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CT MUSING: Raindrops keep fallin' on my head...

Why a UAE winter brings out the best in Enid Parker.

"CATCH A FALLING star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away". Made famous by Italian-American singer Perry Como, these romantic, inspiring lyrics struck a chord one recent rainy afternoon when I happened to re-visit Drew Barrymore's Never Been Kissed, which ranks among my favourite 'chick flicks' of all time, thanks to its genuine warmth, humour and heart.
Catch a Falling Star, the opening song on the film's soundtrack, is performed by the band Block. A slightly alternative-sounding, quirkier version of Como's classic, the track made me extremely upbeat for some reason and also a little nostalgic (but as regular readers would know, there's hardly a time when I'm not).
A song can bring back different memories at different times - that day I was instantly transported to 80's Dubai (again, when am I not) and my school playground (ring a bell?), which resembled an Olympic-sized swimming pool thanks to the morning's downpour.
I've come to realise over the years that rain means different things to different people. Some view it as a nuisance, some as a refreshing change. While constant grey skies (as experienced during the monsoons in India and perhaps even summers in England) can be gloomy for some, random showers accompanied by cool weather (like we tend to have in the UAE) always help me recover from the trauma of a desert summer, which I'm still not 100 per cent used to even after spending so many years here.
Rain has always brought out the best in me, and that wintry morning at school was no different. I remember sitting on the steps outside my classroom with some friends, attempting to make paper boats and sail them in that watery playground while dodging passing teachers (a quaint yet dangerous pastime).
When a holiday for the afternoon shift was announced (thanks to the school grounds filling up and chances of more showers), we realised how lucky we were to be able to experience the rains rather than be holed up at home.
The passing of time hasn't made much of a difference in my thinking. I still get dreamy-eyed in a rainstorm; only instead of making paper boats ( I seem to have lost touch with that art), I put on some music or go back to an old film and let nostalgia take over.
(enid@khaleejtimes.com)