Tuesday, October 29, 2013
The weather seems weird these days. I'm not talking about absurd weather changes like snow (although it did hail in Singapore once recently). I have noticed that it changes quickly, from stormy to sunny and vice versa.
It's as if the transition was cut short.
The Sun was flashing all its bright glory upon the expanse of concrete jungle this morning but I hear thunder and when I look out my window; brewing storm clouds.
It's...as if I were back in Pulau Tekong! gasp, that place of horror!
The weather there was erratic and extreme, no wonder so many people fell sick.
Despite this island being hot and stormy, most times humid and wet, I've actually grown to like it.
I remember when I lived over at my granny's house when I was 5. It was a nice 4 room HDB, with a big family living within which included my 2 uncles, my auntie, a cousin and of course my dear granny.
My parents were busy with their careers then, so they let me and my sis & a maid live there.
The floor was paved with large tiles a square foot large. During hot summer-like days, I would laze around the living room, playing with clothespins, wooden blocks and play dough or marbles (but rarely marbles because I got scolded for making too much noise). My granny would just sit in her wooden chair and fan herself with a rattan fan while she watched over me and her favorite channel on tv.
The cool tiles upon my 5 year-old bum was ecstacy. Imagine putting cold porcelain against your skin.
I would also spend a long time at the balcony, gazing at garden plants sway when a warm zephyr passes, studying the plant casting a shadow onto the floor and trying to draw it.
When i had afternoon naps, I would sleep on the floor with a pillow. When the tiles warmed up, I would shift myself to a cooler spot by flipping myself over. Sometimes I even ended up at the kitchen from the living room!
During my school days, morning assembly was quite long. I remember being forced to stand under a blazing morning sun while the Principal droned on with his speech on school achievements. After that sun basking hour long speech, I had my first tan when I was 8.
I also sweat easily under a hot sun. My friends often joke with me after I run. I think I wouldn't survive a day in a desert.
When there were storms, I would go into the bedroom and cover myself entirely in blankets and try to sleep because I was quite afraid of thunder and lightning. (my uncle fooled me into thinking that they strike naughty children) The toilet door was a normal hinge door, painted in a hideous blue color and was about 3 tiles away from where I usually laid the mattress to sleep.
On stormy days, the gap underneath the door allowed wind to gust in, which felt so much like a blower fan. I often stayed there for hours imagining I was flying and making weird noises. The wind was essentially toilet air but I didn't care, I was enjoying myself.
I was literally a sheltered kid when I was young, rarely going out to play and often staying at home. Trips to the nearby playground was a luxury and could only be earned by good behaviour or good grades in kindergarten. (this is some serious asian style parenting)
When I was primary 3, I walked to my primary school which is located a good distance away from my granny's home (800m?) I remembered being caught in the rain once while walking home and I forgot to bring an umbrella. My maid at that time also forgot to bring one so we got thoroughly drenched. It was also the first time I got soaked in rain and it felt surprisingly...good. The feeling when pearls of water collide with your skin and streams of water run down your legs to your ankles is strangely soothing. Even showering doesn't get close to this because the water droplets are not large enough or hitting you with 'that' amount of force or release the rainy smell: petrichor. (heck, there is a name for the smell of rain!)
It rained so hard that the sidewalk became puddles and grass fields became swamps. I got so drenched you could describe me as what the Chinese call: luo tang ji.
We got home and the maid got scolded by my parents but I wasn't, which I felt was kind of unfair for her.
Over the years, I've been caught in similar situations with friends and it was all quite a laugh.
Closer to now, the most recent I relived this feeling was running an urgent errand in camp.
Oh weather, I don't hate you. Even if I do complain about you sometimes. Hot, humid, wet and stormy. You make so many beautiful memories for me and this I love you for.
signing off.
Call Of The Wild at 2:38 PM