I love the rain. Rain in the tropics is a wet diversion from the same old heat. The temperature moderates to 26 or 27 C but life continues undeterred. As most places are covered against the rain it is only an inconvienience getting from the car your destination. I had dinner the other night at the local Indian restaurant and it was wonderful sitting open to the environment with my gobi masala watching the rain fall. Despite the wet, pedestrian and vehiclular continues. As I drove to my destination I noted with interest that more kids seemed to be swimming in the sea, and others played soccer on the street in bare feet as if it was just another dry day.
The raining season has settled into a predictable pattern unlike the first six weeks I was here. The morning is clear and by mid-afternoon the clouds roll over the hills to the south that surround the city. While overcast, rain is never a sure thing but the humidity is. On Friday, our 'team' night when everyone gets together for beer and pizza, we were fully immersed in our conversations when suddenly a heavy downpour came out of nowhere. Unlike home where a chill might accompany such extreme weather, we only gaze out in momentary facsination at the downpour and the continue our evening. I was closest to the edge of the covered portion and welcomed the cooling effect when the midst of the rainfall gently blew over me providing a temporary respite to an otherwise hot, humid night. While I've indicated previously that I miss the cold at the same time I am loving the weather more and more and now question the extremes in weather we are forced to endure annually.
I started this adventure with my carry on and two large suitcases. While on larger commercial flights to Singapore I had no problems with my luggage, on the regional flight operated by Silk Air from SIN to DIL I was over to the tune of $57. Why did I tell you this? Because when I start my first leave on March 27 I'm bringing half of it back. Two reasons, the first is a simple matter of logistics - I packed like I was going on a one or two week trip - like packing at least a pair of underwear and socks for each day away a couple pair of pants and so on. Enter laundry service, daily at that: hence underwear and socks go in the hamper at the end of the day and are lying on my bed (folded no less) when I return from work the next. Pants, which I only wear to work, I need only two pairs (I just wear business casual - khakis and a golf type or button up short sleeve) - if you need to clean everyday no problem. My suitcase is still full of unused socks and underwear (and of course the red dress). The second reason is the weather. All those long sleeve shirts, fleeces etc are coming home with me - there is never a need for them. Imagine such a thing - I would have never believed it otherwise! If not the need for other supplies that I will bring back with me, I would come home with a carry-on and suitcase and return with only the carry on. At home, in every season I was a victim to the weather (which we all do secretly even if we won't admit to it): listen when the alarm goes off, during the evening news, or in the car. Why? because even in the middle of summer it might be a bit cooler if it is overcast, or cool down in the evening. In the winter, do I need to really bundle up or just normal winter wear? It is important - even in what is arguabley the idyllic climate of southern California - even there you sometimes need a light jacket. What I love about the weather here is that when I get ready for work in the morning I dress without question - long pants and short sleeves - and when I walk out my door I am acosted obsequiously by the balmy weather. Whether overcast, raining or sunny, short sleeves are always appropriate. When I get home from work - shorts, t-shirt and sandals. The other day when I arrived home I went and did service to my body and went to ride the stationary bike in the exerecise area, despite that it was overcast and raining all afternoon I left my room with no shirt, just my shorts, flip flops and ipod. After the workout into the pool despite the rain.
I am looking forward to winter time, or the dry season, that starts typically around May to about October (the northern hemispheres summer time). While I have not yet experienced it yet, an American guy I've met, who has lived everywhere in the world, said to me that winter time is probably the best climate anywhere in the world he has experienced. The big thing is the humidity which is always high now has finally abated. It gets to as low as 20 in the morning and in the day will still get to 35 but without the humidity. The show stopper is that everyday for months it is just clear blue skies. Whoa. However with all things in life there is a price to pay, in this case it is the dust in the air (gravel roads) and those beautiful, lush green hills/mountains that surround our humble little town turn a dull golden brown color. Imagine planning a family BBQ or the like - at home the only thing you can't plan is the weather - well apparently you can here - sunny skies are garaunteed!
Please don't take this as an affront to our Winnipeg dignity, like hearing those transplants from Winnipeg to the west coast who love to gloat that the weather is sooo much better than Manitoba when you talk on the phone. Rather it is my fascination as a first time experience of "living in the tropics". I do miss my walks on the river in the dead of winter with Big Jim or walking to work in the winter, but don't miss the routine of life in the winter like warming up the car going to work, taking out the garbage (why don't we ever dress appropriately to do so??). Ironically I was to be a dog owner if this gig hadn't come along - one of my many reasons to get man's best friend was to have a companion to walk with me on the river in the winter time. Fate perhaps if I believed in such things - I was to pick up my baby on or about Jan 22/09. Had the dog come first I wouldn't be here, and my baby would be about 14 weeks old now. I would have never brought a dog (more so a puppy) to an environment like this for two reasons: one, vets are nonexistent, and two, if I wasn't diligent it could end up as someones dinner (yes they eat dog here). I often ponder the what if?
