Twentytwo13

Summer is back, thank heavens for A/C

Washington Monument

It is officially summer in Washington DC.

A season also known as ‘nobody goes to the gym anymore and all they do is spend their time outdoors boozing or sitting on a patch of grass outside with the sun shining on them’.

This is when kids get off school and traffic is somewhat bearable. It is also the peak tourist season in the nation’s capital.

Summer trips abound and students from all over the country (maybe even all over the world) come to see the amazing monuments, historic landmarks and international cuisine that Washington DC has to offer.

As a person from the tropics, all I want is to remain indoors.

Thirty years growing up in Malaysia has taught me that warm weather is overrated. The sweat and the mosquitoes are my biggest enemies. Let’s not forget the hordes of people overwhelming every sidewalk and restaurant.

People forget DC is built on a swamp by the meeting of two rivers – the Potomac and the Anacostia – a phenomenon known as a confluence.

You may be more familiar with the Malay word for confluence – kuala – while swamp is paya. Washington DC is essentially Kuala Paya.

So imagine an outdoor Mid Valley mall on weekends spanning across 30 square blocks, then add mosquitoes and gnats.

Summer will be taken up a notch when Independence Day rolls in on July 4. Mark by fireworks and celebrating one’s American pride and freedom.

Then Labour Day on Sept 2 will mark the last of the outdoor barbecuing parties and the long daylight days in the northern hemisphere.

It is not a holiday without sales season so people enjoying their sunshine are pretty much staring at their phones doing some online shopping, meme-ing and sharing of selfies.

Families will go on vacation to some fun European country if they’re lucky. Otherwise, most are stuck bringing their kids to their workplace.

Fall is going to happen before we know it. The hot, humid weather will soon give way to a cooler breeze and cloudier skies.

I will happily say goodbye to summer and welcome the cold weather with open arms. For when it is cold, you can always wear thermal clothes. However, when it is hot, you cannot walk around naked. That is against the law.

This is what American summers are all about. Thank heavens for A/C.