City after the rain

A city usually feels like it is always in hurry.

People are walking quickly, cars are constantly moving, shops are opening and closing, and everyone seems to have somewhere to be.
Even when nothing particularly important is happening, there is a certain speed to every day city life. Then it start raining and somehow that speed changes.

Rain can make a busy city slow down within a few minutes. People who were walking normally suddenly started looking for shelter. Those who are carrying bags try to protect them from getting wet. People who have a umbrella take them out, while those without one start searching for shops, Metro Station or any covered space nearby.
Walking also feels different. During normal weather, people may not think twice about crossing a road or taking a shortcut.
In heavy rain, even small things become more complicated. You have to avoid puddles, look for dry parts and make sure your clothes and shoes do not get completely wet.

The rain also change the way people interact with their surroundings. People who normally ignore each other suddenly shares the same small shelter. Strangers stand under shop entrance, bus stop, Metro Station or building roofs and Waiting for the rain to become lighter. Nobody planned to be there together, but for a few minutes, everyone has the same problem.

I think there is something interesting about that.
A city can feel very individualistic when everyone is busy with their own lives. But rain creates a temporary situation where everyone has to slowdown and adjust.

Even shops can feel different during rain.
A small tea stall may suddenly become crowded because people want something warm. Cafes and shops with covered space may fill up with people waiting for the weather to improve. Roads become quieter in some places and more chaotic in others.

The sounds of the city also change. Instead of hearing only traffic, horns and conversations, there is the sound of rain falling on roof, roads, trees, and Windows. Sometimes the rain is so heavy that it is almost covered every other sound.
What I find most interesting is that the city does not actually stop. It’s simply change its rhythm. People still have to reach work, student still have to get home, shops still have to function and we vehicles still have to move. Everyone continues with their day, but they do it more slowly and carefully.

Rain reminds us that a city, no matter how modern or busy it is, it still affected by something as simple as weather.

For a few hours, people have to adjust their plans and accept that they cannot control everything. The city may returns to its usual speed once the rain stops, but during those rainy moments everything feels slightly slower and beautiful at the same time.

Maybe that is why rain change the experience of a city so much. It does not completely stop everyday life of people. It just simply makes everyone notice the pace which they are living in.

A city can look completely different when we see it through a rainy window. The buildings, roads, vehicles and people are still there but the rain change the way everything appears. What normally looks busy and ordinary can suddenly feel quite softer and almost unfamiliar.

I noticed this most when I am travelling through the city during rain. Sitting inside a Metro, bus or car gives you a different view of what is happening outside. You are moving through the city while watching people deal with the weather. Roads become shiny, lightsreflect in the water and everything outside the window looks slightly blurred.

The glass itself become interesting. Raindrops slowly move down the window, sometimes joining together before disappearing. When the vehicle moves fast, the drops seems to race in different direction. Sometime I find myself watching them without even realising how much time has passed.

Outside, people look different too.
Someone who was walking normally a few minutes earlier may now be running with a bag over their head. People stand under shop roof, wait at a bus stop, squeeze under umbrellas. Some people simply continue walking because they have somewhere important to go.

The city also becomes more colourful during rain, even though the sky may be grey.
Traffic lights, car, headlines, and street lights reflect on wet roads. Puddles reflect buildings and passing vehicles for a few seconds before the water is disturbed again.

There is also something interesting about watching rain from inside public transport. You are surrounded by other people, but everyone seems to be in their own little world. Some are looking at their phones, some talking and other are watching the rain through the window. Nobody really knows what the people are thinking, but for a few moments, everyone is simply part of the same rainy scene.

Rain can also make familiar places feel unfamiliar. A road that I have travelled many times can look completely different when it covered with water. Trees look darker, walls become wet and the usual dust on the street seems to disappear for a while. Even familiar buildings can look different when sea throw a curtain of rain.

Sometimes the rain makes the city look peaceful, but it can also show how difficult city life can become. Waterlogging, traffic, crowded shelters, and people trying to protect themselves from getting wet are all part of the same picture. There is beauty in the rain, but there is also inconvenience.

I think this is what makes city scene interesting. They are not perfect or completely peaceful. They show everybody life as it really is. People still have places to go, responsibilities to manage and problem to deal with. The rain simply change the background.

Maybe we do not always notice how much our surrounding affect what we see. The same city can feel busy in the morning, exhausting in the afternoon, beautiful in the evening and completely different during the rain.

All we have to do is look at it from another window.