[EN] Tropical Monsoon

In the heart of every Intaki lays a shared nostalgia for the tropical monsoon.

The tropical monsoon climate experiences abundant rainfall like that of the tropical rain forest climate, but it is concentrated in the high-sun season. Intakis have more than 90 words to define rain.

On Intaki V the rainy season is nothing but dantean, especially around the tropics, on the edges of the equatorial ocean. It lasts more than three months; everything from people to places and objects get wet and cannot be dried properly. All you can do is wait until the rain stops... And it can last several days.
This is a good way of defining an intaki character : two men under the rain, one is running around, looking for a shelter and railing against the rain, the other one is staying still, with a pathetic palm leaf over his head (Totoro style), contemplating the rain. Which one is Intaki ?

Other intaki colonies do also experience their rainy season: Frarie VII, Harroule IV, Brarel II...
Monsoon rains impact the health of the Intaki economy; good monsoons correlate with a booming economy. Weak or failed monsoons (droughts) result in widespread agricultural losses and substantially hinder overall economic growth.The rains reduce temperatures and replenish groundwater tables, rivers, and lakes.

Typical intaki sayings refer to the monsoon:
"No need to worry, the rain will tell."
"Like an ox-cart driver in monsoon season, one must sometimes go forward by going back."

Famous intaki monsoon ragas:
"I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain"

"I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods, Nature then takes me, to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens…
The voice of Thunder declares my arrival
The rainbow announces my departure
I am like earthly life, which begins at
The feet of the mad elements and ends
Under the upraised wings of death"

"Then the winds blow…
Then the lightning’s fall…
Then, the flora sprouts and grows
Then the space overflows,
Then the land prepares for the welfare
When Parjanya the Rain God protects the earth by waters!"

update: More about rain by Mammal Tafren on his excellent blog!
NK

sources:
www.esamskriti.com
wikipedia.org
www.ask.com