"The rain in Bahrain mainly clogs my drains."
~ Eliza Al-Hamd'olittle
~ Eliza Al-Hamd'olittle
Last night, I was running back to back loads of laundry. So that meant I was going in and out of the house all evening. When I dashed out for the last load, I noticed the stairs were wet. I thought the gardener had put a sprinkler too close to the house. Then I noticed the driveway was all wet, too. "Wow," I'm thinking, "He went all out and hosed down the driveway! I didn't know he'd do that for us!" I brushed past the suburban on my way through the garage & it was all dripping wet, too. I looked around inspecting little constants that don't change . . . unless . . . RAIN! I ran back inside the house to announce the news to Spencer. He didn't entirely believe me, but I don't blame him. He thought I was kidding.
This morning, the air was clean and a bit crisp. The humidity, ironically, seems to have been cut. Only a trace of the former thickness in the air. The horizon was piled high with clouds, backlit by the 6:30 am sun. The kids ran out to the bus & I ran back to bed. (I stayed up way too late last night) Jacqueline came in about 30 minutes later, gleefully announcing, "Mommy! It's raining and crashing!" I got up and saw that the raining & thunder had recommenced, just in time for Jacqui's school run.
Natives of Middle Eastern countries are notoriously afraid of puddles. I'm not kidding! If a garden hose overflows and floods the street in front, cars will avoid all wet surfaces and literally tiptoe their car around the pooling water. Now, part of me can't blame them for this paranoia; I've seen some potholes that would literally swallow a Vespa. But here, in Bahrain, they also seem to have an added neurosis of driving off of any paved surface. The road outside our compound has been under construction since we got here, and there are places where only one lane is paved, the other is smooth, dirt shoulder. They will *NOT* drive on it and if they do, will only proceed at a snail's pace until paved concrete is visible again. So combine the fear of driving through water & on dirt plus a country that has no water drainage system and you have a whole mess of problems.
The biggest problem? Half an hour after school started, the school called. There isn't any water at the school. Meaning no one can flush toilets or get drinks. Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Another 'didja know' thing about rain in desert countries; everything is dirtier after the rain. Ironic, I know. But we go so long without rain, dirt and sand accumulate on every surface. And (usually) if it does "rain" it just spits for a few minutes from the sky and really doesn't wash anything. It moistens all surfaces enough to make, even leaves, muddy. This rain, however was very cleansing. My driveway is clear of all bougainvillea & plumeria blossoms and leaf accumulation. And the leaves are actually green.
See how the dirt all ran to the middle of the leaf on the left? And the leaves on the right, just dried mud.
This morning, the air was clean and a bit crisp. The humidity, ironically, seems to have been cut. Only a trace of the former thickness in the air. The horizon was piled high with clouds, backlit by the 6:30 am sun. The kids ran out to the bus & I ran back to bed. (I stayed up way too late last night) Jacqueline came in about 30 minutes later, gleefully announcing, "Mommy! It's raining and crashing!" I got up and saw that the raining & thunder had recommenced, just in time for Jacqui's school run.
Natives of Middle Eastern countries are notoriously afraid of puddles. I'm not kidding! If a garden hose overflows and floods the street in front, cars will avoid all wet surfaces and literally tiptoe their car around the pooling water. Now, part of me can't blame them for this paranoia; I've seen some potholes that would literally swallow a Vespa. But here, in Bahrain, they also seem to have an added neurosis of driving off of any paved surface. The road outside our compound has been under construction since we got here, and there are places where only one lane is paved, the other is smooth, dirt shoulder. They will *NOT* drive on it and if they do, will only proceed at a snail's pace until paved concrete is visible again. So combine the fear of driving through water & on dirt plus a country that has no water drainage system and you have a whole mess of problems.
The biggest problem? Half an hour after school started, the school called. There isn't any water at the school. Meaning no one can flush toilets or get drinks. Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Another 'didja know' thing about rain in desert countries; everything is dirtier after the rain. Ironic, I know. But we go so long without rain, dirt and sand accumulate on every surface. And (usually) if it does "rain" it just spits for a few minutes from the sky and really doesn't wash anything. It moistens all surfaces enough to make, even leaves, muddy. This rain, however was very cleansing. My driveway is clear of all bougainvillea & plumeria blossoms and leaf accumulation. And the leaves are actually green.
See how the dirt all ran to the middle of the leaf on the left? And the leaves on the right, just dried mud.
4 comments:
Man! I love a good rainstorm. I am so glad that you got some. The roads in Egypt were so CRAZY with puddles after it rained. Hopefully its a little more controlled there, but probably not huh?
Thunder too! I suppose umbrellas are not common either ... I'll bet the air was clearer too ... did it rain any mud?
:)
I can understand being worried about what you cannot see. After Cairo, where the presence of manholes covers is random at best, I look at murky street water a bit more cautiously these days too! Did you see the car in the sinkhole, up to its windows, near the Irish School back when?? Oh, and yea... getting caught out in a first rain wearing light colors... verrrry bad. Might as well throw those clothes out when you get in! Enjoy the freshened air!
I'm cracking up about the afraid to drive over puddles phobia. Wow.
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