After the heat of the last few days, yesterday brought the heaviest rain I’ve seen in a while. Around 4pm, the clouds and rain showers spilling over the hills in the distance, marking the rim of the Rift Valley, were beautiful to watch. At 4.55pm the rain hit the college. At home we simply do not get rain like the torrential downpour that hit us. The temperature dropped and we were then faced with a choice between heading home before it got heavier, or waiting to see if it would stop soon. So we waited. The rain got heavier, a lot heavier. A small group of Ethiopian staff watched with amazement and horror as we decided to cycle home anyway. Better to be wet for 10 mins and be home than stuck at college for an unknown period of time. Ethiopians tend to regard rain as if it is strong acid: stop all activities, forget appointments and stay out of it. As we cycled off some of them looked as if they would never see us again. Crazy Ferenji heading into the rain to be dissolved.

The “long rains” are not due to start until June or July and we might be experiencing the first signs of their early arrival. The usual dramatic wall of dark cloud approached the college this afternoon and erupted into a hailstorm. I had the surreal experience of standing in my office covered in a clammy layer of sweat and with my shoes off due to uncomfortably hot feet, watching hailstones coming in through the open window.

I’m really growing to love my HDP group. I don’t really know what they think of me, although they do say they very much appreciate what they learn on the course, but I see them making progress and developing. I spent my session on Wednesday facilitating some activities designed to help them develop their reflection skills. Tomorrow will be starting to work with the Physics Dept. There’s lots to be done but I have to figure out ways of working with the Physics staff so they identify what needs to be done and how to do it. Whatever we work on has to be sustainable so it thrives without us.