Rain Dance

It is one of those lovely rainy evenings, here on the island of Okay-Now-Wha? I have opened all the windows and balcony doors and am bathing in the sounds of tropical rain...all the birds and frogs and fruit bats and so forth, chirping, bellowing and cooing with delight in the cool, heavy dreaminess. The rain is always falling but it undulates in ways that I am not used to. It is almost like being in belly of a fish as it's gills open and close.

I have always loved the rain. Perhaps that is why I enjoyed living in London so much. You could count on the rain there, unlike growing up in my home state, Arizona, of which I thoroughly have to thank for my love of storms. When you grow up in fear of or in the midst of drought you tend to relish the rain, for it's protection from forest fires, it's nurturing, life-giving wetness that feeds the trees, the crops, the rivers, the animals, and the people, sustaining life. I remember as a child my parents taught me all about the Pueblo Indian tribes, particularly the Hopi Kachinas who brought the rain down from the mountains.

I saw my first Hopi Rain Dance when I was probably in 4th grade and very determinedly tried to emulate it in the school yard with my friends because I just couldn't wait til July for the monsoons to start!

The word "rain," in Okinawa, has a bit of a darker underbelly, however. One thinks of "The Rain of Steel," as was called The Battle of Okinawa, one of the most gruesome, bloody battles of World War II. And then, of course, typhoons are always a constant threat, particularly from June to November. Now I am thrilled by this. Perhaps I watched "Key Largo" one to many times as a kid, but I have always wanted to be in a hurricane, so when we got our official Typhoon Announcement (TCCOR) a few months ago I was ecstatic! I ran around making sure we had canned food and bottled water, that I filled all the bathtubs and sinks with water, double checked my emergency kit and stockpiled candles, cat food and wine (the essentials!) I was ready for an adventure!
We got quite a storm, I can tell you, but not anything like I expected. There were no branches flying at the windows or blackouts or anything like we were informed to be prepared for. All we did was wait and drink wine and watch an entire season of "Ugly Betty."
I know, especially now with our neighbors, The Philippines, getting inundated with what they are calling a "SUPER TYPHOON," that I should not be waxing poetic about my pathetic little Typhoon, but one can't very well be held accountable for their little fantasies. Especially if it involves Edward G. Robinson chewing on a cigar and hold us at gunpoint...but I digress.

The rain in Okinawa, is a lovely blend of expectation and surprise. You can count on it to show up several times a week, if only just to pop in and say hi...or rather konichiwa! Then again, you never quite know exactly what kind of rain you will receive. I am reminded of Forrest Gump and his Vietnam experience: "We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. Shoot, it even rained at night..." Well that is Okinawa in a nutshell. And I love that about this place!

So now, with the light beginning to fade in the fog=--that is so thick I cannot see the ocean---I shall close up shop for the evening, and take my musing to another form of water....the bathtub. Good night, and may the waters nourish your land, soothe your mind and enliven your soul. May you too, have your own Rain Dance.