Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Head...AND ITS REALLY GETTING ANNOYING!!

I realize that last time I posted I said that I was going to post every night that week...and seeing as that was Sept 12 and it's now Sept 29 that didn't happen. Let's be honest, none of you were really expecting me to live up to that, were you? I think the best we can hope for is twice a month. Realistically. Anything more than that will just be extra for you! It isn't that I don't enjoy blogging for y'all because I obviously LOVE the attention (no surprise). I am just constantly facing this battle of the novelty of everything wearing off. I live here now, so all the things that are really different from home are starting to seem a little more normal to me. So that's why I don't update all the time, I forget that somethings would be interesting (hopefully) to hear about. That will be my goal in the coming weeks: Figure out what would be interesting (and funny) and blog about them.

SO. I've done just that for this entry.

One thing that will never become mundane or OK with me, no matter how long I spend in this country is the intense amount of rain we get. It's almost laughable...it would be laughable to me if I weren't in it all the time, so hopefully it will be to you!

During the rainy season (which we're in now until the end of October...UGH) you can count on it to rain pretty much everyday for at least an hour. It isn't just normal rain like we get at home either...it is INTENSE. I think Forrest Gump described it best. "We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. Shoot, it even rained at night..." (intended to be read with an appropriate amount of southern draw.)

Now, conventional wisdom would say, Hey! The rain is good. It cools everything off so it doesn't get too hot. I would agree with Mr. Conventional Wisdom. It does indeed make things better. Better only in the sense that you can no longer see the sweat stains we're all sporting because every fiber of our beings gets soaked. In a country where personal appearance is very important I think it goes without saying that showing up places looking like a dog fresh from playing in the creek is not necessarily the look I'm going for.

Now, I know what you're all thinking: Come on, Wesley, wise up, get a stupid umbrella!

Let me tell you something. You better believe the first time I got caught in the rain in this country, I went out the next day and bought the BIGGEST umbrella I could find...and it's pretty big. I could fit an entire Thai family under this thing, plus the in-laws. Remember though, what did Forrest say? No matter how big this thing is, the rain literally flies in at a 90 degree angle. So the umbrella effort is futile, despite my best efforts. As a matter of fact, I rarely carry it now...because its so huge. For example, where in the world am I going to put a three foot long umbrella while on the back of a motorbike?

Which brings up another issue: getting from A to B in a torrential downpour. What is the best option for transport? There isn't one. Mai Pen Rai and wait it out...sometimes for a few hours. I carry a book everywhere now.

Before arriving I had heard about the rain, AND about the overwhelming amount of cabs in this city so of course I thought: In the rain, just catch a cab, duh!...apparently everyone else thought that too. Cabs are a true rarity in the rain because everyone wants one. If you're going to get one in an effort to stay dry, you've got to line up on a street corner and wait your turn for the next available cab (during which time you're getting drenched.)

Another option is, of course, the bike. Riding on the back of the bike in the rain is probably one of the most miserable experiences of my life. It seems like you're hitting every single rain drop before it has a chance to hit the ground. AND upon dismounting the bike, not only is your hair looking more than a little wind blown, it's now plastered that way because of the rain. It's really a good look. I have seen some people attempting (with minimal success at times) the umbrella'd bike ride. I have not yet attempted this A. because the rain is coming in from the front at that point instead of from above, and B. because I would be the one guy to Mary Poppins off the back of that bike into traffic because of my obnoxiously large umbrella.

Lastly, the boat. Which actually isn't made much worse by the presence of rain. (except for the potentially slippery rail on the side you must use to get in and out.) It's a boat...so everything is already wet, and the smell is diminished because of all the fresh water dumping into the canal.

Needless to say, I do my best to not be caught in the rain, or have any need to go out in it. It usually rains in the afternoons when I'm off work, so it doesn't matter that I look ridiculous because my appearance no longer matters that much.

Only 5 more weeks of rainy season to go!
Mai Pen Rai!