First Rain of Monsoon
I was shocked to know how some people in the world despise rain. Don't judge my intellect, I was seventeen and I knew climate varies around the world but somehow it was astonishing and incomprehensible for me to read in a book,
I don't like the rain. No cold wet things.
Do you know this dialogue? No?
Bella Swan remarked this in the book Twilight. If you have read the book, you would know the story took place in the rainiest town in the United States - Forks, Washington.
When I started reading the book, I immediately fell in love with that small town. I would have loved to wake up to the sound of rain and go to school in light showers, a crackling thunderstorm would have been a nice distraction from boring Economics class, back then.
I couldn't understand, why Bella didn't like it when I had every reason to love it.
Now that I think back, I grew up in a small but highly maintained town. We never had to face the direct consequences of rain. There were proper drains, no flooding, no power outages, no leaking roofs. So, once in a year, a heavy rain didn't hurt, rather it was always welcomed with open hearts and open arms.
Now I'm sure the living standard of Forks is far better than the town I grew up in, but my town wasn't surrounded by a rainforest. Nature gave us a desert instead. It rarely rained there, so how could I not like that rare event? My town was like a wretched oasis.
We used to dance in the rain, eat pakoras and drink tea. And oh, the smell of wet earth - petrichor??? I wouldn't mind having such a fragrance in my vanity.
Coming to the present...I'm still at my parents and yesterday, we enjoyed the first rain of the monsoon. We all had been eagerly waiting and praying for it because the weather had become unbearably hot, humid, and suffocating. Heavy rainfall brought a smile to the faces of all. The air was breathable again.
Keeping in view, the nice weather, we decided to go out and finish the chores that were pending due to the suffocation.
How I regretted it a few minutes later...
There's a bridge under construction near the place where my parents live. (It's not my childhood town. My parents moved after retirement.) The bridge is supposed to bring comfort in the lives of citizens which I don't expect any time soon. It's been 2 years and the construction work isn't even half done. The alternate routes are long and inconvenient. The usual route was blocked for a good one year, now it's opened but enough to send your car to a workshop after a few trips.
The heavy rain flooded everything. We decided to go from the alternate long route. It was better but since it goes through a slum, some open gutter drainages were invisible due to the water. Luckily, we remembered the exact spots, so we were able to dodge all.
Once back on the main road, the situation became better but it rained so much that roads were still submerged in half a foot of water in the depressions.
Anyhoo, the rain slowed down and we finished our choices without much inconvenience. But the trip back home was a nightmare. The water got in the headlights of our car, creating fogginess and it again started raining heavily. Heavier than before and reducing the visibility to zero. We took the same route and prayed for the car to keep running in the water that was no less than a river.
My eyes were glued to the screen helping my husband navigate the invisible road. I couldn't take pictures of the situation outside.
With no proper drains for water, broken roads, and power outages with every rainfall, I'm beginning to digest the idea that some people on Earth don't like rain. Reasons may vary, but I have realized that it's not always a blessing, it can be a condemnation to some.
I don't like the rain either. Years ago, when I lived in the capital and traveled by public transport (a disaster), and on foot, I damaged a lot of my shoes, and I hate this, because I am very protective of my things in general. But the thing is that even in the capital, the sewage system is bad, and there are rivers pouring into the streets, which have to be crossed somehow. It happened to me that I even took off my shoes if I was close to home, but not when I was in the center.
On the other hand, I've talked to people who live in rainy areas in countries like France and Spain, and they don't seem to be particularly impressed by the weather. They are well conditioned, probably have the right clothes and shoes too, and this way of life does not make them want to complain. I wonder why is that? But I think the answer here comes logically from the text of your post as well.🤭
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I haven't lived in our capital and never visited it during heavy rainfalls. But my guess is the sewage system there is much better. However, it's the worst in the old capital which also happens to be the biggest metropolitan city of the country. People die there because of electrocution in water on roads.
Really? That's sad. If it comes to that I'm afraid we can't do that in any city here. The roads are not for bare feet.
I think it's just that you tend to like what you don't have. Living close to a desert strongly affects my views about rain.
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Basically, yes. There were people from Africa commenting how much they want to see and experience the snow I complain about in the winter lol. But in this case I also wanted to say that there are countries where people are well adapted to the climate in which they were born, no matter how unpleasant it is, because they have the right clothes and equipment, the urban conditions and organization are perfect and do not make human life difficult.
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You are right about getting used to the climate. Whatever conditions, it's a human instinct to strive for survival. So, if I live in a dry climate, I most likely have suitable clothing and my lifestyle revolves around the general weather behavior.
Getting use to the climate is one thing and not liking it or longing for something you don't have is another thing.
Sometimes, we travel a thousand miles in winters to the snowy areas, just to see the snow but as much as we love it, we don't stand it for more than 2 days and come back because we are not used to living in a a snowy climate. If I were living in a rainy region, I might as well despise rain because yes, too much of anything doesn't do any good.
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I have never liked rain myself, especially in summer. My reasons are partially the same as yours, with the main one being the power outages. But more so, it's the humidity that follows soon after the rain and the water that doesn't drain properly. I also don't like getting wet in the rain at all. During my university and college days, I would hate getting wet.
But it's nature, and we can only pray that it rains the right amount and at the right time. Now I can stay at home during rain, so all is a little well :)
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I had similar thoughts but this time I was like - Please Allah send some rain, I won't complain of humidity because it remains the same before and after rain. 😅 And luckily, this time it didn't immediately get suffocating after the rain here.
I also don't prefer going out in the rain now for no reason. But I do enjoy the view.
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I like to watch the rain from the window or from the balcony. This is very reassuring. However, I don't like to get wet in the rain, because, except for a short period in the summer, the rain is always quite cold and when it starts to wet my clothes, the feeling is not very pleasant.
The harvest depends on the rain, so in most cases we welcome it. True, sometimes the rain can stay with us for a week or more, then the consequences are not too good 🙂. Actually, it's hard for me to say whether I like the rain. I like rain as long as I stay dry 🤣
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Over time, I have also become the person who likes watching rain from the window. It feels equally good. 😀
We have cold rains only in winters (if we ever have one), summer rains are usually the seasonal ones which bring extreme humidity, suffocation and force the snakes to come out from their hidden pits and dens. But I still love a heavy fall which brings some coolness in the air even if for few hours.
And yes, the right amount of it is good for crops too.
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Not sure about the rain but i am sure Anna doesn't like Cold, her sister created.
A good way to take revenge from your sister.
I feel bad seeing everyone hating rain here.
I myself loved rain and to get wet a decade ago.
Then i started hating rain when my chachu died due to an electric shock after rain.
Hating continued and also due to humidity and the mess it creates.
Now i long for rains again but on the right time and with right quantity.
It's good to get wet and enjoy rain like a child again.
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I'm so sorry.
That's the thing.