Burning Sun

About thirty years ago, health officials informed us to avoid sun exposure between 10am to 3pm. They said that the damaging ultraviolet rays were at their strongest during this period.

Given the advancement of biology and the worsening state of global warming, it’s surprising to see that the same old recommendation still stands.

It Burns

Today, I decided to walk the last kilometer or so to the office. Traffic was so bad from the bus station to the office that it was faster for me to walk instead of taking a tricycle.

During my trek, the one thing that bothered me was the heat of the eight o’clock sun. Contrary to what health officials say, the sun’s rays burned this early in the morning. It was so bad that the people my office seriously asked if I had gone the beach over the weekend.

Living in the tropics does have it high points. People in cold climates value the constant warmth of places like the Philippines. Even with rain, the country is comfortably warmer than those away from the equator.

This weather, coupled with 7,107 islands during low tide, is ideal to hit the beach. This is the reason why places like Boracay, El Nido, and Bohol Beach Club are popular destinations for local and foreign tourists.

But as in life, too much of a good thing is bad. And too much sun can lead to a string of diseases, with skin cancer topping the list.

In my case, I now carry an umbrella to work. I know that it does seem strange to see a guy wielding one without any rain, but I’d rather look weird now than look pitiful later because of cancer.

Cultural Thing

Perhaps its cultural thing to carry umbrellas; in the Philippines, it’s mostly the women who can be found regularly using them.

When I visited the United States years ago, my mother decided to pack several compact umbrellas. She didn’t tell my father, knowing he’d scoff at the idea so she made sure it was tucked in to the deepest recesses of our bags.

When we got to California, sure enough, my father started berating her when he found out. He accused her of making the family look like a bunch of funny looking tourists. Throughout his tirade, she just kept the peace, knowing her time would come.

And come it did. She would be proven right in, of all places, an amusement park.

Knowing that lines to the rides would be long, we made sure to leave early. Knowing my father would be angry if caught, my mother hid a couple of umbrellas in her bag as we slathered sun block over our faces before leaving.

It was close to nine o’clock when we finally got to our destination. But then the California sun burned hotter than noon day sun in the Philippines. Perhaps it was due to the absence of clouds or lack of humidity, but the result was that the sun felt like we were under a large magnifying glass.

After a few minutes in line, I could see that my father started to feel uncomfortable under the heat. Not wanting to look like a “tourist”, he pretended it didn’t bother him, just like the locals.

Well, when my mother arrived returned from the rest room, she didn’t waste any time baking under the burning sun. She whipped out her umbrella and confidently stood under its shade, while still in line.

My father was angry, but stayed silent. He gave her enough dagger looks to put down an entire battalion of marines. But my mother stood her ground. Comfortably, I may add, under the shade of her umbrella.

After a few seconds, a second person down the line opened her umbrella. Then a third one up front, opened hers. This stunned my father and made him realize that we were not the only ones that stuck out like sore thumbs. Even some of the locals had the same idea; they were just too shy to start it.

With the opening of the third umbrella, my sisters decided it was safe to open theirs. And with the flick of a finger, the line was bathed in a rainbow of color.

Being a guy, I took my cues from my father. And as our eyes met, I saw a sense of defeat before he grudgingly slid under the shade of my mother’s umbrella. With that, I too stepped closer to my sisters, who relishing my mother’s victory over the sun and my father’s impractical application of form before function.

We still talk about that incident during family gatherings. And as our small family grows with every addition, the story is recounted over and over again. The funny thing is that when my father tells the story, it’s very different from what really transpired.

When that happens, us kids all look and my mother, who gives us a subtle wink and smile. As far as she is concerned, she won already and isn’t bothered by letting my father enjoy the moment.

Well, I’m glad to say I’m not as stubborn as my father when it comes to the sun so I carry a compact umbrella with me wherever I go now.

And though my family hasn’t been traveling for the past five years or so, when we do go out again, I will be the first to remind them to make sure to pack umbrellas. After all, one never knows when one will line up under the burning sun again.