Turn up the heat and chill
The azure skies beckon and the birds call. It's time for Joyee, the winter girl, to tie her long hair up into a refreshing ponytail, change into a flowy dress and head for the countryside. These songs really get into the spirit of summer, in all its bliss and balmy days and nights.
Never Saw Blue, Hayley Westenra (from Odyssey)
My sister liked to say our former home, in Ap Lei Chau, enjoyed the view of 'five skies' - because the blue was divided by towering apartments. It wasn't until I travelled to Perth, in Australia, four summers ago that I experienced what Westenra felt when she sang 'I never saw a blue like that before, across the sky, around the world'.
Both Sides Now, Hayley Westenra
These lyrics from Westenra's cover of Joni Mitchell's song - 'Bows and flows of angel hair/ And ice cream castles in the air/ And feather canyons everywhere' - are how clouds appear to me. But they never stay in the same form for more than a second. When I was a kid, I liked to lie at the bottom of the slide, admiring their shape-shifting magic.
Top of the World, The Carpenters
The stifling humidity may not make hiking the best sport for summer, but the breathtaking scenery makes every drop of sweat worthwhile. Best of all I like the two-hour hike from Discovery Bay to Mui Wo. Standing at a pavilion, located halfway along the hike, you can see as far as Hong Kong Island, Kowloon peninsula and Lamma Island, as if you're 'on the top of the world looking down on creation', with all your worries far behind you.
Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, B.J. Thomas
With the heat comes the rain and typhoons. But that doesn't mean 'my eyes will soon be turning red'. I can snuggle up in bed with my books, listening to my favourite oldies. This way I can enjoy my rest, and get ready for fun in the sun the next day.
Over The Rainbow, Judy Garland
Remember the double rainbow over Victoria Harbour last month? Wasn't it spectacular? Everyone was cast under its spell. I wished upon it, hoping that 'the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true ... and troubles melt like lemon drops away above the chimney tops'.
Hay un Amigo en Mi, The Gipsy Kings
As Buzz Lightyear's memory resets in the final Toy Story movie, he begins tapping his robot toes and singing in Spanish: 'As the years go by, our friendship will never die.' My friends are always there for me! They entertain my crazy requests to climb mountains, and taste my dishes, whether they are successful or not. I'm blessed.
Tea For Two, Doris Day
Sometimes at the weekend, I'll invite my best friend over. We'll switch off our phones so no one can find us. For an afternoon, we'll hide in the kitchen, baking the best sugar cakes in the world and drinking a pot of fruity tea for two. Just us two and nobody else.
Dream in Colour, Bianca Ryan
This upbeat song always fills me with hope and encouragement. We should make the most out of life while we're still young. There is so much I want to discover. I am ready to fly and pursue my dreams. Like Ryan says, 'If I settle for less, I won't be the best I can be'.
Dancing Through Life, from Wicked
I am so in love with Wicked, the musical, that I have to include two of its hit songs in the list. I always dance through summer, swaying and sweeping, to Fiyero's carefree singing. Life cannot be more 'fraught-less' when you're on a junk as 'swankified' as the Ozdust Ballroom.
One Short Day, fromWicked
One short day in Discovery Bay, Cheung Chau, or Tap Mun fills me with as much excitement as a day did for Glinda and Elphabain in Oz's Emerald City. I promise 'I'll be back for good someday/ To make my life and make my way/ But for today I'll wander and enjoy'. I don't want to miss nature-mania!