So strange a place that I have never seen
A contrast of old and new or somewhere inbetween
The raining season has settled into a predictable pattern unlike the first six weeks I was here. The morning is clear and by mid-afternoon the clouds roll over the hills to the south that surround the city. While overcast, rain is never a sure thing but the humidity is. On Friday, our 'team' night when everyone gets together for beer and pizza, we were fully immersed in our conversations when suddenly a heavy downpour came out of nowhere. Unlike home where a chill might accompany such extreme weather, we only gaze out in momentary facsination at the downpour and the continue our evening. I was closest to the edge of the covered portion and welcomed the cooling effect when the midst of the rainfall gently blew over me providing a temporary respite to an otherwise hot, humid night. While I've indicated previously that I miss the cold at the same time I am loving the weather more and more and now question the extremes in weather we are forced to endure annually.
I started this adventure with my carry on and two large suitcases. While on larger commercial flights to Singapore I had no problems with my luggage, on the regional flight operated by Silk Air from SIN to DIL I was over to the tune of $57. Why did I tell you this? Because when I start my first leave on March 27 I'm bringing half of it back. Two reasons, the first is a simple matter of logistics - I packed like I was going on a one or two week trip - like packing at least a pair of underwear and socks for each day away a couple pair of pants and so on. Enter laundry service, daily at that: hence underwear and socks go in the hamper at the end of the day and are lying on my bed (folded no less) when I return from work the next. Pants, which I only wear to work, I need only two pairs (I just wear business casual - khakis and a golf type or button up short sleeve) - if you need to clean everyday no problem. My suitcase is still full of unused socks and underwear (and of course the red dress). The second reason is the weather. All those long sleeve shirts, fleeces etc are coming home with me - there is never a need for them. Imagine such a thing - I would have never believed it otherwise! If not the need for other supplies that I will bring back with me, I would come home with a carry-on and suitcase and return with only the carry on. At home, in every season I was a victim to the weather (which we all do secretly even if we won't admit to it): listen when the alarm goes off, during the evening news, or in the car. Why? because even in the middle of summer it might be a bit cooler if it is overcast, or cool down in the evening. In the winter, do I need to really bundle up or just normal winter wear? It is important - even in what is arguabley the idyllic climate of southern California - even there you sometimes need a light jacket. What I love about the weather here is that when I get ready for work in the morning I dress without question - long pants and short sleeves - and when I walk out my door I am acosted obsequiously by the balmy weather. Whether overcast, raining or sunny, short sleeves are always appropriate. When I get home from work - shorts, t-shirt and sandals. The other day when I arrived home I went and did service to my body and went to ride the stationary bike in the exerecise area, despite that it was overcast and raining all afternoon I left my room with no shirt, just my shorts, flip flops and ipod. After the workout into the pool despite the rain.
I am looking forward to winter time, or the dry season, that starts typically around May to about October (the northern hemispheres summer time). While I have not yet experienced it yet, an American guy I've met, who has lived everywhere in the world, said to me that winter time is probably the best climate anywhere in the world he has experienced. The big thing is the humidity which is always high now has finally abated. It gets to as low as 20 in the morning and in the day will still get to 35 but without the humidity. The show stopper is that everyday for months it is just clear blue skies. Whoa. However with all things in life there is a price to pay, in this case it is the dust in the air (gravel roads) and those beautiful, lush green hills/mountains that surround our humble little town turn a dull golden brown color. Imagine planning a family BBQ or the like - at home the only thing you can't plan is the weather - well apparently you can here - sunny skies are garaunteed!
Please don't take this as an affront to our Winnipeg dignity, like hearing those transplants from Winnipeg to the west coast who love to gloat that the weather is sooo much better than Manitoba when you talk on the phone. Rather it is my fascination as a first time experience of "living in the tropics". I do miss my walks on the river in the dead of winter with Big Jim or walking to work in the winter, but don't miss the routine of life in the winter like warming up the car going to work, taking out the garbage (why don't we ever dress appropriately to do so??). Ironically I was to be a dog owner if this gig hadn't come along - one of my many reasons to get man's best friend was to have a companion to walk with me on the river in the winter time. Fate perhaps if I believed in such things - I was to pick up my baby on or about Jan 22/09. Had the dog come first I wouldn't be here, and my baby would be about 14 weeks old now. I would have never brought a dog (more so a puppy) to an environment like this for two reasons: one, vets are nonexistent, and two, if I wasn't diligent it could end up as someones dinner (yes they eat dog here). I often ponder the what if?
So strange a place that I have never seen
A contrast of old and new or somewhere inbetween
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