Inspiration — 2020

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about rainy days? Do you feel calm and relaxed while drinking tea and reading your favorite book? Do you feel frustrated because it’s humid and your hair gets frizzy and dry? Or do you feel happy thinking about kids playing on the puddles and enjoying the rain showers?

Japan is a gem when it’s rainy—with popular city streets like Ameyoko or Shibuya scramble having fewer people, everyone avoiding the rain and taking shelter at the nearby restaurants. Most people are enjoying a hot bowl of ramen (egg noodles) or a hot cup of joe (coffee). We take time to slow down and allow nature to take its course.

My favorite experience has got to be drinking coffee at a random coffee shop enjoying the sights, the scenery, and the people. It makes me appreciate nature, architecture, and the flow of everyday life.

Whenever the rain falls, lets’ all take time to reflect and slow down. Remember we all need a breather sometimes.

The new coronavirus has changed the way we live, not only in Japan but also around the world. Many of us have changed the way we talk, eat, and even shop. There’s sadness because we need to follow a new normal. However, in this season we also discover many things about ourselves—things to change, improve on. We remember things we have forgotten and forget things we do not want to remember.

Some people also take this time to do things they’ve always wanted to do but never had the time for. As for me, it is cooking, playing the ukulele, and kalimba, (this is an instrument from Africa, it sounds like a music box) some video games and catching up on some movies that I enjoy. I might make mistakes but I don’t mind them. I learn each day and look forward to the time when we can all enjoy being with each other without being afraid of spreading a dangerous plague. Let’s all take this time to reflect and become better versions of ourselves as we conquer our fears~!

Rainy Days in Japan

New Beginnings and Happy Accidents