Celebrating Summer Sizzlers
May 24, 2009
Yes, its summer and the temperatures are slowly but surely rising to reach their usual target of 45°- 50° C. So begins the inevitable season of whining and complaining of how hot it is. Yes, it certainly is hot but, there are still some really wonderful things associated with summer.
Here’s my list of what makes summer bearable (if not great), alhumdullilah:
* Rooms aglow with bright sunshine
* Fresh made iced tea
* Mid-night showers to escape hot water during the day
* Jug of tamarind juice in the fridge all the time
* Neighbourhood fragrant with margosa (neem) blossoms
* Ice lollies after dinner
* Floral dresses
* Accepting wedding invitations
* Preparing pina colada for tea time
* Sight of ripe dates everywhere
* Picking jasminum at night to perfume your bedroom
* Long drives
* ‘Picnics’ in the car
* Finger-drawing on dew-covered windows
* Stenciling your room
* Sensation of entering air-conditioned rooms after spending time outdoors
* Rubbing ice-cubes over the face
* Painting
* Catching-up on reading the books bought during winter
* Learning a new craft or sport
* Watching cat-fights through the window
* Offering cold water to strangers laboring in the Sun
* Completing the unfinished embroidery from last year
* Knowing that hair grows faster in the season
* Learning to make marshmallows
* Watching birds build nests through the window
* Profusion of marigolds
* Collecting flowers for the pressed-dried-flowers project
* Memorizing portions from Quran or new Hadith
* Waiting for winter.
InshaAllah, I intend to not complain about the weather this season.
May 24, 2009 at 6:53 pm
wonderful list of some great oldies and forgotten pleasures. what is tamarind juice? and are ice lollies those delicious looking pops at the top?
peace n abundance
CheyAnne
May 24, 2009 at 10:56 pm
CheyAnne Sexton
Welcome to my blog.
Thank you. I’m glad you liked my list.
Tamarind is the dark brown fleshy pulp from the large seed pods of the tropical tree ‘tamarindus indica’. It is very sour in taste and very high in vitamin C. The pulp (after deseeding)is mixed with sugar and water to make a refreshing tangy drink. It is also used for meat marination and sauces.
Yes, ice lollies are those popsicles in the picture above. They are called ice lollies in this part of the world.
May 25, 2009 at 7:35 am
how wonderful, that makes me thirsty just reading your description.
peace n abundance
CheyAnne
May 25, 2009 at 11:04 am
Thank you for this refreshing list of pleasures. Although our summer experience is a little different from yours, I will also try not moaning about the heat.
May 25, 2009 at 2:01 pm
“* Sensation of entering air-conditioned rooms from outside”..subhanallah thats the best!!
gr8 post mashallah and if i can add one..the pleasure of having the length of day longer..esp when u go out shopping and u can still come back to pray maghrib at home.
wassalamualikum warhmatullah
May 26, 2009 at 3:48 pm
CheyAnne
Hope you get to try it.
Amy-na
You are welcome.
Mufeeda
waalaikumasalaam warahmatullah,
Thank you for adding to the list. Long days to do so much is definitely a plus point of summer season.
May 28, 2009 at 6:31 am
Coming from a tropical country that is summer all year long … I feel blessed to be able to do all those things in your list throughout the year. Except waiting for winter.
May 28, 2009 at 4:47 pm
from what I understand from my honey I have tasted tamarind while we were down in Mexico and its in some candies that he bought while we were there and he’s telling me that a local store that sells alot more mexican style food sells it here and people like to just suck on it cause it has a sweet/sour thing going on. If I can ask, how do you make tea from it? I’ll get some and try it. Ice teas in the summer are soooo refreshing.
peace n abundance
CheyAnne
ps where are you on this planet?
May 31, 2009 at 6:50 pm
* Hajar
Your tropical summer is quite different from the desert summer of the Gulf. Its pretty hard to really enjoy the summer here when you are all clammy & almost breathing through your mouth due to heat and humidity. But i’m trying to be grateful and focus on the positives only. Hence the list. But its undeniable that we all miss winter and long for it to return.
* CheyAnne
I didn’t know that tamarind was also common to Mexican food. In most parts of the world, you will find it in Indian speciality food stores. We dont make ‘tea’ with it. We use it to prepare cold drinks. You can make that by soaking the store-bought tamarind in warm water for a while. Then remove any pits & fibrous threads. Once its has softened in water, it will make a thick paste. Add sugar and a pinch of salt. Add this mix to a jug of cold water. Chill. Stir and serve. Mmmmm
And for a little more zing, use black salt instead of white and add a pinch of cumin powder. Great for digestion as well.
May 31, 2009 at 10:13 pm
LOL! @ * Watching cat-fights through the window
serendipitouslife replies:
“Oh, you’d be surprised but its sooo common during the late spring and early summer. You see, its the mating season for birds and bees. So you will find two male cats fighting (literally) for the attention of the lone female who is watching that drama from under a tree.
And this is only the story of cats. The birds’ nesting stories are even more interesting!”
June 2, 2009 at 6:18 am
I believe so. Our weather here are mostly hot and humid with showers every other day. Over there, I reckon the heat is unbearable and a popsicle won’t be much help. But it is good to know you’re being positive about it.
June 7, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Hajar you’ll have some idea from this:
If i sit with a chocolate bar during the afternoon, i will not be able to relish it till the end as halfway through, it starts to melt into a sauce. The last bar i had, i had to place it back in the fridge for it to regain its form before i could enjoy it again three times! As a result, that one chocolate bar lasted me three days.
Alhumdullilah for the summer, though.
June 8, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Oh, and yummy mango shakes too! I can’t have enough of it
I haven’t tried Tamarind juice though – but I’m sure the Hyderabadi taste buds of Masood will enjoy it. Will try this out soon, InshaAllah.
Great list, Sis. Like you said: Alhumdulillah for summer!
June 9, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I can’t bear the thought of having a tea or coffee through out the summer months in Dubai. The other best thing about summer in UAE is that your laundry takes just about 5 minutes to dry under the sun. But who can think about getting started with the laundry when there is a strawberry sorbet waiting on your kitchen table
June 11, 2009 at 6:16 pm
* Nadia
Yes, how could i forget the all-ubiquitous mango shakes!
For tamarind juice, you can read how its prepared in comment #9 above. InshaAllah you & your husband will love.
* Nabeela
I know the thought of hot tea & coffee during the summer is shokingly obnoxious, but when we are used-to a particular thing, it becomes a routine. I would have my cold-drinks at tea-time, but after that i still feel a craving for my daily cup of coffee. So, despite the heat, i continue to have it. I guess its an age-thing. The older you get, the firmer your habits become and you continue to indulge them despite common-sense.
Having said that, I feel so ancient now!
Enjoy your strawberry sorbet.
June 25, 2009 at 4:54 pm
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