There I was, inside a small room, oblivious to all the din outside. While my students concentrated on getting their answers right, I concentrated on them. From the corner of my eye, I could see people moving to and fro, the wash basin being the centre of all attraction, yesterday. When the crowd there became unusually large for a ‘normal’ day, I opened the door and stepped out. Faces were washed a dozen times at least.
I didn’t need to utter a word. The hot air slapping my face was an answer enough for me. It was burning outside, the temperature on the uncomfortable side of the 40-degree mark. It was May and it was cruel. As my husband and I made our way back home, the hot air refused to give us any concession. It slapped our faces hard, making our eyes water and make our skin feel like crawling out of our bodies.
After a long, long day, all we wanted to do was to hit the sack and snooze off till work beckoned us early in the morning. But then, life has other sly plans. Within about an hour, the fan stopped whirring, an instant heat wave enveloping my body. I turned and tossed around, the mosquitoes now beginning to generously donate an acupuncture session to me, while humming a nice tune inside my eardrums.
Yesterday was one of the hottest days that Hyderabad has experienced. At 43 degrees, I won’t dare to call it hot. It was flaming. 31 people succumbed to this heat. I am not surprised, I felt it, taking over my body and frying me to death almost. I felt like I was in a furnace, my body unable to understand why it was being subject to this torture. Food looked like fire, the digestive system getting repelled by the mere sight. The heatwave is expected to have a prolonged stay here in Andhra and Telangana.
So then, we can’t really change the way mother Nature functions, but we can have plans to beat the heat.
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Food
Drink lots of fluids. One side effect of a heatwave is dehydration.
Avoid street food like a disease. The sweat and flies together will make your tummy quite unhappy.
Eat food that cool you down. Like our very own curd rice. Cucumber, watermelon and juices (preferably home-made) also work like a charm.
Salads are easy to digest and healthy
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Clothing
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Steer clear of the dark colours. They make you feel hot.
Wear loose clothes. You would like to give the body hugging dresses a miss.
Polyesters, satins and silks might be fancy, but they’ll irritate your skin. Opt for natural, light fabrics.
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When outdoors
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It’s best to avoid stepping out at least from 12 noon to 4 pm, but if your daily bread makes you do that, here are some tips for you.
Never leave without applying sunscreen lotion.
Carry an umbrella
Wear covered shoes
Carry a bottle of water and a packet of glucose powder
Cover your head
Wear your sunglasses