And then came the rain

After 3 months of hot, dry heat the rain came down. It made a dramatic entrance. I was playing basketball in Kalabancoura and the winds came and created a semi-dust storm across the court. We went back to playing and the rain started a slow constant dribble down for a couple hours - we were able to keep playing and it was delightful.

The next day Bamako basked in the cool afterglow. The air was pregnant with humidity. The rain made the whole city more manageable - it was a good 10 degrees cooler in the morning and it was half as dusty. That afternoon - it poured. The first storm lasted only a couple of minutes. My TAs came into my house and promptly fell asleep on my couches. Rain is a serious sedative in Mali. Malians love to sleep when it rains. Often, you will find people late to work or meetings on rainy days because everyone has been sleeping in. Drissa still finds it extra hard to get up on rainy days.

Later that evening it poured and poured. I had just gone to play pickup and was drenched with sweat. A friendly teacher from the American school offered his pool - I jumped in and shortly after the rain came down. This time a hard and steady dream of droplets for a good hour. The pool suddenly felt warm and it seemed like paradise.

That night - it rained and rained all night. My dog was drenched and a bit baffled. In her short 8 month life - she hasn't yet witnessed rainy season. All she knows is the hot and the dry. She jumped on the door barking all night wanting to come inside. This I thought - she will have to get used to. Rainy season lasts about 3 months. I slept really well.

Yesterday's interviews were great. The city was cool, the dust was minimal, and everyone had slept well the night before. People were jovial and talkative. I never in my life thought I would write a blog post about weather.