By the time you read this column by the Man from Madras Musings, the designated peak hot weather aka Agni Nakshatram aka Kathiri will be over. But before you begin to air your winter woollies let MMM assure you that this is not the beginning of Chennai’s long and severe winter, which as you all know is world famous by its mere absence. More often than not, June is hotter than May in our city and here are a few tips on how to make the most and if possible also derive some joy out of it.
1. Remember that summer is also mango season – this segment is applicable to you provided you are not one of those people who dislike mangoes or worse, like them but cannot have them owing to some medical condition, real or imaginary. If you do belong to that category please give this section a miss and go on to the next. If you are the kind that can have mangoes and loves them, then this is where you begin savouring the fruit and move on to the next segment.
2. You don’t have to take steps about your body odour – the whole city has it at this time and what with it also being IPL season, wears those yellow T shirts that are stinky even before wearing. So go on, forget your body odour problems and be one with the masses.
3. This is when you can reminisce about past summers and find a ready audience. That is if you are not one of those people who are forever stating that the present summer is the worst in living memory. You can correct them with your superior knowledge and more venerable age by telling them that this is nothing compared to what happened in 1967 or was it 1968?
4. You can cover your envy of people who speak airily about going off to the hills for summer by sneering that all the hill stations have become a byword for poor civic amenities and are full of garbage anyway. You tell them that to you, your air-conditioned room is the best. Better still you tell them that summer is also a season and the heat is to be experienced and not avoided.
5. This is that part of the year when you learn to look positively at the weather that Chennai experiences for the rest of year. You learn to yearn for December of course but even August appears to be a lot better. As for February, what joy the city was that month!
6. In summer Chennai experiences no cyclones and sudden bursts of torrential rain. So you are least likely to be flooded out of your house owing to Chemparampakkam lake bursting its banks. As a converse to this, you are not likely to find much water for bathing. But then you cannot have the best of all worlds can you. Come on sir, this is not New York. Also if you are worried about body odour owing to your inability to bathe, please see point number 2.
7. You get hot water for free from the taps, between 7.00 am and 7.00 pm. That is if you are one of those lucky people who do get water in your taps during summer.
8. You, who as a true blue Madrasi have been taught to dislike Bangalore from birth, suddenly begin to appreciate that city’s weather. This is also when you look down at distant Delhi and take comfort in Chennai’s temperature not quite touching those heights
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