Mango Rains

Wed 23 February 2011

The seasons are turning. We're leaving the cool and dry season, and heading into the hot and dry season. It's been noticeably hotter for the last couple of weeks, and sometimes uncomfortable.

Comfort is all relative. It was coolest around New Years. Residents were putting on layers and complaining about the cold. At that point, I closed the windows at night a couple of times. I occasionally wore socks to bed because the fan made my feet too cold. One morning I thought about wearing a sweater, but it wasn't worth the effort to get the suitcase out from under the bed. Now it feels hot some days. I'm told this is nothing; it won't really be hot until April. Then it will be the Cambodians' turn to laugh at me.

The flocks of dragonflies are starting to come back. In October I could see two dozen of them if I looked up, and happy birds chowing on them at sunset. They tapered off by December. I spotted one bunch by the river this weekend, and another flock at my apartment at sunset. The bugs they eat must be multiplying too.

After several overcast mornings, the clouds finally dropped some rain. It was a lazy shower. The drops were fat and slow. The splash marks literally disappeared from the tiles before my eyes. It rained for ten minutes, but there was no sign of it when it stopped. At this time of year it's called "Mango Rain", coinciding with the ripening mangoes. They'll come more frequently, until they turn back into rainy season.

Category: Day to Day

Tags: cambodia /