Return of the Rains

Exactly four months to the day after the monsoon season ended, the rain returned. Reading in bed on Sunday morning, we heard a faintly familiar sound outside the window, a noise competing with the whir of fans. Putting down the books, we listened for a moment, then with smiles breaking across our faces, shouted in unison, "Rain!"

Such a seemingly common phenomenon receives excited, childlike attention here, much as the first snowfall does in temperate regions. Almost giddy, we rushed outside to feel it drop onto and cool our skin. What a welcome relief from the dry, hot days over the past few months. Called "the mango rain" by Thais, it comes each spring when the sweet fruits are ripening on the trees. Yesterday while shopping, we paused with other shoppers to listen to a downpour drum on the metal roof. Just a simple word, "Rain," was all that was needed for a conversation.