Thursday, April 28, 2005

Eh-hum # 60

Weather-Weather Lang Iyan

Monday and Tuesday: I was miserably coughing and sniffing my way inside the house and kubo, braving the tremendous heat the month of April just had to offer. Staying in my parent’s room (where air-conditioning reigns supreme) did not seem to help, as everyone in the family keeps complaining. The sudden change in body temperature, I believe, was the main reason I got sick in the first place. For almost a week (last week), I was drenched by my own sweat (not pretty, I know) and then getting blasted by cold wind from the air-conditioner. After some bed rest and water, water, water, I’m able to attend work. However, I’m still a little “deaf”, I couldn’t smell a thing (has its advantages) and my taste buds are still “confused” (no effect on my appetite; not even a tiny bit). Aside from getting sick, the weather also lowers my chances of achieving what I call the “Ken” hairstyle (you know, Ken of Meteor Garden). The weather isn’t hair-friendly, so I may end up going to the salon for a hair cut.

This morning, I read in the news that May will be an even more scorching than April, with temperatures up to 36-37 degrees centigrade. Could the Philippines get any more humid?! Suddenly, I am looking forward to June’s rain showers and thunder storms (not the floods, of course). On the lighter side, I think women are more equipped during this hot season since most of us have “kikay kits” that helps us to “freshen up” and eventually conceal any traces of discomfort due to commuting (mine hardly qualifies as kikay, since it lacks anything related to cosmetics). Plus, we can wear skirts for ventilation (last time I wore a skirt was college; uniform).

Since we are on the subject of uncomfortable weather conditions, we all have heard this phenomenon called the greenhouse effect (low oxygen, high carbon dioxide), which also adds up to the heat. It is said to be caused by having less trees and more air pollution. This is bad news, thus giving a new meaning to the expression “out of breath”. Furthermore, certain pollutants can cause the depletion of the ozone layer, which is even more bad news. While the planet may burn like hell, exposure to the sun will cause the polar ice caps to melt. This in turn will create massive floods, possibly swallowing several islands and even whole countries. The future will be bleak if we don’t work to preserve our environment or dispose of our wastes properly. If not, we will have to deal with temperatures beyond 37 degrees centigrade.

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