Let it rain!

Cibo's ripe mango shake and panacota garnished with mango

The summer heat is wearing me down. I visited a factory this morning and the whole place felt like an oven. Even with huge industrial fans all over the place, the heat was making everybody drowsy. When I came out of the building, the sun blinded me as I ran to the parking lot…sweating and panting; toasted and parched…I could only wish for the summer to be over! And driving in the middle of the day drives me crazy! I long for a jug of iced cold water. Or make it a pitcher of ripe mango shake!

I’m one of those people who hate to use an umbrella. I’d rather roast under the merciless noon-day sun than walk under an umbrella. But with the current temperature of 35 to 37 degrees Celsius, I began to use an umbrella and sun-block cream and lotion for my face and arms. I hate the sticky feel of sunscreens but it’s the most convenient protection we got from the sun’s UV rays. Thanks to a dermatologist who reminded me that I’m not getting any younger and the sun is unforgiving to the not-so-young skin.

I like my brown skin and I'm not afraid of being exposed to the sun, or getting darker during summertime. But gone were the days when I slept on the beach without a sun-block, and then suffer the pain of sunburn for weeks. I used to laugh at my friends who looked like Geishas when we go to the beach, their faces, arms and legs were covered with white sun-block creams and lotions; with towels covering their heads and faces when they’re exposed to the sun. When I read about skin cancers, I started to take precautions.

About 2 years ago, an American friend was diagnosed with a deadly, rare skin cancer. He’s still struggling with the disease up to this day. Every time I put on the sticky sunscreen on my face, I thought of my friend’s skin cancer. And with the global warming, expect a more intense heat this summer.

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!