Eat and drink
One of the few persons enjoying the sudden spike in the heat in Bengaluru is Sunil Kumar, who manages a couple of outlets selling juices and cold drinks on the bustling outer ring road. “The pleasant weather in the city usually means that I needed to stock on sandwiches and buns to eke out minor profits. This year, the heat wave has ensured that I can rely on my regular stock of juice and milkshakes. Lemon and watermelon are the most popular juices, while in the milkshakes, people prefer mango and banana.” Sipping a bottle of cold grape juice, IT engineer Manav Singh says, “This is the first summer in Bengaluru where I have reduced my intake of solid food. I have grapes and watermelons for breakfast, head to the juice store for a shake at lunch and pack a fruit bowl for dinner, washing it down it some helpings of spiced buttermilk or lassi that I get at a shop near my house. I do not feel like cooking or eating rotis or rice.” Nutritionist Sandhya Pandey has a word of caution, “It is very important to stay hydrated and eat healthy in this weather. Fruits like melons, mangoes and oranges are best for the weather as they are full of water and nutrients. Lychees are also a great source of protein.”
Summer styles
Summer styles are cool, comfortable and yet trendy. Shades are a must to ward off the blazing sun. Preferably go for clearer and dark lenses, and you could try a variety of styles: regular, aviator, cat eye and retro square.
If you want to try out new hairstyles, go for boy cuts and pixie styles. If you want to keep your luscious mane and prefer long hair, then why not tie it up as a tight, high ponytail or wind it tightly in a trendy top knot? Want to be even more conservative? Tie your hair up in a nice French braid or a fish tail? You could also tie your hair in a regular bun and get fringes or tie a feminine side pony.
Cotton is the fabric for this season. Avoid blacks. Wear pastel colours. And you could try flared pants, loose shirts, shorts and khadi kurtas too. Footwear should be as comfortable as possible. Wear flip flops and sandals. Pumps are a good idea too if you want a formal look.
How to keep your pets cool
If this heat is unbearable for you, don’t forget it is even more intolerable for your dogs. But it doesn’t take too much to make it slightly easy for them. Just do these simple things.
It’s the most logical thing to do but a lot of pet lovers don’t follow it. Walk them in the morning before it becomes hot, say around 6 a.m when it is still cool. And in the evening, take them out only after the sunset. A stroll with you post-dinner would work best for them.
Keep them off meat. If you have to then mix it with curd and water. It will also solve the problem of your dog not drinking enough water. Curd rice with soya nuggets is a good option. In any case keep their water bowl filled all the time but don’t forget to change it at regular intervals.
Don’t shave off the coat thinking it will help your pet because it will do just the opposite. Dogs’ coats have several layers which keep them protected from the extremities of weather. But do trim the coat and brush it regularly to allow better air circulation.
Summer playlist
What better way to beat the heat than with some of the hottest tracks this summer. After all, what’s summer without a soundtrack? So pull out your devices, update your playlists, plug in your headphones and tune in to the season’s top sonic pleasures.
‘In The Summertime’ – Mungo Jerry
‘Summer of ‘69’ – Bryan Adams
‘Summertime’ – Billy Stewart
‘Caribbean Blue’ – Enya
‘Summer Love’ – Justin Timberlake
‘Here Comes The Sun’ – The Beatles
‘The Summertime Blues’ – Eddie Cochran
‘You Are My Sunshine’ – Johnny Cash
‘Feeling Hot Hot Hot’ – The Merrymen
‘Summertime is Great’ – Three Beat Slide
‘Hazy, Lazy, Crazy Days of Summer’ – Nat King Cole
‘Summer Rain’ – Cliff Richards
Weather apps
“My weather app shows that the temperature is 40 degree plus, though the weatherman says it is only about 37.8 degree Celsius,” says a college student at a busy intersection in the city. A few years ago, the weather broadcasts on news channels and papers were our only source of any information about the climate. That has changed with a plethora of weather apps claiming to predict real time weather and forecasts available at the click of a button. Sales executive Mohan P. says, “I used to rely on the evening news for my fix of the weather news. Now I check the weather on AccuWeather or the Skymet app before heading to work. My work requires me to travel a lot and these apps ensure that I keep myself hydrated and take precautions. The accuracy often varies by a couple of degrees since most of these apps showcase the “feels like” temperature instead of the actual weather. I think that makes more sense.” Architect Uma Shankar is not very convinced about the accuracy of the apps. “I find it pointless using a weather app to check for forecasts the same way you check your phone for the traffic situation during your daily commute to work. It does not help anyone and most apps are inaccurate. It is not as if weather apps will make it rain on demand, much like getting an Uber cab in rush hour traffic. I believe in the data supplied by the Indian metrological department, even though their in-house app is not great.”
