no rain in the rainy season

To be honest I thought it was a bit of a joke when someone told me 2 weeks ago, “on Saturday it will probably rain, because that is the first day of the rainy season.” I thought, how can one schedule rain? It was explained to me that even the seasons in Japan run on a pretty strict schedule…Which explains the Hanami (Cherry blossom) forecasts that began appearing on the news about a month and a half before spring.

Thing is, it didn’t rain on that Saturday. So, when I returned to school on Monday, I was like. “Hahahahah your system failed, see you can’t control weather.” To this, the teacher responded by saying, “Well, obviously we are now in a drought.” I had no idea what to say to this, I thought the person talking to me must be nuts. I mean, everything is completely green outside, the rice paddies are flooded with water, and other then the ridiculously hot and humid weather (which I am told is normal), nothing seems out of sorts. So I am like, okay the rain didn’t come on schedule, so now we are in a drought? Where is the proof? Has it been reported on the news? I mean, I come from a place where everything is dry and brown when there is a draught….stuff doesn't grow. Produce and water prices go up…and a drought isn’t randomly declared 2 days after the rains don't show up.

Well, that was 2 weeks ago…and yes it has sprinkled a bit. But there have not been any heavy downpours. Having to ride my bike everywhere, I know that I have insensitively told Japanese people that I am happy the rainy season hasn’t been too rainy…So with that in mind, I am sure they would have really appreciated my reaction to the phone call I got last night. K the other American in town called me to say, “Hey Lani, I don’t know if you have heard or not, but we are now in a drought and it’s pretty serious. I was just told that the town is going to start shutting off the town’s water supply from 9pm-6am every day.” What? How? Can they do that? (that was my response.)…So after my rather shameful freak out (as far as freak outs go, it was defiantly a mild one) I realized that I was getting forced into a slight life-style change…one that would make more like the other townies in my little hamlet…I would have to start going to bed at 10ish…eat dinner early…shower before 9pm…No more cleaning my apartment at odd hours…painting at 2 in the morning…baking cookies at 11pm for class the next day. I am going to have to be organized, I am going to have to be non-ADD…I am going to become like the other people in my town….

I never thought it would happen, but it appears that in the end, my town has figured out a way to make me conform…

Pray for rain!!!