Season changes are so abrupt and dramatic here in Botswana that people’s bodies do not go through a gradual transition but rather an uncomfortable, abrupt experience.
One can go to work in a turtle neck one day and swap it for a halter top the very next day. So spring, the period between summer and winter, is very short and goes unnoticed by many.
In as much as it feels good to have the fresh air and warm sun hit one’s bare skin during the warm summer days and night, complications are still a risk.
Many have argued that winter is better than summer because when it’s cold one can dress up and ultimately get warm but with summer, even if one can walk in the nude if it is hot, it is hot and will not get any warmer without the use of external cooling devices.
A few weeks ago a couple of flies were spotted on one lady’s ceiling and were welcomed with squeals of delight indicating that indeed hot days are here again. This however will be an extremely short lived bliss once the rest of the hundreds and thousands of flies join the party alongside the rats, lizards, fungal infections and all the other disgusting insects and rodents which had been hibernating during the colder season.
A fully fledged summer’s night would however be incomplete without that small yet most annoying of pests: the mosquito.
Very soon, mosquito nets will appear and repellents will be the in thing for many in the never-ending war against mosquito bites and malaria continues.
Whilst we welcome summer with all its glory, in some instances it has become a tad bit gory.
The BO (body odour) of some people is just not conducive for the hot summer sun and interacting with people who are not fans of deodorant has proven to be one of the reasons why summer can be painful.
It is also during this season that cough syrups and flu medications are swapped for sunscreen and anti fungal creams.
We love the warmth but if one goes unprotected in the sun, they will get either sun burnt or a nasty heat rash, with the worst case scenario being skin cancer.
With the right amounts of sun balanced with rains, summer is the most beautiful season.
Trees flourish, rivers flow and animals come out to play. Just take the necessary precautions to minimise whatever could go wrong this coming summer.
