Date:12/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/12/stories/2006051213480200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Caught in the rain, unawares

Staff Reporter

Teenagers have been forced to be confined to their homes, giving up their vacation plans

Many have taken to indoor games and reading

Some go on long drives or laze out in the balconies watching the rain

Bangalore: Mother Nature has put an effective stop to every single activity that is an inherent part of any teenager's summer vacation — summer camps, foreign language classes, warm lazy days spent swimming and sunbathing, spending time at coffee houses, playing cricket and basketball for hours on end and aimlessly roaming the streets, window shopping or simply watching the world go by.

The heavy rain that has been lashing the city for the past few days have forced teenagers across the city to be confined to their homes.

And since outdoor games are out of the question, board games and reading have found new life.

Ruchika Bhadauria, a student of Mount Carmel College, says there is nothing she enjoys more than cuddling up on her couch with a blanket and a book, watching the rain. Many others are more comfortable web-gaming and surfing the internet. The internet offers them the comfort of being able to chat for hours with their friends without having to undergo the discomfort of walking in the rain to meet them.

Rainy days even bring about a change in appetite. Frappes and moccachillos are replaced with steaming hot cappucchinos and chai. Traditional Indian snacks like spicy "samosas" and "chaats" are never enjoyed more than on a rainy day.

Pia Sodhi, a native of Chandigarh, loves the weather and says that it does not prevent her from going for a long drive. Pia also says that the one reason she loves the south is because of its unexpected summer showers and pungent South Indian food.

Trisha Thomas from Christ College says that she just sits in front of the television drinking coffee and enjoys that as much as she does hanging out with her friends. Kriti Rao, a first year dental student from KIMS, says that when she is held up at home she enjoys cooking because rainy days increase her appetite.

However, there is a large group of teenagers in the city who love rainy days. To them, rainy weather does not mean gloomy days imprisoned at home. They enjoy walks in the rain, long drives, spending time in balconies and terraces simply watching the rain and enjoying the capriciousness of its changing faces and rhythms.