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Beating the sweltering heat
Cool choice.
Loads and loads of water still leave you thirsty. An added tinge of lime and salt would do wonders, perhaps. The sight of mounds of watermelons and tender coconuts tempt you for a drink in the sweltering heat.
The summer, like always, leaves people tired and dehydrated. Unlike the humidity felt throughout the year, this time around there is less of sweating, says Kambakaran Joseph, who had stopped to have a sip of the tender coconut water at one of the innumerable tender coconut vending spots in the city.
The blazing sun makes life difficult for all. The only respite seems to be the wee hours of the morning when the weather gets a little cooler. If the electricity goes off, the mosquitoes make merry. The hot weather makes one rather lazy, says C. Sharat, a marketing executive. One tends to postpone going out in the sun. The concrete buildings that have come up in the city and suburbs are possibly adds to the intensity of heat, he adds. Open spaces are hardly visible, even in the suburban areas.
There should be some outlets selling `lassi', says Pankaj Dheer, an executive from Mumbai. He is probably not aware of the Kerala version of lassi-`sambharam' sold in polypacks. North Indians enjoy lassi laced with sugar or salt to beat the heat. There are a number of vendors who do just that, along with selling cucumbers, fruits and juices in summer, he adds.
Nothing like lazing at home during summers, says a bank employee, Sudha Ravindran, reminiscing her school and college days, when she could put her feet up and not worry about the next day's breakfast! But, then it was never this hot earlier, she reflects. "It was not so tough to bear the heat. We used to enjoy our summer holidays. The climate has become hotter now.''
Doctors suggest that one could beat the heat with one's eating habits too. There should be more intake of fluids. Curds, fruits, etc. are a must.
Raw onions help against dehydration. It is also better to eat rice during the hot season and cut down on oily food.
With tender coconuts costing Rs. 7 to 8, the vendors in the streets are doing brisk business.
It is the children who go for bottled aerated drinks, says a vendor. Most of the adults prefer to have this natural drink.
By Shyama Rajagopal
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
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Thiruvananthapuram
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