Sooda Enna Irukku?

Madras is hot. No metaphorical reference here. In fact, it has only been hot for the twenty three years that I have lived in the city. If amma, appa and thata are to be believed it was hot before that as well.

We could never use an air cooler here, because that thing doesn’t work in the humid climate and we never bought an AC either.

The reason for not buying an AC was not to do with affordability. We could have managed to rustle up funds for an one tonne AC for sure. A non Korean brand even, I should think. But we consciously chose not to. Mainly for two reasons:

1) We were sleeping for seven hours every night without air-conditioning in our homes. Any more sleep could lead to, too much of fat accumulation. T Anna is anyway two tiered.

2)We didn’t want to get used to an AC. Once used to it, all our life choices would be determined by it. On how we travel (only AC train for Madras to Nellai), only AC restaurants (where the same dosai is charged at a few rupees more and tastes only half as good), visit only AC stores (groceries from the ultra stale Spencer's Daily and veggies from Whatizname Ambani’s Reliance Fresh) and also marry only those people who can afford an AC Kalyana Mandapam. Or when you house hunt, look for rectangle holes in every room to stuff your AC into.

Essentially it is a very non Tamizh thing to do.

The heat is manageable as long as everyone around you does not keep reminding you about it and saying the most idiotic things:
a) Isn’t it REALLLLLLY hot today?
b) It is definitely hotter today
c) Today must be the hottest day of the season
d) The monsoons have hit Kerala and poor us still suffering
e) If only it were not so hot

I am very tired of these people. Worst is that, the only place North of Madras they may have traveled to is, Tondiarpet. I demand that they impose additional tax on people such as this. With the money raised they ought to procure large number of solar cookers and distribute them to all households. The gas saved can be used in lieu of fuel for cars and autos. A serious global problem can be solved. The environment will also breathe easily.

All because of Tamizhland.