Between the Raindrops

It is the rainy season here. The five day forecast is Rain of some sort everyday. The 10 day forecast looks the same -- scattered t-storms, scattered t-storms, party cloudy, mostly cloudy. Getting things dry and keeping them dry is one of the challenges of the season.

So between the raindrops I have been trying to dry clothing. My washer and tiny dryer which is smaller capacity than the washer are on the balcony.

I have been going to the grocery store. It is a 20 minute walk there and 30 minutes back. It is uphill with a stroller full of groceries and a 2 year old along. I did manage to do that between the rain the other day.

Between the raindrops I bought an umbrella. I had one with me but then gave my backpack to my kind husband who offered to carry it for me but we were going two different places. I was racing home before the rain but as I got to our train station the downpour began. We take a bus from the station to our village. I knew with that much rain I would get soaked. I headed to 7-11 to buy an umbrella they rip-off the people that forgot their umbrella -- $79 for an umbrella. I knew I needed one but I wasn't going to be cheated. I then headed around the corner to the Japan Home Store like a dollar store. I got one for $29. Guess what by the time I did that shopping and bought an umbrella it was just drizzling and I could have run home from the bus stop without getting soaked.

One neat thing here is that most buildings have plastic bags that you can use to put your umbrella in as you enter the building so you don't have to carry your dripping wet umbrella around so that it drips on the floor and makes it slippery.