It’s Arrived … The Monsoon has Broken

Date: Author: Category: Living Abroad, Sri Lanka, Travel, Uncategorized, Writing Tags: , , , , , ,

4.51 am Friday – It’s arrived!  The monsoon has broken and the first storm of the season is overhead as I type.  I don’t know when it began, but already the temperature has dropped and the sweet sound of rain falling, straight from the clouds, is like a balm to our parched and shrivelled senses.  In the background thunder sounds a dull, almost continuous roar.  But nothing can drown out the sound of that rain falling.

33 thoughts on “It’s Arrived … The Monsoon has Broken”

  1. … I skipped ahead in the list of email when I saw this post in my In-Box. Yay. Lovely after the heat, and the waiting, to wake up to welcome rain 🙂

    • And then the sleep! After I’d sent off the ‘announcement’ I lay listening to the rain. It must have been like a lullaby because the next thing I know it’s 8.30! Bliss. Thanks Ella:)

  2. I love monsoons. My parents live in Arizona and I spent ten days there last summer with the kids in August and there were the most insane monsoons ever and amazing clouds. I did a blog post on it awhile back. I’d have to dig through my archives but it is there. Anyways, please take some pictures of the monsoon clouds! I love that kind of stuff!

    • Um – things are a little damp just now. There are little puddles all over the place, where the monkeys have broken tiles on the roof. No matter, it’s just water – beautify water from the clouds. And the relief! I wonder when it’ll arrive in Chennai? Poor Madhu has been scorching under 40+ temperatures for ages.

  4. Don’t tell me off – I had to reposnd to this &say – FANTASTIC to you. I hope you enjoy the rushing pounding roar of rain. I experienced it in Jakarta and the sounds, the smells, the wonderful velvet peace after the firt rain storm was just – just – well, edging towards the sublime 🙂

    • How could I not be glad to have you share in my ecstatic celebrations? (You’ll go straight back to work, right?) I missed the end of the storm – it lulled me back to sleep. When I awoke everything was still, quiet, as if the world had stopped, the air moist and just cool enough that it didn’t feel like a constraint. The earth, the trees, the animals – I guess we’re all just absorbing that water, relaxing into “that wonderful velvet peace after the first rain” (that was to die for, too!).

      Thanks Keira:) Hope you have a productive day!

      • well, my day has started off with a positive in a bit of a ‘thought’ breakthrough, so I’m off to see if I can make it happen so it might jsut get productive. You stay receptive to all those sounds of water, the dripping, the girgles, the sibilant edges of a silence that isn’t quite silence, and the odd chirps of birds shaking feathers caused whispered shushing as they shake branches and tiny localised rainfalls cascade through foliage. 🙂

  8. It is 4:45am here and I just decided to rise from my bed; after a restless night. Your words are both soothing and refreshing. Perhaps l will give sleep another chance; returning to my bed with the sound of rain in my imagination to lull me.

    • Oh yes, I know dear. When you reminded me about those mountains, I felt guilty about having posted my ecstatic announcement! Then I thought, she’ll understand our relief, and joy … I’m afraid there’ll probably be follow-ups which might prod a bit, but I’ll be sure to check the temperature in Chennai before posting, so you won’t be forgotten:)
      Yesterday was such a gentle day – hushed and expectant, like the earth was breathing a tired and weary sigh of relief; colours muted – washed out greys and watery sunshine, showers as gentle as English springtime. Today is shaping up to be a bit more exciting – with (I’m so sorry!), a sharp drop in temperature, sprightly breezes and scudding clouds bursting upon us!

  11. And the floodgates opened, pouring forth the tears spilt from heaven.

    Mere, I am living vicariously through you. Though today has brought us much cooler weather here in the states, the last couple days have been miserable, both on the front of balmy temperatures and seasonal insects making their home (I found a June-bug in my hair last night. Eck!) inside OUR home. This rain you describe sounds heavenly. Enjoy it, my friend!

    ~ Cara

    • I don’t know that this ambrosia that cleanses us now is heavenly tears, dear, but it’s a lovely conceit!

      June bugs in your hair! And Thirdeyemom has been invaded by literally millions of caterpillars! My dear, summer’s on its way. I’m not going to think of mildew or our invasions – not yet anyway. Now’s the time to enjoy our delicious rain, as you say! And to give a thought to our friends on the eastern side of the Western Ghats, who’re not going to get this monsoon, and who are living under daily temperatures above 107 degrees. I quail to think how I would manage living under those conditions, let alone hanging in there until October.

      Oh dear, I must go, the pitter patter sounds are so distracting, and out of the corner of my eye I see The Girls putting themselves into the most photogenic positions, trying to snuggle into warm balls in places that are way too small for them – you see, it actually feels chilly up here on our breezy landing. Maggie’s ears are cold, and Podi says she’d rather hibernate till this is over. They’re true Sri Lankans I’m afraid, not like their Mama who still gets red in the face and glows all over at the least exertion. But not today! Today I must take advantage of the chill in the air and turn myself into a cleaning tornado because the last few days I’ve been a bit distracted and haven’t been doing my job properly. Aiyo. Monsoon madness …

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