Bang, crash, boom

June was officially the wettest month in Hong Kong since records began, probably due in the most part to 'that' day (our housewarming party of course) when over 145mm fell in just one hour. That's 15% of the normal annual rainfall! In just one hour!!

Anyway, July doesn't look like it's going to be any better, as it has rained constantly with just one little break this morning that has been followed by a giant thunderstorm tonight.

I am alone in the flat, the flat that we loved because of its proximity to the harbour, the flat whose proximity to the harbour means that we get the full brunt of the storm, and I am PETRIFIED! The thunder is so loud I find myself physically startled each time it breaks, with my heart jumping right up into my throat. The walls are even vibrating, too! I know it can't hurt me, but it's still scary.

And actually it can kind of hurt me - the flat that we loved because of its rooftop also has a leak coming from that same rooftop. Seems like the structure just couldn't deal with so much water, so that most of our bathroom walls now look like this:



The flat has aged by 20 years in just a few days...

And it's got me thinking - one of the things that astrologers predict for this particular year of the rat is natural disasters relating to earth and water elements. Now I don't believe in that kind of thing (I think), but what if? Listening to this thunderstorm could change my whole belief system if I'm not careful...

But all I need to remember is that 10 years ago a Chinese fortune teller told me that by now I would have become a celebrated lawyer, been married and have gone through an acrimonious divorce. Of course none of this has come true.

Then again, he did also tell me that the shape of my nose foretold a long and prosperous life, so I'm not about to give up on predictions just yet. I mean, that thunder can't be normal. It must have some kind of cosmic relevance related to my upcoming long and wealthy life, mustn't it?!