Burma seems to only have 3 seasons: Rainy, dry and hot. I'm still trying to figure out whether the brief 3 days of cool evenings in January actually qualifies as 'winter', but I do know that it is now summer (according to my students).
The heat is such that a wander through the garden is enough to leave you sweaty, and the post-cool shower glow only lasts until the exertion of putting on your clothes makes you start sweating again. The taxi ride sometimes unbearable (even with Mr Win Tin's "Myanmar Aircon" - hand fans made of woven palm leaves), and it's not surprising to arrive at work with wet patches on your clothes.
Well - until Japan was hit by the tsunami and earthquake. All last week, it rained. The evenings were freezing - and had us scrambling for hoodies and socks that had been stuck in the back of our closet since Abu Dhabi.
Most of our Burmese friends were shocked: it had never rained during the hot season. Other ex-pats told us that last year, they hadn't even seen a single cloud from January until May.
The cool temps and the rain were a nice break from the heat, but there may be a higher price than just having to wear a sweater. According to Mr Win Tin, the farmers are drying their rice harvest. The more rain there was, the more crops were damaged. I wonder what will happen in the coming months. Rice is a staple here - the poorer citizens depend on it - and a damaged harvest may end up spelling disaster for them.
The heat is such that a wander through the garden is enough to leave you sweaty, and the post-cool shower glow only lasts until the exertion of putting on your clothes makes you start sweating again. The taxi ride sometimes unbearable (even with Mr Win Tin's "Myanmar Aircon" - hand fans made of woven palm leaves), and it's not surprising to arrive at work with wet patches on your clothes.
Well - until Japan was hit by the tsunami and earthquake. All last week, it rained. The evenings were freezing - and had us scrambling for hoodies and socks that had been stuck in the back of our closet since Abu Dhabi.
Most of our Burmese friends were shocked: it had never rained during the hot season. Other ex-pats told us that last year, they hadn't even seen a single cloud from January until May.
The cool temps and the rain were a nice break from the heat, but there may be a higher price than just having to wear a sweater. According to Mr Win Tin, the farmers are drying their rice harvest. The more rain there was, the more crops were damaged. I wonder what will happen in the coming months. Rice is a staple here - the poorer citizens depend on it - and a damaged harvest may end up spelling disaster for them.
D'you remember getting peeved at me when I asked you if such and such country was having their long rains or short rains? So, Burma. How many rainy seasons does it have? (I'm so glad that you can't beat me over the internet)
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