"But lately I've been finding myself wondering idly when it will end. I ask Cambodians, and they say "Soon." But that word, here, means, "sometime between now and then" so I've stopped asking about it. When I get this equivocal answer, I start wondering if I'm going to regret wishing for dry season once it arrives. I guess a good, scientific way to find out what I really want is to make a list of likes and dislikes about rainy season, and see what comes out on top."
Peace Corps Volunteer The Terrace writes: I love rainy season in Cambodia, really I do
Friday, November 7, 2008
A Scientific Approach to Desire
Caption: not a happy monkey by disrupsean Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
I love rainy season in Cambodia, really I do. But lately I've been finding myself wondering idly when it will end. I ask Cambodians, and they say "Soon." But that word, here, means, "sometime between now and then" so I've stopped asking about it. When I get this equivocal answer, I start wondering if I'm going to regret wishing for dry season once it arrives. I guess a good, scientific way to find out what I really want is to make a list of likes and dislikes about rainy season, and see what comes out on top.
Like: I can fall asleep at night to the gentle sound of rain on the roof.
Dislike: I am often woken in the middle of the night by a storm that is trying to come in through my window to shake my hand.
Like: all the plants are a beautiful, lush green.
Dislike: every surface in my town with an elevation lower than 100 m is now a pond, including my school and parts of my front yard.
Like: the rain washes away the accumulated afternoon heat.
Dislike: the rain re-washes clothes that I have left out on the line to dry.
Like: rambutans, papayas, oranges, dragonfruit, and pomelos are ripe during rainy season.
Dislike: Durians, longans, jackfruit, mangoes, manogsteens, and milkfruit are not ripe during rainy season.
Like: rice needs lots of rain to grow.
Dislike: rice needs lots of rain to grow.
Like: getting stuck in a random place by a heavy rainstorm, making conversation with an interesting new person.
Dislike: that little fountain of mud that bike tires kick up when driving over particularly muddy ground.
Eh, it comes out about even. I don't really have much say in the matter anyway, so I guess I'll wish for the world to keep on turning and be satisfied with what outcome that produces.
