Sunday, April 6, 2008

Summer woes!


Its that time of the year when I wake up early ;
Its not by choice, but out of necessity


Its that time of the year when I bathe early ;
Its not by choice, but out of necessity


Its that time of the year when I stay indoors ;
Its not by choice, but out of necessity


Its that time of the year when I seldom eat ;
Its not by choice, but out of necessity


Its that time of the year when I grow pale ;
Its not by choice, but out of necessity


What time of the year is it?
Well...its SUMMER!!

Come Summer and everything changes..and what better place to experience the heat than Chennai?? Chennai has always been notorious for its raging summers with the sun shimmering right above your head and sweat dripping all over you! There is one phrase that condenses Chennai's Climatic conditions ' Chennai has three seasons : Hot, Hotter and Hottest' I couldn agree no more.


What makes Chennai heat one of the most unbearable and intolerable one?? I think its the blend of scorching heat and high humidity. There are other coastal areas such as Mumbai, Mangalore and Pondy but nothing like Chennai. The synthesis of moisture and heat can exhaust you; rip you of all the carbohydrates that you ever had and leave you a mere morsel of flesh and blood! The only solace to this fatigue is gulping down gallons of cold water in an Air Condtioned room.


Imagine youself waking up to the harsh rays of Sun everyday. It almost seems like Sun Lord is merciless and is venting all his anger upon you. I get up from sleep all soaked in sweat and heat and feeling helpless...like am just out of a terrible nightmare! To escape the clutches of the heat you want to dig into a cold shower but unfortunately the water is piping hot!! Who in the world would imagine normal tap water bubbling and raging at 10 in the morning?? Looks like I can make a hot cup of Coffee with it! This is typically how the day begins here in Chennai.


To walk out during mid-day is worse than a capital punishment! With temperatures soaring as high as 40 C and moisture content close to 75%, it is treacherous. All the love for sumptumous lunch and ravishing dinner disappears as you attain Nirvana by digging youself into dollops of Ice cream or sink into some cold juice or Sherbat. There is a dab of tan on your skin no matter what precaution you take. No sunblocks or sun protective lotions are stronger than the blistering rays of the sun itself!


Is Chennai really that hot?? Or am i exaggerating it cause I hate extreme summer??


I ask some localites on what they think about it..and the most common reply 'It is quite torchorous but we are used to it;Infact it cools down in the evenings due to the sea breeze. We love the Chennai heat and that is what keeps us going. ' How could one possible like living in a hot gas station with all ventilations closed? Are they decendents from planet Mercury? Is there something fundamentally wrong?


Well..its all a matter of geting used to it I suppose (I still dont buy it though) People here do love the blazing sun and glimmering prespiration..and the consolation of 'Sea Breeze' is not very convincing! I can never understand them..its ridiculous




As I lay on my bed writing this blog, am reminded of the famous song by Beatles "Here Comes the Sun.....Its alright"


Is it alright?? Perhaps Yes ; Perhaps Not!

3 comments:

Maverick said...

wat i've noticed commonly is the fact that people are attached to their homeland in a way that is somewhat inexplicable..most of the times it goes unnoticed..but it always lies below the apparent..its some indellible fact ingrained in our mind..maybe it holds true for all of us to some extent..any NRI would vouch for it..the fact that we dont get to choose our domicile but it is the domicile that chooses us..for instance any India-Pak match and all of us are one..religion is dissolved in a fervor of nationality..got lots too say..

a very good post..i agree with u on the intensity of the heat..but the nights hav been kind enough..maybe its time for all of us to be more disciplined..:)

Rasika said...

really good post myth!!! enjoyed readin it...but forgive me i just have to dispel a few...ummm...myths!

You wake up at nine...have a bath just before lunch...u never eat(whatver the season)...and i'd say u have tanned :-)

@ mango - very accurate observation. Having lived all my life in moderate to extreme hot climate areas...am in love with sunshine and summer. ( love the rains more but tht only in Kerala)...cant imagine living in a cold place all the time!

Melona's take !! said...

U forgot the mosquito bites inspite of this heat :(