I don’t know if it’s the heat per se or the humidity, but the phenomonon knows no bounds. As you’ve witnessed, the hotter it gets, the more lethargic everyone/everything is. There’s a stereotype out there which claims heat is the reason why southerners are (pardon me, I’m paraphrasing here) “slow” when it comes to day-to-day moving around.
I know this doesn’t exactly answer the question, but I’m so glad you asked it – I’ve been wondering myself!
In tropical climes there are certain times of day
When all the citizens retire
To take the clothes off and perspire.
It’s one of those rules that the greatest fools obey
Because the sun is far too sultry
And one must avoid its ultraviolet ray.
The natives grieve when the white men leave their huts
Because they‘ re obviously, definitely nuts!
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The Japanese don’t care to,
The Chinese wouldn’t dare too.
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one.
But Englishmen detest a siesta.
In the Philippines they have lonely screens
To protect you from the glare.
In the Malay States there are hats like plates
Which the Britishers won’t wear.
At twelve noon the natives swoon,
And no further work is done.
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun…
The toughest Burmese bandit
can never understand it,
in Rangoon the heat of noon
is just what the natives shun,
they put their satchel down
and lie down;
In the mangrove swamps
where the python romps
there is peace from twelve 'til two;
even caribous lie around and snooze
'cause there’s nothing else to do;
In Bengal, to move at all,
is seldom if ever done
But mad dogs and Englishmen
go out in the midday Sun
