There's an old song that says that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun. I haven't seen any dogs mad enough to go out in the heat of the day. Most dogs like to find a shady spot of some sort and dig in for a few hours during the hottest part of the day. As do I.
My son, on the other hand, would go trouncing off at full speed ahead out into the sunniest weather, pouring with sweat from head to toe. It didn't seem to bother him. He didn't even wear sunglasses. (He's back in the cold north now, suffering from the freezing summer weather over in Canada.)
My friend who recently returned to her home in Finland was caught wearing a sweater there on a "hot" summer day, much to the amusement of her friends. Now that she's back in Malaysia, she appreciates the cool days here. Ah, the human body. It's always searching for that perfect temperature that it will never find.
So, how does one remain relatively comfortable - or at least survive - in the searing warmth of SE Asia?
I began to carry an umbrella a few years back. It's like carrying your very own piece of shade. They have them coated in silver, which is supposed to keep down the ultraviolet rays. Though, I sincerely doubt that. I bought one anyway. It has a somewhat psychological effect.
The thing about carrying an umbrella is that, well, you have to carry an umbrella. Your arm has to be out there, carrying something extra. That's a little more effort exerted and possible another cause for perspiration.
Still, I discovered a few advantages that the umbrella has to offer. Besides keeping the inferno off the top of your scalp, the lovely tool can be implemented to shade your face, not from the sun, but from passers-by. And, what a comfort that can be. Rather than suffering the staring eyes of ne'er-do-wells, scallywags and nosey-parkers, one can tilt the umbrella slightly on an angle of roughly 45 degrees and completely blot of one's entire face!
How's that for an advantage?
Perhaps you haven't walked along the side of a highway in Malaysia or down a main street; in which case, you wouldn't be able to appreciate avoiding the good old Malaysian stare. Actually, it's more like a gawk. At times, it's a gawk, followed by a shout, followed by laughter. It's all good - if you're in the mood. But, if you don't feel like being teased, yelled at, stared at or otherwise annoyed, pulling that umbrella down does wonders.
One can anticipate yards ahead when a tormenter is approaching and put the blockage into motion. It's as easy as that.
Umbrellas also offer shelter from sudden rain.
Here's a favourite of mine: to be used as a weapon. What dog (or man, for that matter) dares approach an umbrella-wielding woman? Mine has a four-inch point on the end, for goodness sakes. Be ware. I don't hesitate to use it.
Speaking of heat, what do we do about the sun? Do we slather on mounds of sunscreen?
Maybe you do. I sure don't. Not when I've heard so much about the downside of sunscreen. My replacement for sunscreen is coconut oil. Of course, the best kind is organic baby coconut oil. But, one should try to only get ten to fifteen minutes of direct sunlight per day. That will ensure your vitamin D requirements are being obtained. And, we all know the importance of vitamin D, especially D3.
When you first arrive in the tropics, ease into it. If you're from a cooler clime, it may take time to adjust. If you're staying for a long time, allow a month for your blood to thin and remember, after a month, you'll be feeling much more at home.
If you like to lay on your stomach in the sun, don't forget to protect the soles of your feet. Ever had a sunburn on the bottom of your feet? It makes walking very uncomfortable!
Drink water all the time. That's important, so I'll say it again. Drink water all the time. Whether you're thirsty or not, you need water. And, I don't mean beer. If you're drinking alcohol, drink twice as much water as alcohol. But, you know that, right?
Here, in Malaysia, we have barley water. It's supposed to cool off the heaty. If you're heaty, you can also drink this black jelly drink that's supposed to cool down the blood.
Of course, you'll want to shower - lots. Prickley heat powder is an option for those inclosed areas of the body. It can be found in Walgreen's or most pharmacies. Otherwise, corn starch is more natural and doesn't present a problem for the lungs.
Clothing? Wear 100% cotton clothing when possible. Your underwear especially needs to be cotton. Check the tags.
You may want to change your schedule so that the outdoor activities in your day will take place early in the morning or after sunset.
If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. In other words, don't cook at home. Eat out. It's cheap.
Put a fan in the bathroom. You'll probably need an extension cord because most bathrooms don't have outlets. If you use a fan in the kitchen, don't point it towards the stove jets. Most stoves here run on gas.
Wet wipes or handi-wipes or baby wipes, whatever you want to call them, are great to put in your purse, or your wife's purse, or your girlfriend's purse. - Or your backpack.
At most restaurants, you'll find a sink where you're welcome to wash your hands. If you're lucky, there will also be a soap dispenser there. And even a mirror. Although, the mirror will most-likely be cracked and smeared.
So, my advice is to stay out of the sun when possible. Stay inside during the hot part of the day. Ok, the day is all hot. Maybe you can't tell the difference, yet. But, when your blood thins out, in about a month, you will. You'll say to yourself,
"What's going on? I'm not sweating."
When that happens, look at your watch. It's probably either before 9 am or after 7 pm. And that's why they say, "Mad dogs and English men go out in the noon-day sun." Take my word for it, it's not the mad dogs that go out.
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