Mexico City: The Midwestern Wope

Ball on roof, Picacho Street, Las Cruces, NM. July 2013.

We sat at the dining room table in the guesthouse's communal sala, or living room.

Three of us English-speakers were at the table: me + two guesthouse volunteers. "Bo," of Minnesota and Wisconsin origin, was talking to another volunteer, I don't remember who.

I was probably busy eating lunch.

But my radar blipped at something Bo said to the other volunteer, which was: "Midwesterners have a special word they use: ope." He elaborated on the alleged lingustic factoid, saying that we midwesterners utter this word when we bump into something or someone or drop something or suffer some other minor spatial accident or near-accident.

My knee-jerk reaction was: "Maybe that's true in Minnesota, but that's not something we say in Missouri." (Hopefully, I didn't say this out loud, but I may have.)

LESS THAN 24 HOURS LATER, I was in the communal kitchen, at the stove, where I dropped something and I said, "Wope!"

Jesus, it hit me. We Missourians say this ALL THE TIME.

There are variations:

• Wope
• Wup
• Wip
• Woop 
• Ope

Bo, I'm sorry I doubted ye.

The Land of Flyover: "What I Learned Driving Through the Heartland"

Big Spring, Missouri

Being from the Midwest, I admit it sets my teeth on edge when folks dismissively refer to the "flyover states." Or worse, when people condescend with the title "Middle America."

Kansas City, Missouri

So it's pleasing when I read an article like this from the Frugal Traveler: What I Learned Driving Through the Heartland. And, yes, there is irony in lapping up approval from a New York Times writer simply because he is of the New York Times.

Near Treloar, Missouri

Being a Missouri native, I especially liked his related piece, Music and Moonshine in the Mellow Ozarks.

New Haven, Missouri

I took issue with his statement, "With notable exceptions like the Ozark hills and the picture-perfect main streets of places like Cottonwood Falls, Kan., and Pella, Iowa, the center swath of the United States is not visually riveting — unless you find soy fields mesmerizing."

Warren County, Missouri

Missouri is blessed with thousands of miles of roads that track streams, large and small. Highway 79, following along the Mississippi River, connects the dots between quaint river villages.

Rolling woodlands lift one's spirits in the spring, for their graceful understory of white dogwoods and pink redbuds. State Road U, between Highways 94 and State Road M (Main Street in Warrenton) is a road that goes through such woods.

St. Louis, Missouri

In the fall, sugar maples and other deciduous beings dazzle the eyes with brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds that, when caught in the sunlight, can evoke a spiritual experience.

Overlooking Missouri River flood plain, Jefferson City, Missouri

The lush green of rounded pastures that are dotted with cows satisfy some instinctive esthetic for their shapes and colors. There's a certain bend in the road on Highway 178, between Interstate 70 and Jefferson City, where such pastures make you draw in your breath as they come into view. The same road has a section of ribbon candy road hills that, if you (carefully) drive just fast enough, make you feel like you're on a roller coaster. 

Warren County,  Missouri

    

Cultural Lessons in New Mexico: Air Conditioners vs Swamp Coolers

And now, for the weather

Missouri is hot and humid in the summer. So hot and humid that back in the day, before air conditioning, when there was a British consulate in St. Louis, the British staff received hardship pay.

New Mexico is hot and dry in the summer. Between 8 and 10 degrees hotter than Missouri (during the day). 

In Missouri, we use air conditioners to cool (and dry) the air. The air conditioners rely on electricity and (in older air conditioners) freon to work. (In New Mexico, I notice air conditioners are often referred to as "refrigerated air.")

Swamp cooler. Credit: Allied Swamp Cooler Repair

In New Mexico, swamp coolers are common. They rely on electricity and water to work.
 

St Louis Weather

US Geography / US Weather / Missouri Weather / St Louis

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Avg. High

37°

42°

54°

66°

76°

85°

88°

87°

78°

68°

54°

41°

Avg. Low

20°

25°

35°

46°

56°

65°

70°

67°

60°

48°

37°

26°

Mean

28°

34°

45°

57°

66°

75°

80°

78°

70°

58°

46°

34°

Avg. Precip.

1.8 in

2.1 in

3.6 in

3.5 in

4.0 in

3.7 in

3.9 in

2.9 in

3.1 in

2.7 in

3.3 in

3.0 in

Degrees in Fahrenheit

 

Alamogordo Weather

US Geography / US Weather / New Mexico Weather / Alamogordo

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Avg. High

56°

62°

68°

78°

86°

95°

94°

91°

86°

77°

66°

57°

Avg. Low

28°

32°

38°

45°

54°

62°

65°

64°

57°

47°

36°

28°

Mean

44°

47°

54°

62°

70°

78°

80°

78°

72°

64°

51°

44°

Avg. Precip.

0.7 in

0.5 in

0.5 in

0.3 in

0.5 in

0.9 in

2.3 in

2.4 in

2.0 in

1.3 in

0.7 in

0.8 in

Degrees in Fahrenheit

The above info is from Country Studies. 

Humidity specifically

In July, Missouri typically has a relative humidity level between 50 and 80%, depending on time of day. 

In July, Alamogordo typically has a relative humidity level between 32 and 62%, depending on time of day. 

Generally, humidity is lowest during the hottest time of day. 

The humidity factor is important because swamp coolers work best when the air is dry. Too much humidity and they just generate hot, wet air. 

In Missouri, then, swamp coolers won't work. They won't work in the swamps, either. 

What the hell is a swamp cooler? 

Otherwise known as "evaporative" coolers, here is a really good explanation of swamp coolers. Complete with a moving graphic that shows the process.

As with air conditioners, swamp coolers will reduce the interior temps by, at most, 20 degrees. The drier the air, the more effective the cooling capacity.

With a swamp cooler, you must have a couple of windows open to create air flow. This is counter-intuitive, but that's just the way it is.

Swamp coolers are far cheaper to run than air conditioners, and they don't require the freon, which we know messes with the environment. 

On the other hand, swamp coolers do require water, which is an issue in some places. Per the link above, they can require between three to 15 gallons of water per day.

In New Mexico, there's the monsoon season in July and August. So you guessed it, that's the time of highest humidity, making the swamp coolers the least efficient during part of the hottest time of the year.  A nice quote from the linked site:

   "They only get 7-8 inches a rain a year, unfortunately it all falls in about 45 minutes".



Which is better? 

As you can see above, both have their pros and cons. In the places I looked at to rent, one has "refrigerated air" and two have swamp coolers. 

Being frugal, I'd prefer the swamp coolers. I'm told that where I might pay up to $200 for a month's worth of "refrigerated air," I'd likely pay less than half that with a swamp cooler. 

The trick is if the owners properly maintain the swamp coolers, as they do require more maintenance than air conditioners. But maintenance for a swamp cooler is sort of like cleaning out the gutters or getting an oil change - somewhat tedious, but not expensive like it can be for an air conditioner. 

So, my first culture lesson as new New Mexican. Swamp coolers.