Rainy days in Guangzhou

The Rainy Days in Guangzhou

Most of the year Guangzhou has beautiful weather.  It is a tropical city by all accounts in Southeast Asia.  That being said there is a rainy season.  The rainy season normally starts at the end of March and beginning of April.  I don't if a warm winter in Guangzhou means a short rainy season or a long rainy season, I don't know I've never bothered to ask.  Nor have I ever tried to the math myself.

What I do know is that the rainy season is pretty annoying all around for a couple of reasons.  The first being bad infrastructure, the second being that it never stops, while the third is I seem to continually run into Chinese people and others who seem to either think they are made of sugar or have some great childhood fear of water falling from the sky.  I don't get it.

Let's talk/gripe about the infrastructure first.  China has done amazing things in terms of infrastructure as well as what the government in both national as well as a local can do.  China has high-speed railways connecting all of the major cities as well as some smaller ones.  China was able to shut down all of the factories during an APEC conference in Beijing a few years ago so the city would have clear skies.  So can some please tell me why there is a large dimple in the middle of the sidewalk!

It doesn't make a lot of sense but once it starts to rain the roads, sidewalks and alleyways turn to muddy puddles, make sure you have your boots on.  The sad thing is that a lot of times the day will start nice and sunny then by the end it's raining and the outcome all the puddles.  Of course, showing up to work in boat shoes sans socks isn't the best idea.

The next issue I have with the raining season is it's continued desire to never take a break.  Seriously I wish my student could be this consistent with their ability to show up every day and give it they're all.  The old saying in a lot of places is if you don't like the weather wait five minutes, sadly at times here during the rainy season fifty minutes later and it will still be rain.

My last complaint about the rainy season has to do with the locals.  Now the Chinese can be very nice, friendly and at times helpful.  That being said there are members of this nationality who do not like water falling from the sky and do not want it to touch them or their umbrella.  You think I'm kidding about the umbrella I am totaling not kidding.  I have two pieces of evidence to support this, they are evidence because they happen so often.

Exhibit A, imagine you find yourself in an alleyway.  Stone walls line the passage on either side. Right in the middle of the normally clear pavement on which people normally make their carefree way a small lake has emerged.  A small isthmus exists down the middle on which one can make their way across. While making the journey you meet someone in the middle of the trail.  They have on wellington boots, those are the rubber boots that come up to one's knee and keeps someone's feet dry from the water.  I think they were named after the Duke who defeated Napoleon at waterloo, then again I could be wrong as I saw this on "Black Adder."

Anyway continuing on this person, gender and age make no difference looks at you then looks down at the nice new dress shoes, then looks back up with a pleading look in their eyes and smile on their face.  You point to their shoes and say in Chinese they have better shoes for making their way through the water.  They pretend not to understand till you either A: brave the water yourself, or B: try and skirt around you causing you to step in the water.  The Chinese hate confrontation but love passive aggression.

Now for Exhibit B, you are walking out of the building there is a large group of people staring at the rain outside, each one of them holds an umbrella.  None of them make a move to go where they need to go.  You have to shoulder your way through finding out along the way that some of the umbrellas are wet, so you can go the edge and use your umbrella to make it to where you need to go.

The complaint, rant, temper tantrum whatever you wish to call it finished.  As always I hope you will support this blog if you enjoy reading the content.  If you have any questions or anything to add please leave a comment.  I ask that you keep the comments and questions polite.