turningjapaneseithinki'mturningjapaneseireallythinkso

2 nights ago I mastered the art of riding my bicycle while holding an umbrella!! People here do it all the time. It was a little tricky at first, and I'm still not ready to do it every day of the rainy season, but it sufficed for a small round of errands around Mitaka. The key is to lean forward on the bike, so you can grip the handle and the umbrella at the same time. Otherwise disaster strikes when you try to brake. If you try to brake with one hand it's pretty easy to fall off the bike; and, as braking is usually a quick and sometimes unexpected action, if you're not already holding the handlebar it's quite difficult to adjust your grip on the umbrella in a way that doesn't injure yourself or passerby, in enough time to brake. I should try to get a picture of this.

And by the way, I think the rainy season is here! It's been raining for the past few days, but so far so good - I'm staying sane! So now I'm about to find out which is worse: always being cold (a Chicago winter) or always being wet (the rainy season). Wish me luck!