下雨了 It's Raining

While I was at work today not actually working I was brainstorming what I might blog about. I've currently got quite the interesting list running, so I would be sure to stay tuned. Alas, I don't think I am going to get to anything on my list because when I came home from work today, its was raining.

It was raining, so what?

Well, okay it was pouring. I got my first hint of the weather outside when I squeezed my way into the train on the commute home and several large drops of subway greese+precipitation thudded onto my head. Gross.
When I left the first train to make my transfer to the second train it was ablowin and agustin. It was awesome.

I'm discovering that I really truly love thunderstorms, especially in Beijing. The rain is a nice break from the heat (I live on the 10th floor in 100 degree heat and humidity with no AC), and the thunder drowns out the sound of the cars and the hustle and the bustle. Not even China can overpower a thunderstorm, and I like seeing it be put in its place every once and a while. I love watching the rain and how people react from out window, its so refreshing and exciting to see the little ants.

Anyway, while everyone else transferring trains with my ran, I slowly meandered, having got off work early and enjoying the Chinese rap on my ipod. Zhu's mom doesn't like it when I walk outside in the rain because she thinks I'll get sick, so I was really excited to get to play in it and feel rain on my face.

When I finally got to my stop it was really coming down. The top of the escalator (which is normally empty, our stop really doesn't get much traffic) was packed with people urgently making calls home asking for someone to drive the car over to pick them up. Meh. I braved it (though Zhu did call asking if I needed a ride for the two blocks home).

SO MUCH RAIN. I was soaked. When I got home I rang out my clothes and I think more water came out then when I ring them out after hand washing them (which is what I do now). And the street was totally vacant, everyone waiting inside for the rain to pass. Well, jokes on them because its still raining pretty hard a few hours later.

When I got to my building my clothes were being pulled to the ground with the weight of the water, mascara running, hair stuck to my head, and feet sloshing around in my sandals. Walking home was actually wading, with water, water, water, flooding around corners, from the parking lot down to the street. So cool, though probably rather filthy. I walked into the building awning (I think thats the word) and the building shifu (like a security guard) was chillin with the ayi (like a cleaning lady). They stared, so I just sort of shrugged and said, 下雨了，（It rained). They were totally delighted. That's right, I can make Chinese laugh.

I got the the apartment and continued to be hilarious. Zhu had some former classmates over (I know them, they already think my existance is a riot) and they were playing cards at the main table, as in, the apartment door pretty much opens up to their faces, the gallery. They died. And Zhu was very like, "You are crazy woman, why on earth did you walk home! I called you!" And his mom was doing the usual, alternating between Mandarin to me and Wenzhounese to Zhu, saying to me, "Quickly, quickly, quickly change clothes!" Everyone thinks I'm crazy.