Rain

It is raining once again, it started sometime around 8 and could continue all night.  It should cool things off a bit, but it often doesn't.  I was told that the amount of rain they've had this month is very unusual for this time of year and that even the old farmers are surprised.  The rice doesn't seem to mind though. 

7 p.m. the sun sets and at 7 a.m. it will rise again, and on and on and on for eternity here at the equator.  The weather report remains static as well.  Unlike the barely discernible seasons in San Francisco that made me long for the autumn that never came every year, the constant sameness of the days here has a calming quality that helps to bring me into the present moment.  I'm not exactly sure why.  It could also be the surroundings, the comings and goings of the many different people who occupy this shared space at various times of the day, the increasingly familiar faces of those that live here or nearby.

It has been just over a week since our arrival yet it feels more like two weeks or more have passed already.  There is much to take in and everyday offers opportunities to see a little more of the details that I hadn't noticed.  Nobody walks here, everyone is either on a scooter or less frequently in a car.  Riding a bicycle has not been recommended but you still see some people doing it.  Mostly foreigners or young boys riding around town near the soccer field.  I like walking though, but safety and practicality will likely find us on a motorbike by the end of the week.  I have seen more than one parent with three small children riding around. They always put the smallest one on the front, which seems insane, but most people drive pretty safely and I have yet to see an accident.  Still not sure I want to strap Vaughn across my lap to go bumping through the monkey forest.  I'll make sure to get some video when we do.