Small talk that fits the season marks you as somebody living in Kerala rather than passing through. Class 129 gave you the Malayalam calendar. This is its conversational companion. Month by month you learn what is on people's minds, from the cool, pleasant weeks of January and the hard heat of April, through the monsoon with its floods and alerts, to the second rains and the cool end of the year, with ready sentences for each season. Words and phrases in this class: തണുപ്പുണ്ട് (thanuppundu) – there is a chill നല്ല കാലാവസ്ഥയാണ് (nalla kaalaavasthayaanu) – the weather is nice നല്ല ചൂടാണ് (nalla choodaanu) – it's very hot വെള്ളക്ഷാമം (vellakshaamam) – water scarcity വെള്ളത്തിന് ബുദ്ധിമുട്ടുണ്ടോ? (vellathinu buddhimuttundo?) – is there trouble getting water? റിസൾട്ട് വന്നോ? (result vanno?) – have the results come? വേനൽമഴ (venalmazha) – pre-monsoon summer rain മഴ എപ്പോൾ വരും? (mazha eppol varum?) – when will the rain come? നല്ല മഴയാണ് (nalla mazhayaanu) – it's raining hard ഇവിടെ വെള്ളം കയറിയോ? (ivide vellam kayariyo?) – did water come in here? എല്ലാവർക്കും കുഴപ്പമില്ലേ? (ellaavarkkum kuzhappamille?) – is everyone all right? തുലാവർഷം (thulaavarsham) – the second monsoon കല്യാണം എപ്പോഴാണ്? (kalyaanam eppozhaanu?) – when is the wedding? In this class: • January and February: the cool season and exam pressure • March to May: heat, water, results and waiting for the monsoon • June to August: the monsoon, flooding and asking after people • The rest of the year: the second rains, the wedding season and the cool return Quizzes below. Dr. Reshmi R Nair — SpeakMalayalam.