in the Eye of the Beholder

The rain finally stopped! That huge piece of rain cloud had idled right on top of the island for so long that I wondered if the earth was still turning. In some neighboring countries, it's known as the monsoon season. In Taiwan, it's called Plum Rain, which usually occurs around late May. Incidentally, the Chinese pronunciation of "plums" is identical to the English pronunciation of May. I've always liked that.

Stormy weather never bothers me much. I feel more exuberant because of the energy and electricity in the air. I love looking down at the street from inside a building, watching streams of color dots flow by like sails in dark seas. Raindrops are mesmerizing, too. Whether it's raindrops that travel in high velocity splashing on window panes or raindrops that quietly shimmer downward like pearl beads, they all present beauty and grace.

I checked the weather in Vancouver and Seattle and, sick as it may seem, it made me feel closer to you knowing that we were all getting rained on.