Dampness

There's a humidity in Okinawa that's covering everything with its damp embrace. Clothing doesn't dry as quickly, shower rooms don't air out as quickly, and books and magazines lying around the apartment seem to take the dampness in for themselves. I have even purposefully delayed doing laundry for the sole reason that the clothing won't dry properly or, in the worst case, will mold. That's what lots of rain with a lingering humidity will get you.

This past week, what sounded like a small waterfall coming from my roof was in fact a waterfall coming from my roof. The water had built up and started pouring over the front of my flat roofed apartment, crashing down on the sidewalk in front of the window to my office. I'm thankful that my current roof is stronger than that of an apartment I lived in many years ago during college. During one particularly bad storm, a large chunk of ceiling came down all over my desk and dresser. Okinawan concrete seems to live up to its sturdy reputation, as far as being tested by heavy rain goes.

The sporadic nature of the rainy season has also affected me in other ways. For one, I'm taking fewer rides on my motorcycle either because the rain is too much to bear, or because I don't like the thought of having to ride home in an unexpected rain storm. I am sticking with my resolution to never use my air conditioning unit in my apartment, however. While I used the a/c during the first few months here in 2007, since my first winter, the machine has been experiencing some serious neglect. Fine by me, and my wallet and the environment are better off for it. I think my body appreciates all the fresh air, too.

Despite the rain and the humid nature of the season, the evenings have been really cool recently. So cool that I find myself bundling up with a blanket or two in the middle of the night. That's not to say I can't feel the damp around me, it just takes on a different feeling when the sun goes down. As long as it stays cool when I'm trying to sleep, all will be well. So here's hoping for nice breezes and cool evenings for a few more months to come.