RIP Dome Umbrella

I had no idea before I came to Japan on what a rainy country it is! Seriously, I have been told by Sasebo coworkers who have lived in Seattle it is just like there. For those of you who are not aware, I am solar powered (I am not kidding!) and so this rainy season killed me. The rainy season usually lasts from May to July but I had the honor this year of being part of one of the worst rainy seasons in the past few years. Go me! Even though Sasebo is only 4 to 5 hours south of Iwakuni it is a tiny bit more humid and rainier there; I don't think I have had an entire week without rain since I have been in Sasebo. The past few weeks I have been enjoying the sun and slowly forgetting about the rain until now............Hello typhoon season!!!

Last week I woke up to rain, nothing new in Sasebo, and the tv said that there was a thunderstorm warning for base. I started to walk to the office and it wasn't raining that bad but I tried to use my umbrella; the wind had a different idea. Not a big deal until I got a little more then a 1/2 block from my office when the skiies opened up! I tried to get my umbrella to work; however, between the rain and the wind it died! I ended up at work looking like a drowned rat; my Japanese receptionist was even laughing about it the next day. The rain continued for the majority of the day and it was so bad that my coworker got so drenched from the front door of our office to her car that she had to run to the exchange and buy new clothes. At around 2 I heard they were not allowing cars on base anymore and there was my hint go home early. :)

The base never considered this awful rain a typhoon but the Japanese did and I believe the Japanese! So RIP perfect and trustworthy dome umbrella!