Summer Tag

     The temperature is rising, and so too is the humidity, at least here in Hong Kong anyway. This does mean some tropical thunderstorms and typhoons, but overall, the weather is hot, sunny, and humid, and I’m having to get used to being a walking bucket of sweat again for the next couple of months. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with summer, as it’s normally when I travel most, and I like being on the beach or in the ocean, or able to spend some more time outside in general. What I don’t like is being said walking bucket of sweat, nor the bug bites that accompany this weather. So, I thought this would be an appropriate time to answer some summer tag questions.

1. What is the best part of summer time?
The summer is normally when I have holidays, or am between jobs, and is therefore when I do the most travelling; over the past few years I’ve been to anywhere between 4 and 7 countries over the summer months. The weather is also a big selling point, as I love being able to go to the beach and swim in the ocean in the warmer, sunnier weather. I also associate summer with fruity cocktails and ice cream, which are always nice treats!

2. Do you tan or burn?
Both, I typically burn at this time in the summer, as my skin hasn’t seen much sun for the rest of the year, so it will burn the first couple of times I’m out. I do apply suncream of course, but sometimes I miss patches! Later in the summer, after the initial burn and spending some more time in the sun again, the redness usually fades to a tan.

3. Water park or beach?
I like a trip to a water park from time to time, and we would often try to go to one for a day when we were on family holidays as kids, but I definitely spend more time at the beach, and am probably more likely to choose to go there. I don’t like really big rides, or being in chlorine all day, so water parks are an occasional treat, while the beach is where you’ll find me for most of the summer.

4. Being under the AC or going outside?
That’s a tough one, as the sunshine makes me want to make the most of it by being outside, especially if I can laze around sunbathing somewhere. But often after a couple of hours, I’m longing to be back under the AC again, especially just now, when Hong Kong is 30+ degrees with humidity, and I feel disgustingly sweaty after a while!

5. Favourite summer clothing item?
I used to hate them when I was a kid, but now I live in shorts for most of the summer – at least here in Asia, the UK doesn’t get hot enough for me to wear them all the time! Most of mine are denim, in various shades, and they’re the easiest thing to throw on and match to most outfits, and are most practical for sightseeing or hiking or whatever other active things I’m doing. That said, I’m also a fan of summer dresses, as they’re just so pretty and floaty, and I always get the itch to buy a new one or two each year – I’m resisting right now, as I’m trying hard to budget!

6. Favourite current phone app this summer?
I wouldn’t say that there’s any apps I use in particular in the summer, nor any new ones I’ve started using recently. Instagram has long been my favourite, and the brighter weather in summer typically makes my photos look better. I’m often out doing more activities or travelling too, which gives me plenty to post about. I’ve also been using the Booking.com app a lot recently, to search for and reserve hotels for my summer travels, and it’s a handy way to keep track of all my bookings. I especially like the feature for showing the hotel address in the local language!

7. Is summer your favourite season?
Probably not. There’s certainly things I enjoy about it, but I can’t stand being too hot. When I’m sweaty and sticky and boiling, I just get grumpy and short-tempered (especially noticeable at my current job surrounded by little kids!) and want to get inside and out of the heat more often than not. I’m typically more of an indoor person anyway too. Summer makes a nice change at first, but I’m usually more than ready for autumn to roll around when it does.

8. What do you do in the summer that you may not do in any other season?
Go to the beach! I can’t do this much in the UK anyway, but I go far more often during the summer here in Hong Kong (when there isn’t a typhoon anyway). And since I travel more in the summer too, I can often get to the beach during my travels too. I also get a little more relaxed about aspects of my appearance in summer, wearing less makeup since I sweat it off anyway, and wearing simpler, relaxed outfits, since there’s no need for layering, nor do I wear as much jewellery.

9. Favourite summer activity?
Does travelling count? Because I certainly do plenty of that, along with sightseeing, photography, and trying new activities along the way. Otherwise, probably swimming, as all my beach trips normally involve a dip in the ocean. Activities like hiking, boat trips or summer picnics are all fun when I get the chance too, but I don’t always do them as often.

10. Favourite lip product for summer?
None? I don’t know why this happened to be the last question on this particular tag I found. I never do much with my lips, as I only own a couple of lipstick colours for special occasions – I never wear any day-to-day – and I typically use chapsticks or similar things more in the winter, when my lips get dry in the cold.