Last night we were treated to our first pre-monsoon rain and it was an occasion for celebration! The heat in Manipal has been steadily rising, rising to a level that is almost unbearable. Days are spent hopping from air-conditioned room to air-conditioned room. Moments spent outside are minimal and unpleasant and in between those air-conditioned rooms, umbrellas are almost a necessity to protect from the fierce rays of the sun. Stepping outside is like stepping into an oven crossed with a humidifier. It’s a level of constant heat that I have never experienced before. Many people talk about the affect of weather on mood, but often this is in reference to cold weather –the dreary, gray winter days that seem to extend far too long. And I totally get that. I love the sun! But the affect of aggressive heat almost never holds a place in the conversation; a place I never even considered should exist. I feel lucky to have essentially missed winter in the US this year. My days have almost exclusively been full of sun, and for that I am grateful. But I am not going to lie, it is really challenging to be in a place where going outside is dreaded; where it is constantly necessary to fan yourself to avoid overheating; where the conversation starter is always how hot it is getting; where your energy levels are considerably lower than normal from the constant heat fatigue even on days spent almost exclusively inside. I never fathomed how much the weather would impact my daily activities, especially warm weather! But I miss enjoying being outside. Adapting to this different climate has been one of the most difficult adjustments for me in India thus far and one of the most difficult things to communicate as being a challenge. But today we were lucky. Last night was the first rain of the season. The loud cracks of thunder in the night woke me from my sleep and I could hear the heavy patter of rain on the pavement outside my window. At the time it seemed like only a fantasy. But in the morning, when the roads were still dark from the moisture; the sidewalks had turned to red, runny mud; and the air felt cool and crisp, I knew it wasn’t a dream. While the cool temperatures didn’t last long, it was just enough to be rejuvenating. It was enough to spark a hope that there would be more pre-monsoon rains and that maybe there would be an off chance the monsoon would come early this year.
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AuthorAmerican University Student studying abroad in Kenya and India and wandering the world Archives
May 2015
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