I Love The Rain

I SUDDENLY REMEMBERED THE TERRIBLE RAINS when I arrived in Cali the day after Christ was born. The day I left my family to go to America to start a new page in my life, the city where I was born and grew up rained heavily, and that was the last time I saw the showers. In that tropical monsoon country, it is very normal to rain frequently.

The rains are a luxury

The rains can last for a week without stopping; the torrential rains seem to be pouring out so much anger on the city dwellers; the rains flood the roads, making it difficult for cars to move; the rain seems to be crying with the lives of the people who have many feelings in their hearts but don't know who to share them with, the rains wash away the sweltering summer heat or like sharp needles cut into the skin in every bone-chilling winter; the rain is an abundant inspiration that has given wings to hundreds of thousands of works from poetry and literature to painting and music; the rain is an excuse for some lovers stay together for a full night of love; the rain also disturbs many lives who are wandering the streets in search of food; the rains give life to the plants in the city; the rain falling and mixing with the smell of the earth makes many people who love the smell of rain to run out and inhale the smell; and the rain is simply a scientific phenomenon nothing more.

When the townspeople live in a city that gets used to much rain all year round, those rains are not attractive or exciting to them because rain is a very normal thing. And I am such a person. I often blame the rain for why it falls so much; it makes me feel uncomfortable because sometimes I can't see the sun for a week. I hate going out when it rains because I get wet, even with my raincoat on. The gloom of the storms that came before it rained gave me a feeling of sadness like the air around me made my heart sink. I wouldn’t say I like rain. Coming to the US, I feel that this land of Cali in one day has four distinct seasons. Morning is spring, noon is summer, afternoon is autumn, and evening is winter. But living here for a while, I suddenly felt something was missing. I looked out at the front yard from my room window and saw the automatic watering machine spraying water on the lawn. Only then did I realize that what I felt was lacking was the rain? Cali rarely rains, but when it does, it rains heavily. I lived in Cali for eight years, but the times I witnessed Cali rain only counted on my fingers. That's why Cali suffers from a severe drought. When it rains in California, water plants must work at full capacity to collect rainwater. Witnessing the scarcity of rain in Cali, I formed an idea that sounds cliche but I find it true. The rains are a luxury. Just imagine, in this year-round drought, but the rains come very little; the residents here always expect rain. But when will those rains begin to fall on Cali? Sometimes I can't even ask for it. I remember the terrible rains. And when Cali has rain, I don't hesitate to sell myself to the rain.

What do I do when it rains?

As I said, rain is a luxury because you don't have to want it. So when it rains in Cali, instead of people running away from it or ignoring it, find a way to enjoy it to the fullest. When I was in Vietnam, I would never have considered enjoying the rain because I would have thought it was crazy. If it rains all day like that, I still feel bored, let alone enjoy. But because of the lack of rain here in Cali, I started learning to love and live with it. When it rains, and I don't have to go to school, work, or write, I'll go out on the balcony, sit on the sofa, have a glass of red wine and a cigarette, and listen to the rain falling. The scene at that time made the time stand still. I just sat there watching the rain without getting bored. Sometimes I close my eyes but don't sleep to immerse myself in the world of rain and let the raindrops seep into me. It has some invisible power to help me revive my spirit or sometimes give me some inspiration for my writing. Rain has such a strong effect on an individual. I left everything around me to immerse myself in the rains of Cali.

Imagine something romantic about rain?

There is a movie that I love to watch every time I have the opportunity, "In The Mood For Love" by director Wong Kar-wai. I used to write a review about this movie before in a post. It is a beautiful and sad picture of an incomplete love that, ultimately, the two main characters cannot come together. They are neighbors and have feelings for each other after suspecting their real-life partner is having an affair. But because of social norms and stereotypes about cheating, the two main characters must keep an intimate love relationship to avoid the wrong thing. And because it has to be done, two hearts cannot become one. They can share anything in life, they can have dinner together, or they can be together. There is a French saying that can be said about their relationship. “Si loin de nous, si pres par la pensee.” (So far away from us, so close in thought). Yes, they love each other, but the irony of fate cannot bring them together, and in the end, they have to be apart. If you pay close attention, there is a detail that proves the existence of a barrier between the two cores. They never kissed. It showed Wong Kar-Wai's excellence in telling a story about the sadness and loneliness of two souls so close that, with just one more push, they were together. When I watch the movie, I want the two characters to finally be able to come together and let them have true love. But then, I think that has to be the brightest point of this movie. The director wants to reveal the bottom of the pain and heartbreak. How cruel! They only know how to embrace their love for each other and let it eat away at their lives. There was a scene where the two main characters were sheltering from the rain that made me feel moved because, at that time, the two of them being able to give each other a passionate kiss was the perfect moment. I also once imagined a romantic vision for myself when it rained. I was with my lover in a room with a fireplace, candles lit, and on the table was a plate of cheese and a bottle of wine. The space is immersed in the song La Vie en Rose by legendary female singer Edith Piaf. We hugged and swayed to the waltz, the music, and the rain. I very much hope that someday that vision will become a reality. If you have a lover, try to warm up the couple’s love once together.

What book do I choose to read when it rains?

In fact, when it rains, I rarely read books because I sold myself to the rain by putting everything around me aside to enjoy it. I don't even touch my phone anymore. However, if I read books when it rains, I will choose books about Saigon. I love that city even though I wasn't born there. Saigon always has sudden rains. It comes and goes as it pleases. Saigon has the beauty of modern times and has an ancient beauty before 1975. Books written about Saigon are always about memories, beauty, a glorious time of the Pearl of the Far East, and the townspeople living here. Everything seemed to arouse the love of Saigon in me intensely. I may read books about Saigon when it rains because Saigon rains are as beautiful as in pictures, and it evokes many good memories of me with Saigon.

For me, rain has always been a luxury. When it rains, try to stretch out your arms and catch the cold raindrops seeping into your body to experience the cold wetness of the rain. Take a walk on the streets when it rains and hum the song Singin' in the rain to feel more in love with life and forget life’s fatigue and sorrows. It would be best to watch the rain to see that it also has its own beauty. Listen to the sound of the rain to feel the harmony in the rhythm of the rain like an impromptu symphony. And take your time to enjoy the rain when it comes every once in a while.