raindrops keep falling on my head

When preparing to come to Malaysia, I knew two things for sure; that it was going to be really hot, and there would eventually be a rainy season.

Even though it's been the rainy season for a while now, I still feel like I have no idea what to expect or that I have a very good sense of what "the rainy season" means.

I do, however, know these things.

It is important to always bring an umbrella and shut your windows when you leave the house.
The wind picks up about a minute before it is going to downpour-- I can predict it with 100% accuracy.
It's not uncommon for it to rain multiple times a day or for the rain to last only a few minutes. At the same time, it has now been raining for three days straight.
Streets flood. Sometimes students miss school because of rain.
I have been wearing sweatpants to bed the entire week, a sweater during the day, and have been wishing for a second blanket.

I'm aware that these things may not be an actual definition of the rainy season. I still feel as though I don't really know what it is.

One thing that IS apparent is that Malaysia becomes a different place in the rain. Deafeningly loud frogs serenade me from the gutter outside my apartment. Beady eyes appear in the darkness. Insects swarm and worms crawl. A whole plethora of noises and smells awaken, and a cool breeze rushes into the house. Clothes and papers are damp (and stay damp), and the chilly air bounces off the concrete walls.

The effects of the rain contend-- trapped without my umbrella, my thoughts are drawn to those caught in the rain, lacking shelter, while the rain replenishes and cools, leaving a paint-by-number canvas where every number is filled with green.

forecast for tomorrow? hmm. my guess is rain.