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The Breeze Before Summer
Monday, April 13, 2009
Last week and a week before, the weather was quite nice, rainy, windy and breezy. The breeze before summer, the blossoming of the dates trees aligning the center islands of the main thoroughfares throughout Doha, frequent dust storm and high winds, signals the start of the hot season.
Scorching heat, sweltering sun and full blast aircons are in the offing. It is time to put back those jackets, blazers, sweaters and cardigans into the closet for a job well done. But of course, they will be called back on duty after six months or so.
The week before last week was the wettest week I ever experienced here in Doha. It rained in the afternoon, into the night and the following mornings. For a few days it continues to rain. If it ever stopped, a very slight drizzle was there just to remind us that the rain is still around.
I like most, the day the raining stopped. The very fresh breeze after the rain, the air is so fresh and so clean. It reminds me of my childhood and taking me back in time.
Thirty years ago…
During rainy season when were small boys, my cousins and friends always play in the rain. We love the monsoon rain, running around the house, to our school, to the town plaza, by the river, to our friends’ and classmates’ houses. Frolicking in the rain is very fun. We change turns standing below the roof gutters to have a load of rain water. We race paper boats on the swelling surface drains. We make fun of our school bell by making a challenge amongst ourselves who can ring it the loudest. Be it monsoon rain, storm or typhoon we were there to play, never mind if our parents scold us after our little adventures in the rain. We have of course one simple rule, “don’t play in the rain if there is thunderstorm”.
Rain during thunderstorm doesn’t spoil the fun. Though we cannot go out and play, our grandmother cooks a cassava / tapioca in coconut milk for everyone. It was our favorite snack during rainy season. After the rain is a lot more fun, we go out and gather beetles by shaking them off from every standing tree in town. Once we gathered enough beetles, we cook them by frying and eat them over chats and laughter.
Fast-forward Thirty years….
I missed the monsoon rain, the storms and the typhoons. Since I left my homeland in 1995, I have never experience a really heavy rain. Though I go back for vacations, it was always summer and so I was never “re-united” with my childhood’s fun.
Last-last week’s weather, though it was rainy, it never comes close to what I real miss. The high and strong cool wind, which almost resembles an incoming typhoon, is what reminds me of my childhood.
Hmmmm…Haaaaa….. I better enjoy now the cool breeze before summer kicks in.
Scorching heat, sweltering sun and full blast aircons are in the offing. It is time to put back those jackets, blazers, sweaters and cardigans into the closet for a job well done. But of course, they will be called back on duty after six months or so.
The week before last week was the wettest week I ever experienced here in Doha. It rained in the afternoon, into the night and the following mornings. For a few days it continues to rain. If it ever stopped, a very slight drizzle was there just to remind us that the rain is still around.
I like most, the day the raining stopped. The very fresh breeze after the rain, the air is so fresh and so clean. It reminds me of my childhood and taking me back in time.
Thirty years ago…
During rainy season when were small boys, my cousins and friends always play in the rain. We love the monsoon rain, running around the house, to our school, to the town plaza, by the river, to our friends’ and classmates’ houses. Frolicking in the rain is very fun. We change turns standing below the roof gutters to have a load of rain water. We race paper boats on the swelling surface drains. We make fun of our school bell by making a challenge amongst ourselves who can ring it the loudest. Be it monsoon rain, storm or typhoon we were there to play, never mind if our parents scold us after our little adventures in the rain. We have of course one simple rule, “don’t play in the rain if there is thunderstorm”.
Rain during thunderstorm doesn’t spoil the fun. Though we cannot go out and play, our grandmother cooks a cassava / tapioca in coconut milk for everyone. It was our favorite snack during rainy season. After the rain is a lot more fun, we go out and gather beetles by shaking them off from every standing tree in town. Once we gathered enough beetles, we cook them by frying and eat them over chats and laughter.
Fast-forward Thirty years….
I missed the monsoon rain, the storms and the typhoons. Since I left my homeland in 1995, I have never experience a really heavy rain. Though I go back for vacations, it was always summer and so I was never “re-united” with my childhood’s fun.
Last-last week’s weather, though it was rainy, it never comes close to what I real miss. The high and strong cool wind, which almost resembles an incoming typhoon, is what reminds me of my childhood.
Hmmmm…Haaaaa….. I better enjoy now the cool breeze before summer kicks in.
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