Entries this day: Rain

Rain

(uploaded 2:05pm JST Saturday 16 October 2010 (day 14815))

When it "rains" in Tokyo, and all the umbrellas come out, I usually say "that's not rain; that's what I'd call humidity."

In Houston, when it rains, it's like boom. Rain. An inch per hour. Two inches per hour. I don't remember zackly, but it doesn't mess around. It sprays ＊down＊.

(now I'll grant Houston isn't the rainiest place on earth, but Tokyo isn't even the rainiest place in some deserts.)

Usually.

Today, it's raining. Streets are filled with 6 inches (15cm) of water around my house. It's gushing down. I even brought an umbrella!

TJ Bike and I love it! We were singing new rain songs as his tires cut through six inches of water and utterly drenched my feet (*). I held fast to handlebar and umbrella in common Japanese fashion (forget bike safety; we can do anything with our free hands while riding a bike) and wove deftly between the people weaving between puddles or in some cases, standing next to puddles that covered the entire street for blocks.

(* I've been wearing sandals each day since July)

I got to the bicycle parking lot to park TJ Bike with a huge smile on my face as we surfed through the lake-street out front. There were several customers, I thought, considering the rain, but going to work is tiptop important here.

I parked TJ Bike on the first level and headed out into the liquid entertainment. As I walked directly through the flooded street, my flipfloppy sandals flipped water up onto the backs of my legs. Took the sandals off and barefoot through the water I splashed to the station.

Got to the very last 25 meters where a street adjacent the entrance acts as a wind tunnel and many umbrellas give their lives in service. I knew that from experience, plus, I could clearly see the wall of rain pouring down, versus a wall of rain blowing sideways. Closed my umbrella and ran barefoot across the street mock-yelling champion!!! as umbrellas around me flipped inside out.

The stairs were crowded with people looking out into the rain, and as I went up, I heard a student say to his friend, "cool! Barefoot!" (すごい裸足だ!) I smiled to myself a

I'm actually surprised the trains were running right on time; the rain was that effective, but the trains moreso. I got a ticket for the 8:05 and we're now about to arrive in Shibuya ( takes that long to write on my iPhone). No backpack + computer today. iPhone in plastic bag sealed and dry. And now it's pretty much dry outside, not even what I'd call humid.

Thank you fun rainy day!!!