Cooler Than It Ever Was

(WSJ illustration)

Nearly 30 years my junior and living a third of a world away, writer Aatish Taseer and I were deprived of air-conditioning during our respective childhoods. As adults we both appreciate AC and can't get enough of it:

I remember seeing a car air-conditioner for the first time....After years of long car journeys, in which a hot desert wind called the Loo blew through open windows, leaving us desiccated as pieces of smoked ham, it felt almost sinful to be cool in a car...

There is something magical about the effect of air conditioning in a hot country, letting those who can afford it enjoy the dignity of going about their day without being made wretched by the heat.

When I visit Hawaii I stay at my parents' now-air-conditioned house and use their air-conditioned car. Having a place to cool off after a sun-filled, sweaty day of activity makes for a pleasant vacation indeed.