Disclaimer: Consider this next article a combination of different thoughts about the weather. 

Are you feeling HOT and irritated these summer days in the Philippines? I’m not irritated by the Hot.

I changed my perspective about “Hot” one fine summer day many years ago. Now I’m no longer irritated by the hot and humid weather of the Philippine summer. I actually like it a lot!

And my perspective changed with the help of a foreigner. Let me tell you the story of how I’ve come to appreciate our summer weather.

“Cold” people Love the “Hot” that many Pinoys do not

Once upon a time, I was working at Smart Communications. I had spent my morning in the comfort of our airconditioned office. When lunchtime approached, I was ready to brave the searing heat of the noontime outdoors.

As I was stepping out of our office building’s lobby, I was observing how fellow-officemates were all “geared up” for the great outdoors: sunglasses, umbrellas,caps,  a shawl held above the head like a tent, light cotton summer wardrobe, the determination seen in their squinted eyes, a half-walk-half-sprint stride to the nearest shade. It was as if people were going out into a war-zone, taking cover in the nearest airconditioned restaurant.

Along comes John Underwood, a 40ish British friend working at Smart. He was dressed in his typical office attire: leather shoes, slacks, a long-sleeved pressed office polo, and a black coat! Yes, a thick black coat!

I watched as John stepped out of the airconditioned lobby and into the steaming “hot-sauna” outside. When he saw me, he smiled, took a deep breath, looked out into the bright mid-day summer sky and exclaimed: “Lovely weather!”

Lovely weather!

Now, I was taken aback with his remark. We chatted and agreed that many urban Filipinos hate the summer heat. And then I realized why John, my Brit friend, enjoyed the weather so much: Because he know what it’s like to have long months of freezing cold winter! 

Many Filipinos hate the hot weather because that’s the most extreme weather we experience in a year. Many Filipinos do not know how terrrrriiiiiibbbbbllllle it could become during winter times in other countries.

Here’s the closest I could get in describing the cold of winter:

Imagine what it would be like to be in a walk-in FREEZER. First, you’d feel a bit cold, then your fingers would feel like rock, your head would start to hurt and you’d get dizzy. You try to warm up by bundling up in layers and layers of clothes if you had any. Anything just to KEEP THE WARMTH IN. See whether you can keep up in this cold for more than a month.

Maybe after experiencing this kind of cold, you’ll start to appreciate the wonderful summer weather of the Philippines.

Is it HOT? 

I’ve been hearing how hot it’s been in the Manila the past month. I don’t feel it.

For one, I stay a lot indoors with airconditioning. Today, though, I was out walking around Makati in mid-day. Was I feeling hot? I was getting sweaty, but I wasn’t feeling the least irritated with the heat.

All because of one experience where I realized I actually prefer to be in the Philippine hot summer instead of the extended cold winter of other countries.

HOT or NOT, SHOW UP for the Lord

I read an article about how most countries that have a winter season are generally more developed. And tropical countries without winter are less developed.

Here’s why:

• In the cold of winter, if you’re lazy, you can die of cold. People in the cold needed to *move* their butts to survive.
• In the tropical countries, if you’re lazy, you can still survive. People in tropical weather can still survive despite being lazy.

The cold of winter force people to work hard. The live-able weather of the tropics allow people to slack off and still survive.

Sometimes we need to talk some sense into ourselves: get up and take action!

There’s no place here for lazy people in the kingdom of God! We are meant to do great things!

Get up and make something wonderful! Live a life that glorifies the Lord!

ka edong
Getting HOT HOT HOT!