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Mirror Magazine

Rain rain go away...
By the Sun Worshippers
People have strange tastes. Accepted fact. There are the regular people who love ice cream, cars, bananas, chocolate and dogs, and then there are those others who love snakes, moths, lizards and...of course, the weather.

Yes, generally we sane people love the sun. The bright scorching sun, nice warm days and plenty of sunshine. The best tonic a doctor can ever prescribe, they say.

But according to recent studies done by the (Sun Worshippers), the majority seem to love the rain - what is the world coming to, you tend to think? Though it may sound sad, it is true. There are an incredible amount of sad people out there who love the rain!

As Ace of Base once sang, Every time it rains, I fall to pieces. That's what this discovery has done to us - it has made us fall to pieces. And you want to know why?

Because we hate the rain. Detest it. No question about it. Do we make ourselves clear?
Sadly, most of the inhabitants of this planet don't seem to agree with us. Here's what some of the people we spoke to, had to say.

Take Udena (20), for instance. "I love heavy rains. Real heavy rain when there is no thunder or lightning to be heard. Somehow, thunder ruins the beauty of the rain. But I can't stand the drizzle. There is nothing more awful than getting caught in a drizzle. But the best part about rain is when it comes down all afternoon and then stops in the evening. Then I can come out and see the last drops of rain, and see the mist shimmering away from the mountains. There is nothing more beautiful than that." Sounds very poetic, but not impressive.

Maya (21), "If I'm cosy in bed, I absolutely love it. But if I have to go somewhere, then I don't really enjoy it. The rain has a cleansing effect." (All the while we are wondering how mud and mud water can have anything to do with a cleansing effect).

Ruwani (19), is no better. "Haven't you seen how beautiful it is to see the little drops of water glistening on a blade of grass after the rain? It is at times like these that I realise that the wonders of nature, are plentiful."

But there was one thing heartening about what she said - her dog hates the rain! "Whenever we try to put her out in the mornings, after it has rained, she hates it. She tip-toes, and it is quite funny, to see her pondering her next move, with one foot up in the air. Then she runs back inside, and looks at me as if to say "How dare you subject me to this extreme form of torture!"

Needless to say, a countless number of people like the above loved the rain.

Funny when we are talking about a scenario with mud, bucketfuls of water which can soak you up and probably give you pneumonia - and inconvenience. It might be fun for us lucky ones with a roof over our heads, but what about those people whose make-do homes could be destroyed with one heavy shower, or whose houses get flooded for the slightest rain. When we complain about this weather phenomenon, we are thinking of all our fellow sisters and brothers as well.

Anyway, before we sound like irrational, hysterical human beings, let us make ourselves clear. You see, it's not just the rain that we have a problem with. There are the intricate little details that come with it, that we hate. For instance;

After days and days of unending sunshine, (which we love!) a single day of rain, can ruin it all. And you would have noticed that in this island, the rain never stops with one day. So if it rains, you are doomed for days. All your carefully laid plans for fun stuff go sailing off.

After it rains, everything becomes damp. Your clothes get wet and muddy, your best pair of white jeans is ruined thanks to the mud splattering you get as you walk along the streets. Then you have to spend hours scrubbing to get those stubborn stains off.

And remember the last time you wanted to go shopping as soon as you got paid? For once you come out of the office with a huge smile on your face, and then be prepared; they strike. Flat, juicy drops of rain fall from the sky. There go all your plans for the day.

And have you ever realised how disgusting it can be to walk wearing sandals (as we are supposed to do, living in a hot country), in the rain, or even after the rain? The water slides in between your feet and then the soles of your feet tend to get all moist and muddy. Really, can there be anything more disgusting?

And during those rainy days, after a hard day's work, when you finally reach that supreme bliss of bedtime, what do you find? A damp bed - how can anyone enjoy the feeling of curling up under cold, damp sheets?

Look at the weather around you now or during the past few weeks. What wouldn't you give for a bright sunny day where you can go outside and sit in the sun? On the contrary, what does the rain do? It only ends up ruining your days of fun, and does nothing for your health. It'll probably give you a runny nose. And if your idea of fun is to sit at home, while the rain drops fall and fall and fall, we have nothing more to say.

After much consideration, we have come to the conclusion that there are a few exceptions to all those negativities of the rain. Yes, we do agree that after a shower, the rain drops glistening on the blades of grass are quite beautiful. (But then again, morning dewdrops on blades of grass during dry weather too, have the same effect).

We also agree that the earthy smell that rises from the ground during rain that follows a long period of dry weather, is indeed one of the most satisfying of its kind. So there you go, we aren't being irrational at all.

So to the verdict: how many really hate the rain? Well, to be honest, it came down to three; the two of us and a very rational dog. Sad but unfortunately true. All we ask for is a little sunshine in our lives.

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