Jom Main Hujan!

Paintings I LoveGrowing up, I’ve always been told to avoid being caught in the rain. “You’ll catch the cold,” the elders would say.
Whenever we go out in the rain, we were told to cover our heads. “That’s what umbrellas are for, not just for the sun but also to shield you from the rain,” they told us.
We hardly use the umbrella when in the hot sun. Neither do we do the same when it rains.
I don’t remember having fallen sick after having been caught in the rain, which is often enough these days. Well, I do get the intermittent sniffles but nothing serious enough to warrant hospitalization.
I do remember very well of one occasion of playing in the rain because I hurt myself doing so. I hadn’t started schooling yet but was already in the kindergarten.
We were staying at Jalan Othman in Petaling Jaya. It was raining and my father’s youngest sister took the opportunity to clean the drain around the house. I guessed her rationale back then was with the rain, she needn’t have to drag a pail of water around with her while cleaning the drain.
I tailed closely behind her. But the floor was slippery. I slipped and had a nasty cut and was then taken to the clinic for treatment.
But that wasn’t a big enough lesson to stop me from playing in the rain.
Back then when we say “main hujan”, it simply means to stand in the open air when it rains. I get a kick out of the pitter-patters of rain on my head and water streaming down my face.
We weren’t interested in playing in floodwaters we know how dirty it is. Or even rivers, streams or monsoon drains. We know how dangerous it can be.
There were a few occasions while at school where we had a good time being in the rain.
Once in secondary school, we went against the advice of our hockey coach Mr Raman and played in the rain on the pretext of “seasoning” our brand new hockey sticks. It was only when he came out onto the field and warned us of the possibility of being struck by lightning that we abandoned training. While we were all soaked to the bones, our male coach was using an umbrella!
And being a member of St John’s Ambulance, there were times that my schoolmates and I had to stand in the rain while on duty at sports meets. For as long as they do not abandon the event, we would dutifully be ever ready to serve.
And whenever we were caught in the rain or were deliberately in the rain, the elders would insist that we take off our clothes immediately and head for the shower. And it wasn’t even with hot water!
Doctors will tell you that viruses cause colds and flu. In fact, more than 200 different viruses can cause the common cold.
Colds and flu are also most prevalent in the colder months like now. And I read that flu tends to be rampant when temperatures drop below 41 degrees.
So personally, I think these are just old wives’ tales. Agreed?