Pain and Shine

It was the usual Singaporean day, with a bright, sunny sky and not a cloud in sight. And, also in typical fashion, the world suddenly turned dark as the heavens opened.

- AMANDA VARGAS

“Come outside! It’s raining!” my family called to me. “In a minute!” I answered. My family has always loved the rain showers that

seem so frequent in this tropical city. When we first moved here, we did not expect that the sunny days of Singapore would be accompanied by heavy torrents of rain. I was surprised by the intensity and frequency of the rain showers, and for a time I found the cold rain refreshing.

However, I soon realised that the drops in temperature, especially on cold rainy mornings and afternoons, were having an effect on my body. When the weather turned, my body’s sense of coldness increased, especially in my hands and feet. I took to wearing socks and warm items to preserve the heat in my system, but a sense of cold had seeped in and remained with me even on warmer days.