A Symbol of Summer?

Anyone who has lived through a Japanese summer will recognize watermelon (suika) as one of its symbols.

Normally, I am not very keen -- they are messy to eat, watery, and full of annoying pips. But when it's really hot, there's almost nothing better to cool one down, aside from a good dose of air-conditioning. Lacking the air-conditioning here, we were pleased to find that a couple of seedlings we picked up at the market were bearing fruit.

Unfortunately, none of the ones we've harvested so far have been that great. They are pale and a bit flavourless. But still a good thirst-quencher on some of the 40??C days we've had...