“Do you have it in you”…

Currently in Shanghai its hot…I mean really hot!...and really humid too. The air is still, thick and heavy and it’s disgustingly sticky. Needless to say it very uncomfortable to a guy that is used to the “dry heat” of California. The schizophrenic weather doesn’t help either. One minute the sun will be shining then another minute these dark ominous clouds roll in and the sunny day disappears into this dark dismal setting which looks like the world is coming to an end. Lighting strikes…thunder sounds…then on cue, rain drops the size of small animals come crashing down. Half hour later the sun comes back and the process repeats itself.

Having said all that, I had one of the coolest experiences last night. I met up with a bunch of guys that play basketball on the rooftop of the Ritz Carlton Hotel. There are these basketball courts that are on the rooftop surrounded by a chain link fence with a 360 view of Shanghai. The imagery is like something out of a scene from Law in Order when the cops go and talk to someone playing hoops in a playground in the middle of Brooklyn or Chicago (I’ve never played ball in Brooklyn or Chicago but this is what I imagine it would be like…well… except you are on the roof top of a 5 star hotel and your not being arrested). Regardless, it’s a way cool setting when you are in the heart of an urban setting and when you take a jump shot and your backdrop is the bright lights and big city of Shanghai.

There was about 15 of us up there about 8 pm Thursday evening playing 3 on 3 games under the harsh lights of the roof top lamps when a huge thunder storm came in. No one even flinched when the torrential rains came rushing down. The heated games went on. It was surreal to look up and watch the glistening raindrops twinkle as they magically appeared from within the darkness above and slid past the beams of light radiating from the roof top lamps. Everything seemed like it was in slow motion. As I looked around; the mix of the heavy hot rain, humidity, sweat and muffled sounds of shit talking seemed like I was in one of those cool Gatorade TV commercials.

For a moment there I had to stop and check to see if I was sweating orange…..”Do you have it in you”…