Germany (and a lot of other countries) are going through a heat wave right now. Temeratures often rise beyond what is normal, and rain is realtively scarce.

Despite the conditions, I went with a friend to a garden show in the south of Germany. Although the temperatures were hot even for this current heat wave (about 38°C/100°F), we still had a good time.

The heat is affecting all of Germany, but some areas are worse than others: Where my parents live, the conditions are almost like a miniature drought. But as I drove back up to Ewersbach, I found that the plants are still relatively green. Apparently it still rains on a regular basis, so often in fact, that my tomatoes are still alive, even though I haven’t watered them for 2 weeks!

That leaves us with one question: Why am I at school during vacation? I am taking a few days to finish up a paper, so that I have time for other things… like a mural: I got a commission for a 20m² – wall in a friend’s backyard. She wants a tropical landscape and  has a personal connection to Cambodia. So I will paint a Cambodian coastal landscape, where a few fishermen are pulling their fishing boat to shore. I started doing study sketches of boats and Cambodian people, and will start the commission next week. So I will study this week, and paint the next. The weather is expected to remain hot during this whole time. And for the sake for the mural, I am glad for it: It makes paint dry really fast!