SINGAPORE: As a child in the late 70s, one of my favourite sounds was the tink-tink melody of raindrops hitting the corrugated zinc roof of my kampung house. What started as scattered plinks would soon become a full-blown orchestra of a raging storm, slamming against the roof.
Sometimes it would rain so hard, a gentle mist would sneak in from the grilles between the rafters and the walls. While it worked wonders for sleep at night, that zinc roof was no friend during the day, especially when it was hot.
On blistering afternoons, our kampung house became an oven. Back then, our only cooling solution was an ancient metal standing fan, which only served to circulate hot air.
When it got excruciatingly hot, my cousins and I would either head outdoors, under the shade of our giant rambutan tree, or lie topless on the cement kitchen floor.
This all seems like a lifetime ago. Today, people would just switch on the air-conditioner. But should the air-con remote be the first thing we reach for on hot days?