Interlude

I'm getting ahead of myself, but it's a fun diversion, I assure you.

For the most part, my route to school has been a brief 10 minute bike ride to the local JR (Japan Rail) station, followed by a 2 minute ride on the train to the next station over, followed by a 10 minute walk to school. Once it cools down a bit, I'll start biking to school and save myself the 3 bucks for a round trip on the train.

Except for today. In the recent local news is the latest typhoon to hit southern Japan, Typhoon #10 (tai-fuu 10-gou). It should pass by Satuday morning, but the leading edges of it hit Fukuoka Prefecture this morning. As I looked out the window, I noticed it was raining a bit. So donning my purpose bought raincoat, I trundled outside. As I started my walk (20 minutes), as I didn't really trust myself to a bike in the rain, I noticed that it was starting to rain harder. By the time I got to the local (different from the JR line) tracks, it was a torrential downpour.

Now, for the most part, I have never needed an umbrella. Toronto is nicely laid out so that unless you prize walking, you can wait out storms under bus shelters, and if you do get caught out in the rain, it's running between the bus and subway station, or car park etc. So, I figured, as a bold and rugged outdoorsman (yes, please roll your eyes now), I was going to be fine with just my raincoat.

Now I know why Japanese people all carry umbrellas.

I'll admit the top half of my body was relatively rain free. Of course, being under a raincoat meant that in the sweltering humidity, the top half of my body was soaked not by rain but by sweat. My legs and shoes were soaked through and through, and though the laptop backpack I bought comes with a rain cover, that didn't stop the rain from soaking the shoulder straps and moving through into the inside. As a result, many of the papers in my backpack got wet, and more alarmingly, my laptop got wet too. Here's hoping that in 24 hours or so when its dried out, it works fine.

By the time I got to the JR station, I was a miserable, sweaty, foggy-glassed, mussed hair, wet pants and shoes and socks ALT. I limped into the AM/PM Convenience store, bought the biggest terry cloth towel I could find, bought an umbrella, and proceeded to the platform. Infuriatingly, by the time I was done paying at the counter, the sun had come out to grace the fair people of Fukutsu. More infuriatingly, I was the only visibly wet dog there, and those around me were dressed as they always were for work. What a sight I must have looked.

I am convinced now that Japanese people have some sort of ability to phase out of reality slightly, so that what seems like a torrential downpour to me is only a light refreshing shower to them. I am mostly dry now, but I will sagefully call this my first lesson on the practicalities of living in Japan.

I may try to update again later today, as I will be out of the office tomorrow for a seminar, but if not, stay tuned for further adventures next week.