jangma (장마) is upon us

rain makes destroying things pretty (taken from the ssamzie complex in insadong).

on my bus ride from incheon international airport to my home, ytn news announced that today is officially the beginning of jangma, or the annual east asian monsoons. one-third of the human species experiences this weather phenomenon, which is caused by the temperature discrepancy between asia and the pacific ocean.

although i grew up in seattle and know (and enjoy) rain, jangma is a very different, no-joke kind of rain. often in cahoots with hot and very muggy weather, this year's monsoons have arrived several days earlier than usual. they typically last 30-40 days, and account for half the peninsula's annual rainfall.

it's not all bad, however. go here to read why summer in korea also has its pleasantries...

(hint: umbrellas + shorts).