I spent today fighting with my umbrella as the wind tried to sweep it away. Typhoon season has started. Actually, I'm sadly disappointed in typhoons. I'm sure if I lived in southern Japan which gets pummelled with them during the late summer, I'd have a different opinion, but typhoons are rather disappointing. Ever summer I get my hopes up to see the great power of nature, and all we get is a bit of wind and a bunch of rain.... along with stopped train lines. I think I expect amazing things because everyone tends to freak out whenever the weather forecast calls for one. Appointments get cancelled, people talk about leaving work early etc etc. I always thought this was because they were worried about being stranded when their train line stopped service, but apparently some ppl are actually worried about being swept away. I mean, granted, pushing and pulling your umbrella in a wild attempt to keep yourself somewhat dry is no picnic, but it doesn't seem dangerous. Sure there is a lot of rain, but I have never seen the streets flooded... the sewer systems seem to work great. Perhaps I'm just strange - I want to go outside and physically fight to stay upright against the wind. That would just be so much more fun than jumping in puddles. Me vs. nature. That I can deal with. It'd be fun. As it is, I'm just stuck with wishing they made raincoats here big enough to fit me so that I wouldn't have to worry about the umbrella... which is useless anyway because for some bizarre reason it rains sideways in Japan.