There are zillions of possibilties when it rains or just during moments before and after the downpours.
During the small world of my younger days, especially during the school holidays between 1962 and 1974, any rain in the evening was a welcomed item for me but to the chagrin of my parents. Mom and dad would say: “The frog will make a celebratory sound when it is about to rain or when it starts to pour.” This was actually comparing lazy me to the frog which would make cheery noise prior to a downpour so that the next day there was no necessity to wake up early and be ready to toil it out among the rubber trees. Rubber tapping was the last item in my list of priorities for any day, as opposed to those of my parents who knew our expenses depended solely on the sale of rubber. No rubber sheet to sell meant no cash to spend. That was why rubber tapping was really vital and I knew it but any good excuse not to do it (tapping rubber) such as the wet bark of the rubber trees after a downpour or a current downpour, was a welcomed change.
There were days that I thought of outsmarting my elder brother Jon, six years my senior – and to impress our parents – by adding water to top up the collected latex. But unknowingly, Jon also did the same thing and that many times it took more than double the time for the latex to coagulate not to mention the extra quantity of formic acid applied as there was too much water content. Our parents knew about this and pointed the fingers at me for being the culprit though I only did it not more than three times. Jon pleaded guilty to such folly when we reminisced the days of our rubber tapping decades later, when such toil was history.
Rain causes much inconvenience to farmers, for part from not being able to carry on with rubber tapping, rain would disturb other farming activities. Though at times farmers are grateful for any rain which is vital for the healthy growth of their crops, rainy weather will disrupt their farming schedule, especially during shifting cultivation’s burning season, formerly usually done in August through to September. But heavy rain may potentially cause flooding, especially for wet paddy fields. And prolonged flooding will certainly destroy the crops, including the main crop, paddy.
Stories about Iban people in the early days of civilisation have it that they did not know how to shelter themselves from the rains. That was the very reason they lived in the caves, a natural formation, needing no man-made roof or wall. It took a small boy, aged eight, to be emulated by the adults when he used some big leaves to shelter himself from the rain while on a journey back from their farm to a cave where their communal dwelling was situated.
It was in fact upon discovering that leaves could help shelter from the rain that the idea of staying under a roof of leaves and other materials was established. After that discovery, longhouses were built. That revolutionised the mode of community dwelling from caves to longhouses. And when it rained, the Iban ethnic group roughly about 27 or 28 traceable generations began to feel secured and protected under their roofs of leaves, wood and even tree barks. Rain no longer brought them so much misery and anxiety as it did before. If they had no idea of staying overnight at their farms and commuted daily over a journey that would take hours on foot, with the new idea of sheltering from the rain, they started building individual hovels and became residential at their own farms, saving so much time and energy.
Of course when it rains, most outdoor activities stop – with the exceptions of a few of course. Important stages of games played on open air stadiums or venues such as American football, soccer and others are supposed to continue under the rain. In horse racing, for example, rain is a welcomed change of luck for horses that favour ‘heavy going’. This is a horse racing term referring to a race run under the rain, heavy or light. After the rain, the racing ground is wet and that is called ‘soft going’. These two situations of the racing ground give advantage to starters (referring to horses that start in the race) that favour one or both. Another going in between ‘soft’ and ‘good’ is ‘yielding’ and is favoured by certain horses.
In my own experience as horse racing punter, ‘heavy’ or ‘soft’ going used to provide a few moments of good luck as these are usually the opportunities for starters with ‘long shot’, usually termed as ‘outsiders’ to triumph. I recall in February 1986 as a beginner, I bet heavily (both for win and place) on an outsider by the name of Corbachon during an Ipoh race. It was ridden by then young Jockey I. Azhar (Azhar bin Ismail), well-known for causing upsets. Run on a ‘heavy going’ field, Corbachon led from start to finish by a distance over 1,600 metres and paid a handsome dividend of RM217 for win and RM93 for place. It was my richest ever offcourse win at then Padungan Turf Club, a site now occuppied by MBKS complex, thanks to the moderate rain in Ipoh.
In the bigger picture rains have caused havoc to many parts of the world whereby floods ruined homes, towns and even big cities. Apart from Kuching, Kuala Lumpur, Penang’s George Town and other urban and rural centres in Malaysia, cities in the United States of America especially Jersey City and Trenton City both in the state of New Jersey as well as other cities in nearby states were badly flooded in 2014 that the floods caused our order of Elvis Presley custom-made spectacles to be delayed by a month. The principal stockist in Jersey City could not send us (Elvis Presley Fan Club Sarawak) the items speedily as all Internet transactions were stalled due to floods. I am sure many people in Sarawak have come across news of flooding in the state over the years that brought miseries to the state’s population, including loss of lives to their loved ones. In Kuala Lumpur and other urban as well as rural centres in West Malaysia, floods that inundated factories, offices, shops, homes, roads and residential areas over the years have led to losses amounting to millions of ringgit. To state the obvious, downpours that caused flooding are the culprits leading to homes being evacuated and victims transferred to centres for days, even weeks.
Floods make rivers to swell and seas that are dangerous and thereby depriving fishermen of their livelihood. In Sarawak, those depending on rivers for transport and water supply will find it dangerous to travel and bathe. For longhouse residents, rainy season is the good time for family bonding. My late grand uncle Ngelambai Rembuyan would call all his young proteges to start poker session ala longhouse using multi-coloured rubber bands as bets. For adults, it is a good time to indulge in indoor activities including modern card games as well as traditional and cultural pursuits. Others would find these moments to be ‘productive’ in whatever sense one thinks are applicable.
Meanwhile rain or no rain teachers, office workers and many others need to report for work or duties. Shops, supermarkets, banks, betting counters, et cetera will open accordingly even if it rains cats and dogs.
