The man with a black umbrella
It has been raining since the time I woke up this morning. Atmospheric conditions such as today’s remind me of rainy November afternoons in Hanoi when all I did was to cuddle a pillow and bury myself with blankets my friend’s mom provided me or to bathe in the rain while cycling with my red bike around Ho Dac Di or Pho Thai Ha.
Yesterday when I went to Inquirer office in Makati to get my prize and my friend’s for the Virgin Labfest theater review, I mentioned to Gibbs Cadiz, the man who organized the competition, in our chat that I studied in Hanoi for almost a year. It felt as if it was already a long time ago, and the people and the place more fantastic than real. It has almost been five months since I arrived here in Manila and decided to ‘test the water’. Nothing much has come up from this youthful adventure I am embarking on. I could’ve directly gone home to my parent’s house in Polomolok.
Hanoi was the first thing I thought of when I woke up today. How I miss that city.
While exerting all my efforts to climb the steep stairs going to Boni MRT Station, the black umbrella I bought from 7eleven weeks ago when I got caught in a downpour in Intramuros, flipped a la Mary Poppins to the chagrin of the woman in front of me who seemed to have magnetized all the water soaked in the synthetic fabric of my umbrella’s canopy. She gave me a deathly and almost deadly look and proceeded unceremoniously, before I could say my apologies, to her despirited gaits up the train station.
One of the reasons why I love rainy days: people are cool-headed.
Although I have no intention of watching the latest installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, to the 8-part movie, the film review by Manohla Dargis of the New York Times may help you put the film in a perspective using an unimportant critic’s critique here.
“One of the reasons why I love rainy days: people are cool-headed”:
well, I can sure relate to that statement.
Unfortunately our rain (I’m posting from Belgium, Europe) tends to be cold and unpleasant,
while yours tends to be almost warm. When I last visited your area (Singapore/Malaysia/ Thailand) the rain felt like a perfect break from the heat,
while here at home it often chills me to the bone.
that’s true. european rains are too harsh for comfort. but they have this certain romance in them that you cannot find in tropical rains.
is that a particularly rainy place as well, hanoi? interesting times you must have had there.
yes. rainy, hot, humid, and deathly cold in winter.