Beat the Heat

For all those who’ve ranted,cribbed and cried about “how boring the summer is”,here’s a ready reckoner on the fun things to do from those living on the merry side of life. Rattan and his friends have made their ‘Sunday Breakfast Date’ a regular feature when they return home. Students of political science and art history at the City University New York,respectively,they tell us,“We discovered Backpackers last summer and came here every Sunday after our swim. We sit here for hours…eating,drinking and laughing.” And all of them have their favourite set of dishes here! Elsewhere,Professor at the English Department,Panjab University,Manju Jaidka keeps herself busy with her group of old friends from college. Having organised a few reunions with the 1974 batch,she now recommends others start it as well. “It feels good to meet up with old classmates,pull each others leg and catch up on the years spent apart,” Jaidka tells us they have also made a blog ‘Pu-chandigarh1974.blogspot.com’ that keeps the members updated.

But then summer isn’t only about socializing,you can pack your day with various courses to learn new skills. Ridhima of Sector 48 holds classes for Reiki,crystal ball gazing,numerology,tarot reading and crystal healing. If the occult isn’t your cup of tea,open any ‘Classifieds Section’ and there are several language and craft courses to choose from that will keep your creative side buzzing. Don’t have time for regular classes? Take a cue from businessman and photographer Kunal Sahni who suggests you pick up your camera or camcorder and start shooting. “You don’t need any kind of formal training. If you take enough photos,you can get at least 10 that will be worth looking at,” Kunal shows us his website web.me.com/kunalsahni/Fun_ With_Camera_by_Kunal/Home.html and tells us that the best bit is that you can send them for competitions on the Internet and win some money as well.

Living in a city and knowing the A to Z of it is absolute fun and if the summer is creeping along at snail speed,what better thing to do than to explore the city. An ex-tourism officer and founder of Travel Agency Pack Travels Anoop Singh suggests that you take a guided tour of the city. “The undulating parks of the city help cut off from the hustle-bustle of the city. The Museum,Secretariat,War Memorial,Rock Garden and The Hop-on-hop-off bus are also on the list of ‘must visit places’ for every resident,” Singh says that on top of his list is the Rose Garden,Sector 16,and the Cacti Garden in Pinjore. If you’re still searching for alternatives,just search online for options. The list is endless. We can’t wait to get started!