Asa no adventure (Morning adventure)

The next morning I head out relatively early, hoping to stop by the local konbini (convenience store) on the way to school. I park my bicycle outside and head inside, only to bump into Eliza, who happened to have the same idea as me at the time. We got some breakfast and headed out towards the school, but before we're able to take more than a hundred steps, it begins to rain insanely. When it rains in Japan, it really rains. It's almost tropical in a sense - it comes insanely fast, rains incredibly hard, and then leaves as quickly as it came. Caught without an umbrella, Eliza and I had to duck under a nearby awning to hide from the downpour, only to realize it was somebody's driveway. "If they mind, they'll probably come out and say something," Eliza says, and we try to wait it out.

After a short while it seems to die down (although it's still pouring) and I peek my head out to look at the clouds. It looked like it was just the eye of the storm, so to speak, so we decide to make a run for it. We make it to the main gate of the college, only to realize that bicycles aren't allowed inside this particular gate for whatever reason, and a short Japanese guy in a uniform (much like the ones at every gate) ushers me out. I tell Eliza to head off and I'll catch up with her later. Soaked to the bone, I hop on the bike and ride all the way around to the other side of the university, getting a few stares as I am literally the only person on the street without an umbrella, and even if I had one, I'd be the only person unable to ride a bicycle and hold an umbrella at the same time, which is REALLY hard... Unless, of course, you're nihonjin. I'm also rushing to make it to the orientation meeting on time, which doesn't help. I make it through the East gate, politely but hastily greeting the guard there, and run inside, just barely on time. Eliza is there waiting for me, laughing a bit at my drenched appearance.

I have an umbrella now, and it's my best friend.