related
diseases, but an accompanying amnesia about the fact
that, yes, the city really is this hot every year.
Another thing that astronishes
me is the legions of ladies I see wearing not just a
hijab but a full black burqa complete with black face
veil, black gloves, and black socks and shoes. I admire
their spirit: when I want to wear only white chiffon
and eat bon-bons in an air conditioned crypt, submerges
in ice water up to my neck, these ladies are to be found
every where, including walking down the main street
at two o’clock in the afternoon on the hottest
day of the year.
When they are asked about their
motivation, they tell you that: “Hell will be
hotter than this,” so you get to feel doubly damned,
once by the heat and once by the shame of your own immodesty.
Many people take sensible precautions
against the heat, such as covering their heads in direct
sunlight, avoiding exertion in the hottest hours, and
making sure to drink adequate fluids. I follow a tip
given to me by a doctor, who wisely advised me to make
a jug full of ORS in the truly humid months and drink
a glass of it every day.
This keeps you hydrated and your body
full of important salts and electrolytes. (By the way,
do not assume that eating three bags of potato chips
will help you make up the salts you have lost during
the day; you are more likely to end up with high blood
pressure as well as dehydration if you follow potato
chip therapy instead of oral rehydration therapy).
I find, however, that in these months
I am running a sabeel much the same as is run during
Ashura in Muharram, except that I am giving out
|
