I live in japan but also lived 20 years in Quebec. Japan is much wetter. About the tent: maybe your tent is not so great, but in any case this is what we try to do in very rainy weather. You pack up everything inside the tent. You have plastic bags for everything inside your panniers. Now, during the day you find some place dry, under a bridge, bus shelter, etc. You hang your tent up and use huge amounts of toilet paper (or sponge?) to dry off your tent. Then you relax, drink a beer, and let the wind do the rest. Finally your tent is pretty dry.

If you tent leaks during the night as it rains, well it's time to get a better tent. But there is no reason that things should gradually get wet if you tent is actually keeping the water out.

Hope this helps.