Attaqs mumtar: Rainy Weather

Rain. It really is absolutely wonderful. I know that people talk about going out dancing in the rain, and I’ve jumped in a fair amount of giant puddles in my day, but I’ve gained such an appreciation for it here.

Oman isn’t in desperate need for water. I'm not sure how, but there a giant reservoirs below the city and they are pumped up though certain points. Little trucks drive around the city, bringing water to the houses to pump through the pipes. Our water guy comes every day. We use about 50 gallons? Washing clothes is normal, dishes, hands, showers. I do close to what I would do in the US. Obviously conserving water is still important, but there isn’t a dire shortage. The interior may be different. It likely is. 

The weather really is different, though. To preface, Oman's climate is extremely varied as one crosses over the mountains from the desert to the sea. There’s even snow on the top of the mountains at times. It still gets SO hot, though. And so humid. The entire summer is 50 degrees Celsius day and night (115ish F), but really, it’s likely much hotter. The government is required to call a national holiday for any weather over 50 so it very, very rarely goes over that. I’ve been told that showers are nearly impossible in the summer except for the middle of the night or very early morning for fear of burning yourself. So the rain we've been experiencing these past few weeks offers quite a change. The "cold" weather is spoken about with just the same happiness, although I don’t think they’re ready for Michigan winters. Cold weather here is about 65 F. 

At this point, though, I may be more excited for the rain than others. I just had a nice little conversation with my host dad about the storm last night that I slept through. He had been laughing at me while I had been running in the drizzle in front of our porch. A little while after the rain stopped, I headed back into the house. Minutes later he called me back to the porch where he is sitting doing work to show me the rain that started to pour again.

Further south in Oman on the other side of the desert, the Dhofar region maintains this miracle-esque rainfall throughout the summer. Unlike the north with only periodic rainy weather, the rain continues to pour throughout the season. A dreary desert becomes a tropical, rainy, misty, and green paradise. It's not as flashy as nearby Dubai, but the region attracts many tourists and is even believed to be Bountiful, paradise, for many Mormons. People of all sorts swarm in by the thousands, multiplying the population of the tiny town every summer/fall. Heavy rainfall and scores of camels populate the region.

Now in my home, as I hear little rumbles of thunder, and hear glops of rain hit the tile outside of our home, I can’t help but to smile just a little bit. It's just another day in Oman. :)