Our local weather station declared that General Santos City had the hottest day on April 17 at 39 degrees Celsius, disputing national news reports that it was felt in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija (37.6 degrees). Tuguegarao, Cagayan, however, holds the record at 42.2 degrees on May 11, 1969.
With that in mind, I have prepared for the sizzling summer here with the following measures:
- Stock the fridge with lots of liquid refreshments (water, ice tea, ice candies, softdrinks)
- Buy lots of juicy fruits (not the bubblegum!) like watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupes, chicos, lanzones, young coconuts (all right, it's no fruit). NO durians (they're carbo-loaded and heat you up)
- Set up the hammock under the trees in the front yard
- Buy more ice trays to make loads of ice cubes
- Buy native anahaw hand fans (handy during summer power blackouts)
- Turn up the electric fans (no air conditioning for me: higher electric bill, makes me sleepy and triggers sinusitis attacks)
- Watch An Inconvenient Truth, US Vice President Al Gore's documentary on the climate crisis
- For hot summer nights, feast on vodka-spiked watermelon slices which I learned to make at UP Diliman for our dorm's open house. To make: cut a small triangular hole on a whole watermelon, take out the triangular slice and prick the three sides of the hole with a fork, pour a shot or two of vodka, let the watermelon absorb the vodka and then replace the triangular slice, put the fruit in the fridge to chill. Later, slice chilled watermelon and serve. Variant: make a batch of watermelon shake and add a shot of vodka
- Make chilled veggie and fruit salads
- Enjoy summer reads in nearby spring water and beach resorts
- Wear sandos and shorts (with Boracay designs) bought 2 years ago from Aklan
- Take leisurely late-afternoon walks along the beach
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