Why Chennai monsoons are an acceptable nuisance....sometimes.

Situated on the eastern coast 700 km from the southern tip of India, Chennai's tropical climate is very different from many of the other parts of the country, or I would even dare to say, many other parts of the world.  The city lies on the "thermal equator" which, according to Wikipedia, 'is a belt encircling the Earth, defined by the set of locations having the highest mean annual temperature at each longitude around the globe.'

   Source: http://www.panasianbiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/chennai.jpg

So basically Chennai is hot and humid all year round (ick) except during the monsoons (yay)... which for Chennai-ites happen twice a year – one from June to August and the second from October-December.  While the monsoon offer a much- needed respite from the heat, it often comes with its own unique challenges... buuut, I would still argue that sometimes the nuisance offers an acceptable alternative... it just depends on how willing you are to get your feet wet. Literally.

6.  Rainy sunday birthdays = Perfect excuse for a 12-hour bash?
No one wants to go outside when it's raining continuously so why not just stay indoors and extend what was planned to be a 4-hour brunch into my.longest.birthday.party.ever. (in a good way).  We avoided the rain AND danced till December 6th.  Thanks to all who made my birthday romba fun :)

5.  48 hours of continuous rain = Dominos home delivery?
Wait, is this the second time I've referred to Dominos delivery and that too in consecutive posts?  Awkward.  No, but seriously, it rained for 48-hours straight putting any U.S. rainstorm to shame (except for lack of thunder and lightening).  While never a fan of Dominos in the States, there's something about the pizza here... maybe it's the wheat thin crust option or maybe it's because they deliver in 20 minutes.  Ah-mazing.

4.  Pothole Nagar = A neighborhood obstacle course?
Just west of Besant Nagar is an area I now refer to as 'Pothole Nagar.'  As the name indicates, it's literally a street full of potholes, which become even worse during the monsoons, filling with dirty rain water and turning the road into an obstacle course for pedestrians, 2-wheelers and cars alike.  In addition to being gross and slightly dangerous, I shake my head in pity for its residents every time I pass it.  I guess a neighborhood obstacle course makes my commute a daily adventure and is a good practical test of my scooter skills.  I guess?

3.  Water highs = Temperature lows?
When this north-east monsoon hits, Chennai receives most of its seasonal rainfall which means cooler than normal weather (ya-hoo!).  For the first time since I've lived in Chennai, I actually opened my winter clothes box because of the weather outside and not just blaring AC in office (and to my delight found a sweatshirt that didn't reek of mothballs).  I went to sleep wearing 3 layers + a blanket + fans only to protect me from the mosquitoes... because it was... 70°F!  Romba romba cold.  Most of us figured this was the coldest temperature ever recorded in Chennai but were surprised to find the coldest was actually a whopping 60.4°F

2.  No place to hang laundry = Don't have to do laundry?
This one is pretty self-explanatory... but along those same lines... if you don't have clean underwear left = wear your swimsuit to work day.  While it does make it feel like a beach party could begin at any moment, it also is just, um, slightly uncomfortable.

1.  Water logging = Rain day!
Water logging is a result of poorly designed sewer systems to drain rain water.  In a place like Chennai, where monsoons are part of life, it seems pretty weird that they haven't solved the problem yet.  So, as a result, after crazy rains, the streets look like rivers and lakes with water up to 1.5 feet deep.  No joke.  It's like a dengue breeding ground not to mention impossible for pedestrians and motorists to travel.  While it usually motivates me to take a taxi, stay in or just suck it up and pray rat urine disease is not a real thing, it also was just cause for an official work 'rain day' last week (aka we didn't have to go to work!).  Aside from being the best post birthday present ever, it made me feel like a kid again and allowed me to re-live the joy of snow days.  Why be sad there's no snow when you have rain?  Rain, rain don't go away... I'm hoping for another rain day :)