Plum Rain
It’s officially that time again, folks. That’s right – 梅雨 (tsuyu). The kanji transliterate as plum and rain, but the meaning according to my battle-hardened Canon Wordtank G50 is as follows.
the long spell of rain weather in early summer; the rainy [wet] season; the monsoon
Ok, maybe “monsoon” is a bit over the top, but it is a real downer. Basically, from the second week of June to the second week of July, there is a classic Japanese drizzle – that ceaseless sprinkling of rain that’s just enough to deter you from going outside but not enough to be an enjoyable show. I like storms, but I like them big and electrical. I want a full out thunderstorm if I’ve got to be stuck inside. That way I can enjoy the sounds, the sights, and the benefits that they bring – falling to sleep quickly, feeling “cozy” for no particular reason, and nostalgia. Nostalgia? Yes, nostalgia. It is a rare thing for a full out knock-down drag-out thunderstorm to find me – the closest thing are the typhoons. Thunderstorms remind me of home. 
Anyway, I’ve decided that tsuyu has definitely begun. Why? I nervously packed my stuff this morning (forgot my pair of shorts, so I’ll be wearing the same pair of long dress slacks for three days…marvelous…) as I eyed the weather. There was a looming gray wall over the ridge visible from my back veranda. Needless to say, in classic form, it held off. That is, until the very moment I stepped outside. Then it rained. As I biked to the port. I was soaked. On top of that, I’ve got four classes today in a row that will impede on lunch, and multiple evening plans. Normally, that would be cause for celebration. I don’t have much of a life, despite what you might think in your misguided rumor mongering. It’s just that after going to Oshima for 2 days and then taking a group of Hakata kids to the 村上水軍博物館 (Murakami Suigun Hakubutsukan, Murakami Pirate Museum – entry coming on that, by the way) by bicycle, I am wiped out. From Monday morning to when I got home on Wednesday, I rode my beat-up hand-me-down loaner of a bicycle about 36 miles. And just to think…next time I get to do it in the drizzling rain…
Hey, comes with the territory, I guess.
