The Rainy Season

The Weather Outside is Frightful

Being from California really has spoiled me as far as weather is concerned. No, I’m not from Southern California. Where I’m from is not beautiful, sunny and warm all the time. It gets cold, but not that cold. It doesn’t rain much and even when a storm comes, it’s not usually that windy. The heat? That’s a different story. It has gotten up to 112 degrees before. That’s not pleasant weather.

It’s like breathing water

I guess that the hardest part for most people is the humidity in the summer. Personally, I prefer it to be humid rather than dry. I have dry skin and sinus problems, so I’m actually more comfortable in humidity. However, there is one time of year that this frog like man has a problem too.

When it rains, it pours

In tropical areas of the world, they have a rainy season and some places have a monsoon season. I guess the difference is in the amount of rain that they get. For those of us from dryer areas, there are seasons when rains can come and seasons when rains don’t usually come. And if it rains more than 3 days in a row, look out!

The rainy season in Japan usually begins toward the end of June. So that means that we are in it now. Actually, it’s late this year. In the past few years it seems to have been getting later.

What’s that smell?

The difference with the rainy season is that it can rain a lot. I think the worst I experienced was when it rained for 5 straight days! But that’s not the worst part. The air is heavy with moisture, very heavy. Again, for me that’s not a huge problem. I love it. Unfortunately, so does the mold. Mold of many colors can be found. Showers and sinks need frequent cleaning. Towels never seem to dry well and underclothes are… well, let’s just say that it’s not pleasant.

April showers bring May flowers

That’s the expression that is taught to kids back home when they complain about the rain. Japan is a very green place. My home is a very brown place. Honestly, either way, I don’t care. I’ve learned to deal with the rainy season and I think most expats do too. Although, those from cooler climates seem to have a really big adjustment!