Surviving Summer : The Lunar Calendar Of Childhood
Remember the time when we were kids running around barefoot playing cops and robbers in the heat of the vacation? Summer seemed to last forever back then.
Do you even remember feeling the heat like we do now? I, for one, don’t. All I remember is eating sip-up after sip-up; playing outside all day long, only to come back in the evening and be yelled at by my mum, for coming back home filthy.
The best part about the summers for me was always the little inflatable pool my neighbours had in their back garden. All my friends would get in and splash each other with water and get completely soaked. As we got older I did realise that this was a perfect example of wasting water but at the same time it was a perfect solution to keep cool in the summer.
Try filling a small bucket up with water and dipping your feet in. Its gives almost the same effect but without the contribution to the death of polar bears.
Another clear memory I have is always being on my feet, running around playing hide and seek. Now since we are old and running around is too difficult, we spend most of our time indoors just avoiding the heat and not embracing it, but what’s the point if we’re not leveraging it to our advantage? If you are going to sit inside, which you will, might as well sit in front of the AC.
This is a bit more of a tricky one if you don’t have an AC of your own. Start by making a list of all your current friends and order them based on the number of AC’s they own. The people at the top of this list are you biggest priority. Keep them happy, you’re going to spend a lot of time at their houses. (USELESS TIP: Bring gifts for their family to stay in their good books).
Try connecting with the lunar phases. Remember desperately wanting to stay up all night and look at the stars as kids? Well this is your chance. Stay up, watch the lunar cycle and if you get as good as I am, you might even figure out which orientation of the stars will give you luck. (Yeah… Let’s not get carried away here).
But yeah, nights are really a lot cooler. Keep your windows open and pray that moon is in the right position to stop mosquitoes flying into your room.
Everyone loves coffee but maybe it’s finally time to get rid of your caffeine addiction; keep it cool and mellow; stick to summer fruits.
Maybe whip out your friend list again and get the bottom members to make you fresh mango juice. They do have something to please you. Make sure to double check with the lunar calendar when deciding which fruits to make sure you don’t accidentally allow any negative vibes to pollute your body.
Not wearing my school uniform was always the one thing I consistently looked forward to during the holidays. And yes, I know that black is the colour of your soul and what not, but it’s too hot to show that side of you.
Stick to white clothes. Keep your inner goth silent for a while.
I know it’s difficult but you can do it. This applies to curtains, bedsheets and pretty much any fabric. While we’re on that topic keep your curtains closed when ever you can but the windows open. Let the breeze in, not the heat. You could even try the age old desert trick, placing a damp sheet in front of an open window. You’d be surprised at how well this actually works.
Finally in memory of that childlike nature we all had, just lay back and relax. Listen to music, to songs like ‘Let It Snow’ and ‘White As Snow’, hoping that one day the stars will line up just perfect and it’ll snow.
