Let's cool it this summer

IT'S THAT time of the year when the sky is clear blue, when the Sun turns golden, when the green leaves fall as quietly as they had arrived, when a stormy grey squall is welcomed with as much enthusiasm as its exhilarating mann vasanai and when clothes dry in a jiffy even as rivulets of sweat wet the brow.

We crib and complain (for nothing can really prepare us for the relentless partnership between heat and humidity) over summer's many-hued manifestations, but what really preoccupies our mind is that colourless elixir of life - water. While we grapple with unpredictable supply and dwindling groundwater tables, real warnings of the terrible consequences of a second consecutive year of failed rains ring in our ears. Do Chennaiites have anything to look forward to in the coming months?

Summer specials that are run to clear the vacation rush also usher in those moments of joy that come with family reunions. Railway reservation counters witness long queues of hopefuls.

For children who are as noisy as they are perennially hungry, pattis line up a fond repertoire of yummy dishes while thathas play audience to impromptu performances and organise long trips to the beach. But some, like my friend Girija, regret that her kids do not enjoy as much as she used to when she was a kid for, "Myself and my cousins - over half a dozen of them - had a big house with an equally big courtyard full of trees to play around. Now with small flats and smaller families, the joy is down-sized too!" It's also the wedding time - shimmering silks (though, in the last few years, embellished cottons are being found equally fashionable) accompany the suave suits and no one complains inspite of the sweltering heat as they down tumblers of neer moru and paanaham alongwith equally enjoyable family gossip.

Every community has its own special thirst-quenchers. Anita, whose husband has been posted here for the last three years, regularly stocks the North Indian panna (made by seasoning the strained pulp of boiled raw mango and adding sugar, black salt, pepper and cummin to it) which is as traditional a coolant as tender coconut or rose syrup or the crushed gulkhand. Then there are also the thirst-quenching and nutritious watermelons and cucumbers.

It's also a time when ice-creams are as difficult to resist as the milkshakes. And then there are the sheets of plastic which come out on baking terraces as sago and rice karudams or vadaams and many vegetable-based vattals are laboriously laid and protected from birds.

Agni nakshatram dries it crisp so that it can be fried even months later to pep up a winter meal.

With summer round the corner, can mangoes be far behind? When the womenfolk aren't bargaining for the malgovas, banganapallis, haapoos (more famously known as the Alphonsos) or neelams, they are busy preparing pickles which range from the tender vadu mangai or the spicy thokku to the fiery avakkai.

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Want to beat the heat?

THE BEST skin care in summer is to wash the face frequently with plain water. Clean to remove grime and avoid creams or talcum powder which block the pores. Applying henna and hibiscus on hair can help.

Freshly cooked food, plenty of fluids, salads and greens make for a healthy diet. Wear loose cotton garments in light colours which reflect and dissipate the heat. Use a good anti-fungal powder besides the prickly heat powders available.

Sunscreen lotions (soaps with the same properties are dismissed outright by dermatologists) last for a few hours and reputed ones have proven to be decent protection against excessive tanning. Nylon umbrellas absorb heat and UV rays. It's the good-old "grandfather umbrella"(made of cloth) which is better equipped to protect you from headaches and sunburn.

Sweat may be messy and irritating but it is also the human body's essential and efficient way of maintaining normal temperature as the mercury soars. Drinking plenty of water is the best way to maintain energy levels and avoid dehydration while a bath is the best deodorant.

For those of us who cannot have centralised air-conditioning, water soaked reed curtains or a water wash of the roof at sundown can provide relief from the heat.

Watering plants in the evening will ensure more efficient usage of water, as more will be absorbed and less lost to evaporation. - Fresh juices and traditional coolants such as tender coconut or buttermilk are far superior nourishments than aerated drinks.

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