I realized I have many
wrong stereotypes about Africa. I
presumed Africa would be always hot, humid, and no rain. However, it still
rains every day in Sierra Leone. During rainy season between mid-May to mid-November,
so seeing rainy day is common. Sierra Leone is hottest as well as wettest;
average annual temperature is 27 Celsius and rainfall is 3,150mm. I used to ask
Sierra Leoneans which season they prefer, rainy or dry season. All of them who
I asked (Actually, I had only asked 5 or 6 people), answered they like both. I
expected the answer would be rainy or dry because it would be interesting to
know Sierra Leoneans like hot weather or cool weather with rain. There are 4
seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter) in South Korea, so the question
“Which season do you like?” to new people could be so hackneyed, but still, it
would be a good ice-breaking topic. However, since all those 5 or 6 Sierra
Leoneans answered meaninglessly they did not care to choose one and they like
combined one (whole one year), I stopped asking this question. They said both
season are all necessary for a year because rainy season with a lot of stored
water would compensate for dry season without any rain. They can also enjoy
both hot weather during dry season and cool weather during rainy season every
year. That was why their answer is “both.”
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| Overnight rain covered the dirt road in Sherbro Island, Sierra Leone |
Their ability to predict
the weather – by feeling the humidity and temperature, and by observing the
clouds in the sky – in next one hour exactly hit the mark. When I went back to
my guesthouse in Sherbro Island with the project manager, Mr. Musa, he abruptly
told me, “Charles! We need to be hurry.
It will rain soon.” I was rather dubious about his prediction because the
weather seemed to be perfectly fine. So I asked him, “How
do you know?” He smiled faintly, “Look
at the clouds and feel the weather! It is about to rain.” But to me, sky
was just the same sky, and the weather was just the same weather. “Mr. Musa! I don’t still know the
difference!” Luckily, we walked fast and raindrops did not fall until we
got the guesthouse. We chatted a little bit, and he was about to go back to the
office. Just than, a drop of rain started to fall! He showed a triumphant
laugh, “You see? I told you it’s going to
rain!”
Although daily rain cooled
the temperature down, the weather was still hot to me in Sierra Leone. My back
was always sticky with sweat in the blazing sun, so I always waited for rain. I
did not really enjoy the unique sweat smell from my jean; also, taking a step
forward wearing the jean made me feel rather poorly because of the airtight
sweat all over my legs. Much to my regret, rain normally came at late night and
dawn (but it still had lots of rain during the daytime) in June to July. People
told me rain in August and September would become more crazy mainly during the
daytime. I am sorry now that I will not able to see this rainy day because I am
in Tanzania now. I am surprised it is never hot, and it is somewhat piercing
cold at night in Dodoma, Tanzania. Quite opposite to West Africa, it is dry and
almost never rains during June to October, long dry season in Tanzania. You may
pay dearly if you take this cold lightly and wear half sleeve shirt; I have
never imagined I would shiver with cold at night in Africa. I can say weather in
Tanzania is like warm autumn for the daytime. Doing away with stereotypes about Africa should
be continued.
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| Clear and balmy season with pretty clouds in Tanzania |
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