Friday, September 28, 2012

Rain Rain Go Away


It's the tail end of rainy season, but instead of tapering off, it still rains consistently. I'm so tired of the rains, especially when it hampers my commute to the office. I loved rainy season in village because the rains meant that I could hide in my hut with a book and a cup of tea- a glorious way to spend a few hours. I shouldn't complain too much about the rains because adequate rain fall is essential for the crops and due to lack of rain last growing season, the yield was less that sufficient. At the same time, I'm so over rainy days and trekking through streams and mud (thank goodness I brought my rain boots here: at least I won't get creeping eruption).

Now that I've moved north east, I can't predict the rains as accurately as I used to. In village, I was able to see a storm brewing and being swept in from the southeast. Here, we're at a weird point, where air currents aren't the same and storms seem to appear out of nowhere or telltale signs yield no rain. I get so confused and can't plan accordingly. Sigh.

As a result of the rain, streams and rivers appear all over Velingara. The rain erodes the roads to the point that I've been calf deep in water. I love being in Velingara, but rainy season makes it difficult to navigate and it makes me want to stay in the comfort of my apartment. However, on the plus side, rain packs down the sand, which makes biking a lot easier. There are fewer pockets of deep sand (remember my old enemy) to hinder my progress.

Rainy season is also the season of mildew, mosquitoes, and skin infections. The damp environment is ideal for things to grow (disgusting). When I came back to Velingara from home leave, I found a certain mildew-y smell permeating my entire apartment. It took me a week to wash all my clothes and to rid my apartment of the unpleasant scent. I also discovered that a mouse had made it's residence in my apartment as did a million mosquitoes. I'm not a super squeamish girl, but having to set up mouse traps and eventually getting rid of said traps was not a pleasant task. As for the mosquitoes, I arm myself with mosquito coils, bug spray, and my mosquito net. I think I'm fighting a losing battle, but I won't stop trying.

As much as I'm waiting for the rains to stop, I'm dreading the onset of the second hot season that squeezes itself in between the rainy season and the cold season. It's a short period, lasting three to five weeks, but it's miserably hot and humid. I can handle dry heat perfectly well, but the stickiness that accompanies humidity makes me highly uncomfortable. I can't wait for cold season to come, where I can lounge in my sweats and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate before bed. Only two months away....

Sorry for the rambling post and disjointed thoughts, but it's been a long week and my mind is elsewhere. I'll try to sound like a more coherent person in my next post!

Peace Out  

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