Volume 1, Issue No. 49
OPINION/COMMENTARY
/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /
. . . . . A community service of The Filipino Web Channel (TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail. com) and the Philippine Village Voice (PhilVoiceNews@gmail.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . .
Our latest as of Saturday, June 20, 2020
~ The "longest day and the shortest night" of the year seems to be fated not to be enjoyed this year, no thanks to the coronavirus pandemic that continues to upend our lives. It's officially summer today and with it comes the official warning of a heatwave during the weekend.
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THE LONGEST DAY AND THE SHORTEST NIGHT
The 2020 Summer of the Pandemic
By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ
Editor, The Filipino Web Channel
Summer's splendor by the sea,
a gentle, blue serenity.
Caressing rays of golden sun,
blushing, bronzing all who come . . .
TORONTO - Waking up thirsty as the early orange glow of the sun peers through grey skies, I knew summer is here. There is no mistaking its arrival.
I knew that from a marked change in temperature. I knew from the music of chirping birds. I knew from butterflies sipping the nectar of flowers in the backyard.
I knew from the burst of green - food and ornamental vegetation - around the neighbourhood. I knew from unshut windows letting the breeze in. I knew from having a temporary bout with allergy from pollens.
Today, Saturday, June 20, 2020, is the start of "the longest day and the shortest night" - the summer solstice basically, in this part of the northern hemisphere. It comes officially at 5:44 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Goodbye Spring, welcome Summer!
And how energetically it comes . . . with a bang that announces itself - a heat warning during the weekend in Toronto, with forecasts of daytime maximum temperatures of 31°C or warmer, together with minimum nighttime temperatures of 20°C or warmer.
"Extreme heat," says the warning, "is associated with negative health impacts ranging from heat stress to heat stroke and death. During periods of hot weather, the safety of all residents is the priority".
Well, that confirms in no unmistakable terms that summer is here.
Summer is celebrated in songs, poetry, movies, books, in almost every aspect of human endeavor. In our Filipino community, it is that particular time to revel in concerts, street festivals, parades, family reunions, and other activities that promote fellowship. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1cIFfkpnQI).
"Summertime / And the livin' is easy / Fish are jumpin' / And the cotton is high . . . " Remember that George Gershwin song "Summertime" popularized by Ella Fitzgerald? Or the hit song "The Girl from Ipanema" by Astrud Gilberto? These two are among the greatest summer songs. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAsU2jxTFbw).
However, it's quite inauspicious that this year, we cannot celebrate the fullness of this season, as we all used to, because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liYW6EgxXu8).
We have three months to September 22 to enjoy ourselves in indoor and outdoor activities but for the cautious observance of health and safety protocols that come with the "new normal".
That means following physical distancing, self-isolation, quarantine, and a strict regimen of frequent washing of hands with soap and wearing masks (now mandatory in some countries) and other face coverings.
Prior to the novel coronavirus and the disease (COVID-19) it causes, life was easy, at least in this part of Canada; that's Toronto, where we live and work. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOR7AcJ-ASk).
I had a full appreciation of the four seasons when I moved to North America more than two decades ago. Previously, my understanding was limited to what I grew up with - the rainy (May to October) and the dry (November to April) seasons in the Philippines.
In the provinces, the townsfolks knew better. They live their lives according to the four seasons of the tropics. There's tag-lamig, tag-init, tag-sibol and tag-lagas, which basically means the same thing - winter, summer, spring and autumn.
Farmers knew when to plant and when to harvest, and the in-between times spent on other family and community activities such as town fiestas.
The pandemic does not mean the end of summer. We could still enjoy it in the safety and comfort of our homes and in the little patches of greenery in our yards. Writes Destinee: "The grass so green / the sun so bright. / Life seems a dream, / no worries in sight . . . " (Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved).
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