장마시작한다

It begins--a month of rain being a constant nuissance. More than one person has said that it will only last 2 weeks, but they, I believe, are too optimistic. Last year, the rain fell for 5 or 6 weeks, seeming never to stop. Intermittantly, the tail end of a typhoon would aggravate the showers, turning them into downpours.

I rode my motorcycle every day last year, donning my waterproof hiking boots, ski pants and jacket before heading out. This year, my bike with one uncovered tailpipe has already claimed the lives of two pair of synthetic pants. Neither of them mine though.

So last night I made a relatively short jaunt across town during a lull after the first downpour I was caught in. As luck would have it, on my way home the rain had resumed. Not a part of me, from my socks to the inner recesses of my wallet, was dry. I took it rather slow due to my fishtailing through puddles whenever I hit my rear break. At one point, however, I tried to pass a truck that was moving slower than me. The overtaking coincided with the passenger side of the truck hitting a lake in the middle of the road. This sent a tsunami into my eyes, blinding me, knocking my fogged up visor down. Surprised to find myself still upright, I lifted my visor just in time for another wave and an increase in rain. It hurt more than I remember rain hurting. For the rest of the ride home I was preoccupied wondering whether or not I had black eyes.