By Drew McCreadie
LIVE comedy and the rain are the direct nemeses of each other, like a superhero and super-villain born to battle each other until the soggy yet hilarious end of time. Live comedy, wrapped in the red cape of stage curtains, brings joy and happiness to the world, whereas rain, clad in a cheap one-use-only disposable rain poncho from 7-11, brings nothing but depression and despair (and water for crops so there is food to eat, I will give it that). But other than the life-giving nature of rain, there is nothing good about it!
| As someone who rides a motorbike around Bangkok, I admit that I hate the rain and those cheap one-use-only disposable rain ponchos. The next downpour seems inevitably connected directly to the ignition of my motorbike. And it seems like the rainy season has come a bit early this year. So my hatred is due to arrive with torrential force soon too. And so, it is vital that I take steps to counter the negativity, anger, aggression, and general whining that accompanies the arrival of this oh-too-long season. Scientific studies have proven that inclement weather can have a direct influence on one’s mood, so it’s not just me saying this. Science is saying it too, and science knows its stuff. Serotonin is released into the blood stream whenever we are happy, like when the sun is shining or when we are enjoying live comedy, but that same serotonin is ejected from the body in streams of blinding laser beams of fiery hate whenever the skies cloud over. Serotonin is pure happiness. To be depleted of serotonin causes depression and sadness. The lack of vitamin D (the ‘D’ stands for “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”) that comes from long periods of rain also depresses the immune system, making us all vulnerable to other people’s annoying behaviour and irritating stupidity. There are two ways to deal with this situation. The first is to create sunlight; prayers and virgin offerings have proven ineffective, or at least unreliable, making this a difficult approach. The second option is to deliberately put yourself in the way of comedy. Live comedy in particular, with the group dynamic of sharing a laugh with others, has also been proven by science to have enormous benefits to the human body. Of course, when the weather is bad, and one is feeling lethargic, there is a tendency to batten down the hatches, stay inside and try to ride out the season, thereby avoiding contact with other people in social settings. This is the exact opposite of what one should be doing. To counter the mood altering effects of bad weather, take deliberate steps to stay active (or increase activity), engage in more social outings (get out of the house), and find activities that give you joy, happiness, and most important of all laughs (go see some live comedy). The English language comedy scene in Bangkok is growing, with several shows being offered each week throughout the city. Make sure to take advantage, and keep yourself happy during this miserable, terrible, soul-destroying, awful, soggy, useless, rotten, good-for-nothing (other than life-giving) season. comedyclubbangkok.com |  |
