Rain

I always knew rain caused some problems in Amman. The drainage systems don't seem to be able to cope with more than about 10 minutes of rain and the roads and footpaths become rivers. Driving is pretty hectic as indents in the road become ponds that throw water all over the car, momentarily destroying visibility. Rain here is often accompanied by strong wind and thick fog and fortunately because it is rare and fairly hectic, the usually crazy Ammani drivers reduce their speed by about fifty percent and put their hazard lights on. It might seem like overkill, until you remember that people believe lanes are a suggestion for if there is a car behind you. It becomes more serious when the drivers can't see these cars around them....

Anyway the weather here the last few weeks has been up and down. Just the weekend before last, we hired a car and went for a bit of a roadtrip to the Dead Sea. The fog was so thick that at times I had no idea where I was, and I completely missed the turn for the Dead Sea. So we ended up on a back road that alternated between positive signs - directing us towards the Dead Sea - and strange nondescript signs advertising a detour. It was unclear what the detour was for....In the midst of our confusion in the fog and on unfamiliar roads, a huge down poor of hail started beating us. After the four to five summer months of 'not a cloud in the sky' it's startling to find yourself at the end of a road (we found the reason for the detour), completely disoriented in the blinding fog, with this crazy hail. 

A week and a half later, and little has changed. Fine days alternate with torrential rain and the shoes, laundry, streets and cats remain sopping wet. Expected, and thankfully this silly weather signals the end of winter, and the last hope for farmers before the deathly summer sun comes along for six months. 

What is not expected is that all the schools in Amman were shut yesterday. I originally thought they were being shut because snow was expected. But no, it's because of the rain! I laughed on the one occasion in Tasmania when my school was shut because of one centimetre of snow, but rain! I never heard of that (floods maybe, but there are no rivers here, and though the streets are pretty nasty, they're definitely not flooding.) 

So, there was I, marvelling at the silliness of shutting schools for rain, at the same time as wishing that my uni had too been shut for rain. Alas. Anyway, I asked my teacher about it, because it seemed too silly to be without reason. And it was. There was a very good reason, and it's not silly at all, but a reflection on how, even after all the time I've spent here, I still don't get it. 

Many school children have to walk long distances to get to school because they cannot afford transport. And those in that position may also have limited access to gum boots, raincoats and such luxuries. A classroom full of wet children is not such a good outcome. So I recognised my silliness and forgot about it. 

Until my housemate's dance rehearsal was cancelled because of the rain! Different situation. People simply not wanting to go out in the rain. 

And I kind of get that position now. I'm pretty happy sitting in my room with our petrol heater slowly burning away. Feet are dry and things are calm. I like this lifestyle, where if things are just not super practical or convenient (such as going outside and getting cold and wet), don't do it. I can live with that.