Rain banishes Sunday morning blues for young schoolgoers in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: The morning shower brought cheer to many young schoolgoers amidst regular Sunday morning blues.

"I love the rain, but my mother wouldn't let me play outside," protested 8-year-old Adarsh Shahani, over the forbiddance of a rare opportunity to enjoy the rain clad in his school uniform. "Usually I get to see the rain only when I go for vacation to India," he says.

Waiting for her school bus to show up in the morning is not a favourite thing for Aysha Rafiyudeen, who is in kindergarten. However, the prospect of showing off her rainbow coloured mini umbrella made her sprung up from her bed, says her mother.

The chitter-chatter at the school bus stops was louder than usual with ‘who owns the better umbrella' conversations.

"He is a regular crybaby, even he is quiet today," snapped an elder sibling at her brother, 3-year-old Mohammad Hafshan. Hafshan got enrolled to pre-school this September and is still not over with morning tantrums.

Sporting a cap with words 'No Fear' written on it, he too was happy today to embark on the school bus trip.

Meanwhile, for residents hailing from countries were rain is a common affair, unlike the UAE, it was time to go down the memory of rainy days back home.

Seema Nair, a homemaker, said rain evokes nostalgic memories of her childhood.

"I remember the my school days ... alking to school with friends and how you get fed up when the non-stop downpour ruins plans of playing outside during the evenings."

"It is a welcome change in the overall parched mood due to rising cost of living and increasing job insecurity," said David Shaw, who works as an engineer.

However, he added that he is not very happy about missing his regular morning walk along the Corniche.