It's Raining Again

Monsoon is here and we are all enjoying the cooler weather. I would be lying if I said we are loving the rain. Sure after living in Australia where our rainfall these days is minimal and we are on water restrictions for all of the year it is nice to see the sheets of rain falling and the lush plants and trees becoming even greener, if that's possible.

Last week in 3 days, we had more rain here than what we would get in a year at home in Lara. This creates havoc in this country. The roads have turned into lakes and once the water recedes they are left extremely damaged. Pot holes everywhere and it feels like driving on a rough terrain course.

The smell, well, like I said in another blog during monsoon last year, weewee's and poopoo's have been once again been re hydrated and the smell is Horrid.

The fashion statements around town during monsoon is something to see. Plastic shopping bags come in handy for all sorts of things. Mainly head wear to keep those beautifully coiffed Indian doo's dry. But as usual these very resourceful people can do a thing or two with a plastic bag.

The local cricket field is a lake and it is common to see children swimming along side the Water Buffalo. No cricket there for a while.

And the best part of the Monsoon is the power cuts. You never know when they will strike. On the rare occasion that you decide to bake a cake, power goes off or just as you are frocking for a night out and whammo, no power and frizzy hair. What's a girl to do. This girl runs into a friends house on route to the function, straightening irons in hand and heads out frizz free. Oh my straightening irons how I love thee.........

With all that said and done at least we have a roof over our heads that doesn't leak and candles for those night time power black outs, which is a lot more than many homeless people have. Last week in the middle of a heavy drop of rain I sat in the car waiting for Andrew and watched a family sheltering under a veranda hardly wide enough to keep them dry. A father and his two small kids, all barely clothed but amazingly with smiles on their faces. While my kids are sitting in the car fighting about something so trivial like someone moved onto their side of the seat. It was a good time for a reality check for all of us. The kids got a lecture while I shed a tear for this poor family. My tears will not help them but at least showing my kids the importance of being humble may make a difference to someones life one day.

This is a taste of what rain is like for all our friends and family back home who may have forgotten what it is like. I hope one day it will rain buckets again and our kids will be able to go out in it and play in the puddles.