Monsoon Magic

It's monsooning in Hyderabad today, which is a good thing.  I never thought I'd love the pouring rain, but there really is something magical about waking up, laying in bed, and just listening to the rain pound down all around you.

This year, I couldn't wait for the monsoons to start.  With a daily temperature easily over 100 degrees in May, monsoons meant massive cooling down...in addition to the promise of resuming showers rather than bucket baths from strategically saved water when the faucets did run.  I also feared a repetition of last year, where lack of rains also meant lack of power for around 4 hours a day! (Hyderabad, like many Indian cities, relies on hydro for much of its power).

What makes me laugh about the monsoons here is how they seem to absolutely disrupt all forms of daily activities.  There is even more blatant disregard to traffic "rules" than normal -- as though the rain gives everyone ample freedom to veer around the imaginary lanes, stop in the middle of the road without pulling over, or drive against traffic to avoid massive puddles.

Canceling meetings or appointments because of monsoons is a city-wide occurrence.  So is stopping your motorcycle and huddling under a covered bus stop or any small piece of roofing.  Driving around with a plastic bag covering drivers' heads is a common site.  Autos?  Forget about it -- auto-rickshaws are completely impossible to find, and often get stuck in the rain anyway.

Now, I'm not at all saying it's fun driving in the rain...I was once in an auto-rickshaw last year that literally started filling with water -- that's how high the water level on the street was!

But it amazes me how much the city seems to be at a standstill EVERY time it monsoons -- like it doesn't know what to do with itself!  I remember my college friend telling me New Orleans is like this with a single snowflake -- the city itself shuts down.  But this is Hyderabad and monsoons are an ENTIRE season!  It's not like it comes out of nowhere, yet everyone behaves as though it's a surprise.

My parents ask me how I deal with the monsoons.  They've sent me two pairs of galoshes -- you know, the kind that New Yorkers have oddly convinced themselves are somehow fashionable.  I alternate between a pair that is bright pink and a pair that is lime green with dark green cartoon turtles on them.  Sure I get stares here in Hyderabad (more than normal!) - but at least it means I can go about my day, unencumbered by the torrential downpours.

And jumping in puddles is always fun!