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COVER STORY: It’s summer time again
Before saying farewell to winter the first thing that comes to a person’s mind is to be prepared for the scorching summers of Pakistan. After a very pleasant winter, the summer’s shining sun is ready for us and awaiting us with arms wide open.
Life becomes difficult in such warm weather. People who stay in air-conditioned rooms throughout the day are an exception, but for those without it life is a misery. If you read the newspaper regularly you get to know about people fainting, even dying, due to the extreme heat. But even then no one can stop the summer sun from shining brightly. Summer brings with it fears and pleasures at the same time. However, we can take some precautions to save ourselves from the heat, and enjoy the goodness of things peculiar to this season.
Complexion fears
Summers are the worst nightmare for those who are obsessed with their complexion. After all who doesn’t want to look smart and nice. We usually get to hear people (mostly girls) saying “nahin mein bahir nahin ja rahi, dhoop hai rang kala ho jaai ga” (I am not going out, the sun will affect my complexion).
Going out in the scorching heat without applying sun block is sure to affect your skin adversely as the sun beams will directly strike your face which will cause severe problems.
If you are worried about your complexion and desperately want to save yourself from sunburns then it is necessary to use sun block whenever you go out as it obstructs the sunbeams from directly striking your skin thus preventing it from sunburns. So, remember, never go out without wearing sun block.
One thing is for sure, the cosmetics people must be earning heaps of money during the summers.
Mangoes and summer
Mangoes and summers go side by side. I believe summer without mangoes is no summer at all. Even though it is so hot, it is fun to treat yourself to this fruit. You can do this in so many ways: you can chill them and eat them plain or you can have it with ice cream; you can even make mango ice cream and mango shake. You can arrange a mango party for your friends and cousins, too. Taking mangoes in an ice box to the beach is a good idea. You can enjoy the mangoes and the water at the same time.
But don’t litter the beach; collect the refuse in a plastic bag and dispose it off properly.
Water and other drinks
Water is the basic necessity of all living beings, but its importance increases during summers. Proper use of water can prevent us from harmful effects of the heat. For that, daily showers and a lot of water to drink are recommended.
Fresh juices and other beverages like the juice of almonds and lassi, etc. are good to beat the heat. During summers the human body loses a lot of water in the form of sweat, to maintain this loss, liquid intake is extremely important.
As at times water does not work, so by the end of the day we end up emptying our pockets by buying two to three soft drinks and juices daily. Now we cannot allow ourselves to die from thirst just for the sake of some money.
What to wear
For God sake don’t wear heavy embroidered outfits, made of thick material in dark shades. We all know that dark colours are heat conductors while lighter ones are heat insulators. So prefer to wear light colours and thin fabric, rather than dark colours and thick material. Obviously you don’t intend to set yourself on fire this summer.
Hair style
Don’t keep really long hair and if you do have long hair and don’t want to cut them then tie them up. There’s a wide variety of accessories available in the market to choose from for this purpose. Wash your hair regularly as too much heat and sweat damages the hair.
Going out
It is dangerous to go out in such hot weather. Doctors advise people not to leave their homes during the day without covering their heads. So watch out next time!
Leave your house mostly in the evening or nighttime when it is cooler. Because you will only enjoy yourself if the weather is good. There is no harm in attending parties and going to weddings in summer but you should take care of your health, too.
Places to go
Planning a vacation, opt for cooler places like Murree, Ziarat, and Swat, etc. You are sure to have a great time there specially during the raging summer months of June and July, when you have your vacations too. Don’t forget to try out Bhurban and Patriata. It seems slightly unusual to experience such pleasant weather in a season as hot as this in the rest of the country. The only way to avoid the summer heat is to spend some time at these resorts.
If you are not going out of the city for vacations you can make use of your time by joining a summer camp. Besides this, you can take up various classes to make good use of your time. You’ll have ample opportunity to learn various skills such as computers, painting (including fabric and glass painting), learn various languages, or pick up some sports. Or you can spend the time at home reading, writing, playing games, surfing the net and helping your mom around the house.
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