But it’s cold in Lake Chabot, which makes the surroundings appear gloomy. I expected the sun, but not the gloom. I was close to shivering when i realized I didn’t bring a sweater.Good thing Amarind always brings one, even when the sun is high. He said the weather in the Bay Area is fickle. Now I know exactly what he meant.

In the tropics, I wouldn’t be caught sitting under the sun. I’ve never ever seen anyone willingly sit under the sun. We do everything so we’re not exposed to the heat: we use umbrella as our portable shade, wear scarves and wide-brimmed hats, or stay at the mall until dusk. People don’t like the sun. In fact, when I was in grade school, my teacher made those stubborn students — those who didn’t do their homework and didn’t listen to the lecture — stand under the sun and, if they’ve been stubborn the nth time around, kneel on mung beans under the lunch time heat and endure the pain. I dreaded that punishment so I tried my hardest to always be first in class.

Now, two decade later, I bask under the sunshine especially when it gets colder. I love it: it’s like having your own heater system outdoors minus the bill.