Simmering Summer

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:

1. Stock the fridge with lots of liquid refreshments (water, ice tea, ice candies, softdrinks)
2. 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)
3. Set up the hammock under the trees in the front yard
4. Buy more ice trays to make loads of ice cubes
5. Buy native anahaw hand fans (handy during summer power blackouts)
6. Turn up the electric fans (no air conditioning for me: higher electric bill, makes me sleepy and triggers sinusitis attacks)
7. Watch An Inconvenient Truth, US Vice President Al Gore's documentary on the climate crisis
8. 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
9. Make chilled veggie and fruit salads
10. Enjoy summer reads in nearby spring water and beach resorts
11. Wear sandos and shorts (with Boracay designs) bought 2 years ago from Aklan
12. Take leisurely late-afternoon walks along the beach
    

Summer Reads Part 3

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

At age 66, Frank McCourt published his memoirs, and Angela's Ashes (Pulitzer Prize winner) and 'Tis. Ten years later, his third memoir has come out. This book focuses on 30 years of teaching experience that shaped McCourt's writing career. Hmmm, let me see, I'll be on my 26th year in teaching. So there must be hope for me as a writer yet. :)

I've read his first two memoirs and they were really moving and poignant. Angela's Ashes reads like an Irish version of a poor Pinoy's life in the slums. Squalor, nerve- and gut-wrenching poverty, bigotry, sickness, death, you name it. 'Tis chronicles his life in the USA and the struggles he went through to carve his niche.

A Monk Swimming by Malachy McCourt

First, before you get turned off by the "sacred & profane" image evoked by the title, an explanation from Malachy McCourt, Frank's younger brother: the title is from the prayer Hail Mary: Blessed are you amongst women (the last two words misheard by him as a monk swimming).

Following in his brother's footsteps, Malachy carefully avoids treading the same biographical ground (their common childhood) by recounting his upbeat life in the USA as a raconteur, actor, bar owner.

Now this is a serio-comic tandem of books I plan to read back-to-back.

Summer Reads Part 2

Colored Lights (40 years of words and music, show biz, collaboration, and all that jazz) John Kander and Fred Ebb as told to Greg Lawrence

For this set of books, I plan to have an audio-visual experience: listen to their CDs on the mp3 player while reading their bios. Double the fun eh? I've done this before with the bios of Rodgers & Hammerstein.

Make that a triple treat for Kander & Ebb, the tandem who gave us Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, among others. When I reach the part of their bio referring to Cabaret & Chicago, I'll be going multi-media. While reading this book, I'll watch/listen to the film versions. I wonder if I'll have a sensory overload.

Angel on My Shoulder by Natalie Cole with Digby Diehl

I've read Nat "King" Cole's bio in the 80s and more than 20 years later, I'll be reading his daughter Natalie's bio.

Her CD Unforgettable featuring duets with her dad would make a perfect companion to this book.

It would be interesting to find out how she got out of the mess of a life she made for herself. A mess where a lot of singers before her got enmeshed in and never got out alive (e.g., Judy Garland, Janis Joplin, et. al.).

As Thousands Cheer (The Life of Irving Berlin) by Laurence Bergreen

I've browsed through this book in search of any reference to Imelda Marcos who claimed that her beauty inspired Irving Berlin (Israel Baline in real life) to compose a song (God Bless the Philippines daw) for her during the WW II. Result: Zilch, nada, nothing!

Berlin wrote a lot of memorable songs: God Bless America, White Christmas, Cheek to Cheek, There's no Business like Show Business, Always, Puttin' on the Ritz, Easter Parade, How Deep is the Ocean?, Let's Face the Music and Dance, You're Just in Love.