I just came down from the roof of the Bangkok Post building, where I stood in the sun for about 10 relaxing minutes. The air conditioner here in the Student Weekly office is for some reason permanently set on the "Freezing Arctic Conditions" setting, so when my joints start to seize up and my skin starts turning blue, I like to climb up the fire escape to the roof and thaw out in the sun for a few minutes. Apart from that, I just love standing in the sun.
Now, I realise that many readers will consider me to be certifiably insane for that last statement, but it's true — I love standing in the sun. To feel the sun's warm rays gently tingle and be absorbed by the skin is for me an extremely relaxing and pleasant feeling, especially after spending too long in freezing air-con.
One of the things that surprised me when I first came to Thailand was how scared most locals seemed to be of the sun. It's not unusual to see women in particular use their handbags, arms or umbrellas to shield themselves from any trace of sunlight whenever they have to spend a few minutes walking on a footpath or over a pedestrian bridge. I'm not sure if it's because people have been brainwashed by the ubiquitous advertising of often highly toxic "skin-whitening" products, or whether people genuinely think that a few minutes of sun could give them skin cancer. Maybe it's just because it's usually so hot in Thailand that people like to stay as cool as possible at all times.
The fact is, a little bit of sun is good for you, and in fact as essential to life as water, sleep and food. A bit of sun each day will help you to sleep well and help your body to develop what it needs to fight disease and stay healthy. Of course, you don't want so much that you start to burn — but a few minutes walking in the warm sun each day can do wonders for your health and well-being. It works for me, anyway!
Ben Edwards
Editor
[email protected]
