People from Ohio always want to talk about the weather. Correct me if I’m wrong, but judging by my relatives this is the truth. I call my dad from Uganda, and after talking about our dog and his latest idea for a book, he seems almost compelled to ask, “So what’s the weather like there now?”
Maybe it’s like a competition. In a state like Ohio where April could have you one day soaking up the sun in flip flops and the next day bundling up for a blizzard, you start feeling pride in the dynamic weather.
Whatever it boils down to, he never gets tired of asking me. So for all my people in Ohio (and other states too, I suppose, I hear Oklahoma also claims to have weather), here is our weather report: Uganda’s weather will give your weather a run for its money.
We’re in one of the rainy seasons, so it’s cool in the mornings. The fan I used last night to fall asleep is now making me feel for a blanket. It blows against the mosquito net, pinning a dozen blood-sucking mosquitos to the mesh, caught throughout the night in the fan’s blast. There are crickets, flies and white ants everywhere this time of year.
In dry season it’s hot by 9AM, but in rainy season we have more respite from the equatorial sun. For Uganda, this is sweater weather. Now is the best time of day to sit outside on my front porch enjoying the cool breeze with a cup of Starbucks VIA (VIA packets are like gold here, by the way. Send VIA). The light at this time is clear, strong, creating sharp contrasts in the leaves of the mango and papaya trees around the house.
In rainy season it’s also common to be trapped by sudden downpours that clear the streets and turn roads into rivers. Here, rain is a perfectly acceptable excuse for being late to work. Only a handful of people drive cars, the rest of us are exposed to the elements on foot, bike, or motorcycle. When the rain comes, everything is on hold. Unless you own a boat.
It could be the lightning that is to blame for our power being out all the time when it rains. My first month here, I read by candlelight every night before bed. The romance does wear off, but for a while it added some extra charm to the Harry Potter books.
Gulu is relatively flat, which gives us the advantage of a low horizon line and vast sky. The sunsets are 360-degrees, and you can stand in the sun, watching the rain pouring from a distance while dark clouds creep closer. Sunshine and rain fall together.
Think people should hear about this?