Standing watch in the rain could be considered… miserable I suppose. It's also incredibly peaceful. Makes me think of the times when being out and about at 3am was normal - and not in the fun way.

Even cities like Tokyo and Osaka wind down a little in the small hours. They're softer then, less real in a way. Older too, with memories weaving through the air like fine mist. But when you've been awake for almost thirty hours practising singing, dancing and Japanese, when you're hungry and can't do anything about it because you're on a diet, and you're standing there shivering in the brisk chill… then you just tend not to pay attention.

Here, I have all the time in the world to pay attention to the quiet. The last hours before dawn are the best. There's trust in the way a camp sleeps, just as there are memories when a city winds down. And to those of us who watch over it… it feels like a privilege of sorts. Like watching a baby sleep.

Warm summer rain makes this more enjoyable, I'm sure. If I stood here in December, I'm sure I'd not contemplate the peace of the night. I'd be counting the seconds until I could go inside and get warm. But it's summer right now. So who says I can't enjoy my duties?