Voices

Sizzling ideas to help beat the heat

By Todd Balazovic (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-23 08:13

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, crack up the air conditioner, break out some ice and cool the beers. The great Beijing bake has begun.

During Beijing's extremely cold winters I found myself shivering in my ill-insulated apartment longing for summertime heat. I seem to forget just how treacherous this extreme heat can be.

Just last week, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued a warning for the northern areas of China, including Beijing, saying that temperatures were at risk of shooting up to 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit).

Thankfully, the forecast was well off the mark, but the heat is on. At that peak temperature, Beijingers could fry the Jianbing (pancake) street food on the hoods of their black Audis.

While some of the least life-threatening side effects of heat include laziness, unwillingness to go outdoors and the occasional rise in temper to match the temperature, there are potentially deadly effects for those who don't take precautions.

Like most soccer fans, I've used the World Cup as an excuse to plop down, soak up the rays of sun, down a pint and revel in a good match.

But at the center of the NMC's message on Sunday was a warning to people who are doing just that - outside activities can lead to dehydration and sunstroke.

Though overexposure to heat is potentially lethal, it is not the only concern.

Air conditioner-addicted heat avoiders should keep in mind that too much of a good thing does exist.

Blasting the air conditioners at subarctic levels can be just as hazardous to your health as sitting out in the sun, resulting in cold-like symptoms that leave you stuffed up and sniffling.

To put it simply, some people are simply too cool for their own good.

While the heat should be taken with an air of caution, it also brings out some of the best characteristics of this city.

Among the most amusing are Beijing's notorious "belly radiators". We've all seen these men who choose to lose a few extra degrees by lifting their shirts to collect whatever breeze is available via air-to-stomach osmosis. The bigger the beer belly the better.

But perhaps even more entertaining is stepping on to the Sanlitun bar street after 11pm on a weekend to observe expats filling the street donning whatever they think will catch the attention of the opposite sex while simultaneously escaping the heat.

I am not quite certain a sombrero matched with pink manpris (capri pants for men) will impress that special someone, but it will certainly catch their eye.

With this heat fresh on my mind, I can't help but recall the delightful days sitting in my ill-insulated apartment in the midst of winter. All I had to do to escape cold was to throw on some extra layers of clothing.