A Cooler Climate

Angus is a poser, and everyone knows it. He’s a really nice poser, and everyone also knows that they like him, because it’s hard not to like someone with a thick Scottish accent and a zest for life that not even coffee can provide, but he does like to make a huge deal about his tolerance to all kinds of weather. Our office generally runs pretty cold in the summer, and most people don’t have much complaint; we just bring in light cardigans and whatever else if we’re feeling the chill. But there’s Angus, wearing a t-shirt and sitting right under the air con unit.

You’re from the Highlands, Angus, we understand. You’ve mentioned it a few times.

I guess we have pretty heave-duty air conditioning, Canberra standards notwithstanding. In fact, it must be SO good that it feels like a hearty Scottish chill. I have been meaning to mention the temperature at a staff meeting, just some time in the future. But no one wants to be that person. And also, we’ve heard about Melbourne and how whole offices have been torn apart, emotionally and sometimes physically, by disputes over office climate control. Seriously, we saw the footage posted on Me-Straw of all those angry people in cardigans and jumpers hurling desks and screaming about justice for their frozen souls.

I’m not quite the committed to the cause; I’d just like to raise it in an appropriate forum. Gently. With tact.

But every time I do it seems to be one of those weird days when the air con is turned off completely, so I feel like a goof bringing up how it’s ‘usually a bit too cold, except today, when we could actually stand to be a little cooler.’ It’s not exactly a slam-bang argument.

That’s the fun world of air conditioning repairs. Canberra is certainly the right place to get amongst it. If I even think about bringing it up, Angus will be there in the corner, smirking at all these weak Aussies who can’t stand a bit of cold. Or heat. Oh, go shove it, Angus. We can’t all be hardened Scotsmen.

-D