At the mercy of Weather Gods

A Saturday, mid-Dec, 2007 -
Event: Kindergarten Sports day @ Magic Puddles
Venue: Open Sports Ground
Weather conditions - its raining the previous day as we are getting the ground ready, putting tracks, shifting props.
Our reactions: Bangalore weather sucks (you don't get to hear this very often now, do you?).Can you imagine, rain at the offset of winter??? Should we postpone the event? No, that's really painful. Let's just go ahead.
Following actions: We got an overhead cover for the audience area and one in the middle of the ground for the kids. Someone says keep a picture of Lord Ganesha looking back to stop the rain(??) Strange one - but yeah lets do it!
On the D-day - the sun is shining nice and bright. After a few wisecracks with the audience about the weather, we are ready to begin the event. The sun gets really hot over the next two hours and we are happy to have the overhead cover. And we all whisper a prayer of gratitude to Lord Ganesha (Ganpati bappa morya!)Ah well, all in a day's work!

A Saturday, End-Nov, 2008 -
Event: Kindergarten Sports day @ Magic Puddles (a year later). Remember it rained last year in Dec, so lets finish off the event before December sets in
Venue: Open Sports Ground (again!)
Weather conditions - its been raining for the ENTIRE week :O! And weather forecasting websites are predicting thunderstorms on the D-day.
Our reactions: Bangalore weather sucks (ok, we've heard that one before!)Should we postpone the event? Definitely yes!
Following actions: Event pushed by a week (all 443 weather websites we are following say it'll be clear weather). And let's get an overhead cover for the entire area, just in case! Parents are unhappy with the change in date, endless phone calls and email exchanges. A lot of work to be re-done from our end as well. But we are not willing to take a chance.
On the original D-day - very light drizzle early hours of the morning and then clear weather. We imagine all the parents cursing us. Plus the skies refuse to clear through the week, so even until the following Friday, we are not sure how the weather will be on Saturday (obviously we've given up on weather forecasts and are now relying on Ganesha!). Thankfully weather is alright on Saturday. So with apologies for the event being pushed by a week and some more wisecracks about the weather, we pull of the event without a hitch. Ah well, all in a.....

A Saturday, first weekend of Nov, 2009 -
Event: Kindergarten Sports day @ Magic Puddles (yet another year later). Let's do the event as early as possible this year.
Venue: Open Sports Ground
Weather conditions - OH MY GOD, our neighbour chennai is close to flooding thanks to an unpredicted depression over the sea! And Bangalore is cloudy, raining only late nights. And thunderstorm predicted on the D-day.
Our reactions: Should we postpone the event? No way, it's way to painful, let's just go ahead!
Following actions: Everyone has fingers crossed as the shamiana is being erected on Friday evening. We all are ardently praying as we go to bed. Several of us checking the night skies through the night. Not a drop of water - what a relief!

oh oh! Spoke too early! Drizzle starts at 3:30 AM and eventually proper showers until 5:30 AM. Too late to push the event, let's just take it as it comes.

Ground wet - get extra mud, get the roller

Overhead cover leaking - get the buckets, drain the water

Chairs all wet - keep wiping them till guests arrive

Children's area wet - get water proof sheets under the mats

ok everything under control, except the drizzling that won't stop.

Until 8:30 AM - skies look clearer - phew!

And so we started our Sports Day last weekend. The kids had practised hard for the event, their teachers even harder. And the efforts showed. Parents loved seeing the little ones participate in the opening ceremony, the drill, the races. Everything is going fine until 11:00 AM - when uh oh - thick black clouds and it ACTUALLY starts to rain - right in the MIDDLE of the event - our worst fears confirmed!

And guess what, the skies didn't fall on our heads (atleast not literally!). Parents willingly adjust to avoid the leaking and continue to enjoy the event. We avoid all wet patches, and start the parent-child races. The audience loves it - through the rain and the dripping and the wet patches, we have parents and children having loads of fun!

Ah well, all in a day's work!

PS thank god we didnt postpone the event - its raining even as i write this blog three days later :)