Summer is here!

Summer is here!

And I am girding up my loins.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I don’t like summer.  I don’t like that the air becomes so thick that it’s hard to breathe, especially at night. I don’t like it that the leaves and grass turn brown.  I hate it that a few minutes after I showered, I’m beginning to sweat again.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the sun. I also love getting a tan. I just don’t like the heat and humidity. Oh, that blasted humidity!

For a country with perfect sunny days year round, what is so special about this one month when the temperatures go insanely high? Why should I go to the beach when just stepping out of the shade singes my skin? Besides, there are just too many people on the shore and rooms cost more than what it delivers.  I say, unless you’re a student, go to the beach any time of the year except during the summer.

What about going up to the mountains? Well, that’s a possible escape from the heat. At least, I don’t get as sweaty as quickly. But sometimes, being up on the mountain in the summer frustrates me, too, since it wouldn't be as cold as I would like it to be. Yes, there is no winning with me.

So, I stay in the city and soldier on. At least there is air-conditioning in coffee shops and malls. At home, I can wear shirts so thin from washing, one can almost see through them. And best of all, I can concoct my own fruit shakes that wouldn't cost me a gold bullion for a glass.

But before you click on another blog simply because there’s just too much negativity here, I am  challenging myself to find great things about summer.  I am calling it the “30 days of summer challenge and each day, I'll try to post something nice about this month.  

Here’s the first one – the bougainvillea. 

Much like the cherry blossoms signal the arrival of spring, the bougainvillea heralds – at least to me, the start of summer. It is a hardy plant that blossoms profusely when there is much sun and heat.  Vibrant hues of fuchsia, orange, and white would punctuate an otherwise vast green (or brown) surroundings. 

I remember the time when most streetlamps in the metro have bougainvillea crawling on them. During the summer, they would be so thick with blossoms that it was such a delight to drive along the streets. Whatever happened to them? The bougainvillea is now used as hedges on our motorway islands so at least, they are still there.  Thus when our roadways, parks, and our own fences explode with much color because of the bougainvillea, it just means that summer is here.