Monday 28 January 2013

Listmania 2 Best and Worst of the Monsoon

Hooray! it is week two of Listmania with Deb at Home Life Simplified. This week's list is on the best and worst of your current season. I cannot wait to go and check out the other listings at http://www.homelifesimplified.com.au/listmania-two-your-current-season. 

(Apologies for the less than perfect links today. We are in Bangkok and I never blog from the iPad
usually. Now I know why!)


When I tell people I live in South East Asia, they always comment how lovely it must be to always have warm weather. It is true that we never get truly cold weather but we do miss having anything resembling four seasons. Essentially, we have the monsoon (which comes twice a year) and the rest of the year. There are things I love about the monsoon and other things I could live without.

Five Six Things I Love About the Monsoon


  • the cooler temperatures - there is nothing nicer than walking around and not breaking a sweat within the first five minutes. Temperatures between 23 and 28 are so much more manageable than 28 to 35.
  • my daughter's eczema improves greatly in the cooler, humid weather
  • we can stay snug and cozy at home without feeling we must be out and doing things
  • I love the sound of the rain. When it rains in Singapore generally it is absolutely torrential and I love watching it and listening to it cascade down the side of our building
  • Watching thunderstorms is one of my favourite activities and we get a great view of the lightning striking the tall buildings around us and the menacing black clouds descending 
  • Taking my daughter downstairs to splash in puddles in her gumboots and raincoat

Miss S all ready to get out in the rain


Five Things I Dislike About the Monsoon


  • freezing to death on public transport, in malls and supermarkets. It is under twenty degrees on some of the buses. I carry a cardi for both Miss S and myself all the time at this time of year and Miss S still requires cuddles to warm up on a regular basis
  • not being able to get a taxi for love or money when it rains. We have been told the reason is that many drivers go off the roads in bad weather for fear of having an accident and having to pay the first $1000 of repairs. Now that we are carless sometimes we really need a taxi
  • trying to keep all stored linens and clothing mould free. We have had friends lose almost their entire wardrobe after going away over Christmas and not having moisture absorbers in their wardrobes. Everything tends to feel damp and even washing straight from the drier is never entirely dry feeling at this time of year
  • keeping Miss S entertained when it is raining again. Fortunately, her preschool has a good covered outdoor area so she does get to run around at school but we live in a 120 square metre apartment so her opportunities to burn off steam are a bit limited. Thank goodness for the Wiggles to dance along with
  •  I find I have to cook more as it is often raining around dinner time and no one wants to go out and pick up some prata or chicken rice in the rain
How did I forget rainbows?
 Please join in the fun with Listmania at Home Life Simplified. I would love to see what you are loving and less fond of about your current season.

11 comments:

  1. Miss S looks very cute in her raincoat!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love the sound of rain and watching thunderstorms. As long as I'm at home.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Little duck, so cute! I am glad I don't have to deal with monsoons.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh it's great to see the positives and negatives from a different country! I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love to read about your daily life in Singaporem, it is so different from living in Sweden up in the north.

    ReplyDelete
  6. i'm with you.. freezing cold in the buses/trains and malls.. what gives? can't they up the temp a bit? haha..

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh that would be so frustrating trying to keep everything mould free! I know that here after just a few days of rain and high humidity I'm going spare trying to get, and keep, everything dry. Listening to the sound of falling rain is nice though :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have never experienced monsoon season I was so fascinated by your list and the raincoat pic is totally adorable

    ReplyDelete
  9. I enjoyed your list, and that pic of your cutie in her raincoat!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi, great list, I forgot about the mould issues with humidity, I remember it building up around the windows in Auckland, we don't get it here in Perth where we live. xxx Rae

    ReplyDelete
  11. you have taken me right back to when we lived in bangkok - going from hellish humidity into arctic aircon over and over.

    i used to laugh when it was cooler (but still hot) and all the thais would move onto long sleeves and coats - for me it was a move from sleeveless to short sleeves!! LOL

    ReplyDelete