for a week twice a month so get to stay in a nice hotel with a Bar:D
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4 Day week, you lucky bastard.
 
Kevj said:
I think you need to allow your body to acclimatise to the heat and don’t rely on the air con so much. There’s a good chance the recirculated air isn’t as clean or fresh which will affect your chest to an extent, but so too will extremes of hot then cold. By using the air con, you are not allowing your body to get used to operating at a different temp range, so your poor health will just continue as is.

When I worked over that way, they’d use the air con in temps of 40deg C but set at above 26deg C so there wasn’t such a huge temp difference. It certainly wasn’t blowing cold.

I struggled to sleep in the heat, but just had to literally sweat it out for a while.
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There is the issue of moving from extreme cold to extreme hot, but I'm out and about every day walking, so I am exposing myself to more of the outside temperature than the majority of my colleagues. Touch wood, however, I'm not having any notable issues with my respiratory systems just yet. ;)
 
Been living in Philippines the past 4 years, the heat took a bit of getting used to but gradually I'm used to it. Air con is essential, but I try not to have it blasting away for too long as I don't think it's good to have it going all the time.

Always put the air con on for 20 minutes before going to bed though otherwise it's too hot to sleep.

You always have to avoid the tap water (same in Burma I guess), and of course watch out for the ice they put in your drinks.

You are initially more vulnerable to getting the shits in a different country but your resistance builds up after a while.

Mosquitos can be a problem in certain places, though unusually I woke up with 6 bites the other day.

Pollution can be a problem in Asia so try to get to the beaches or the countryside and out of the city when you can. Philippines has got great beaches and open spaces when you are out of Manila.

So for me it took a few months to get used to the heat. About a year to get proper resistance and a stronger stomach. Although copious amounts of beer with the Manila Mackems during our relegation battles may have been a contributory factor!
 
Lexingtongue said:
I'm having savage allergic reactions to the mosquitoes over here. Everywhere else I've ever been they've never bothered me; the place I end up living long-term and they love me and I can't handle whatever they're pumping in to me. :lol:
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Worked with the Siemens lot in Ca Mau, south Vietnam, it's famous for being mozzi central, there is even a light buzz in the air from them all. The poor Germans liked a beer, they use to sit out in their long pants and long sleeve shirts, with a light scarf for the neck, they were sweating buckets avoiding the fuckers, while me and mate sat on the next table in shorts, T-shirt and flip flops, not a bite.

Kevj said:
Three days dry though.
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I could cope with that. Use to do it in Qatar, dry all week, smashed as fuck on the weekend (Fri/Sat), use to start golf on fri morning at break of dawn before the heat gets really going. Be in the club house come 9:30am, drinking on the course, back at the 19th, blokes were smashed by 10:30am, it was nuts.
 
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Took us about 5 minutes to adapt to Madrid and Paris, so you’re clearly just a soft shite :lol:

Seriously though I suspect some of the problems will be related to having to use the air con. We found in the summers that we’d get cold symptoms that would pass if we were outdoors.

Plus I suspect it’s a very humid warmth over there and bacteria f***ing love those conditions.
 
Kevj said:
I think you need to allow your body to acclimatise to the heat and don’t rely on the air con so much. There’s a good chance the recirculated air isn’t as clean or fresh which will affect your chest to an extent, but so too will extremes of hot then cold. By using the air con, you are not allowing your body to get used to operating at a different temp range, so your poor health will just continue as is.

When I worked over that way, they’d use the air con in temps of 40deg C but set at above 26deg C so there wasn’t such a huge temp difference. It certainly wasn’t blowing cold.

I struggled to sleep in the heat, but just had to literally sweat it out for a while.
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Good advice.

Sounds like defeating the object too but id mix a bit of outside air in with the aircon.

Does aircon have a countdown timer, set it to run an hour so it turns off after you sleep.

Oh, n man up you faggot!;)
 

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