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6 annoying things you have to put up with when it rains in Shanghai

Rain, rain go away...

Photograph: Craig Whitehead via Unsplash
Hey, look outside: it's raining... probably. It's been pretty wet this week and according to the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau, as reported by SHINE, it's set to continue into next week, with a chance of snow also thrown in for the coming weekend (Feb 16-17). Weather forecasters even say the rain is going to persist until the end of the month, so we better get used to the threat of wet each time we leave the house.

Every time the heavens open, the city changes and so does your mindset. Here are six things you have to contend with when it rains here in Shanghai.

Water on bicycle seats

There a few things worse than a wet bicycle seat. You want to unlock a Mobike but the wet ass dilemma has you in a pinch. Do you brave it and embrace the feel of wet jeans, or do you do a sort of weird wipe with your jacket and cycle home with a wet forearm? We met a guy once who said he wipes with his shin, because 'nobody cares if they have wet shins.' There are two types of people in this world: sitters and wipers. Three types of people if you count wet shins dude. Which one are you? Let us know in the comments below...

The Didi queue being longer

The first drop of rain hits your head and all of a sudden the Didi waiting time has gone up to nearly an hour. Every man and his dog suddenly want a car and you're considering ordering a Didi premier or luxe in a desperate attempt to skip the queue. 70RMB for a 15-minute journey? Shut up and take my money. You'll look like a baller pulling up to Perry's in a Mercedes.

Leaks in your lanehouse

It was love at first sight when the property agent took you to view your little Xuhui lanehouse over the summer. 'A charming lane, a proud, rustic stone building and proximity to a metro station, wet market, gym, bars and cafés,' boasted the original listing. However, they didn't mention that the building is so old that it was seemingly built before rain was invented. The smallest amount of precipitation causes a leak through your roof into your shower, which you try to tell yourself is fine, but it's not, is it? Shower showers aren't a thing and you need to move.

Having to put your umbrella in that weird plastic sheath they give you at the mall

You scramble into the nearest mall to escape the deluge only to be confronted by an adamant security guard who wants you to put your umbrella into one of those plastic bags/ill-fitting brolly condoms that only fit certain types of umbrella and definitely not the one you bought at Family Mart five minutes ago. Now cut to you aimlessly walking around a mall waiting for the rain to stop, pretending to be interested in the sale at Forever 21, effectively carrying a wet plastic-wrapped spear that's still dripping a bit, thus defeating the object of the initial wrapping...


The guilt of being handed food by a soaking wet delivery driver

It was too wet to venture outside to get food so you had it brought to you. That's what waimai is for, right? However, as soon as you open the door to grab your order, you're hit by a wave of guilt as a soaking wet, shivering delivery driver extends his arm out to hand you your precious Wagas or Currify. He looks at you through steamed-up glasses, a puddle of water forming around his feet from the droplets falling from his waterproof poncho. You have no cash to tip. You take the food and with a 'xiexie,' you shut the door and send him on his way, back outside to face the elements. Are you a bad person? Again, let us know in the comments below...

The incredible temptation to cancel all of your plans

You were going to go to brunch, but it's raining. You were going to go to the gym, but it's raining. You were going to go to work, but... okay, maybe you can't cancel the last one. As soon as it rains, you're hit by the desire to do absolutely nothing and just stay inside where it's warm and dry. To be fair, if we had our way, we'd never leave the house, regardless of the weather outside. It'd take one hell of a Jingan-based rooftop food festival to get us out of our front door...

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