Weather

Germans are obsessed with the weather and talking about the weather and worrying about the weather – for a good reason.  Often it simply sucks. Like mostly right now.

Call me spoiled Californian brat but cold pouring rain should not be part of summer.  Don’t get me wrong, I can happily (more or less) live with a warm tropical rain storm, one of those that soaks you like a shower in three minutes flat after which time the rain stops just as suddenly and you go your merry way, dripping but warm.

This here is different.  It rains, it is cold, it is grey – and it will be so for some time to come.  It always rains at the most inconvenient times, too.  Imagine geek-boy and I all ready to go to run this or that errand (by bike), standing in the door ready to step out: it starts raining!  Imagine geek-husband and I picking up some second hand furniture by car, once we hauled it down 4 flights of stairs (these things are always up four flights of stairs, no elevator) and open the car to put the furniture in: it starts raining.

It rains from the car to the hardware store, then stops and starts again when we leave the hardware store.  It rains in the evening just long enough so that my parents nag me to put the car into the garage (don’t ask!). I sigh, walk to the car, get wet, put it in the garage, walk back – it stops raining.

I should be happy about the rain, having experienced the California drought first hand, I should rejoice in the idea of rain.  And I do, sort of theoretically.  I’d love to send the rain over to California, I am good at sharing the wealth, really.  California, you can have it, take it, all of the rain between now and say end of October.  You’re welcome!

 

Weather

You have no idea (or maybe you do) how many time I had to have the weather discussion.  It goes like so:

Person: “Oh, so you are German.  Why did you come to the US?”

Me: “To go to graduate school in Boston.  Afterwards I came to California.”

Person: ” Oh, interesting.  Why did  come to California.”

Me (thinking “duh”): “Because the weather is better than in Germany.”

At this point people reliably think I made a joke – not a very good one, but a joke nevertheless.  Thing is I didn’t, I meant it – Weather. Is. Important. Period!

It ain’t quite that bad in Germany – most of the time. but stil …
Pic: thegoddessblogs.com

Of course, weather wasn’t all, there were many other factors involved in the decision to move to california, but the weather, honestly, played a big part for me since I am one of those Vitamin D deficient, seasonal-depression-suffering sun lovers.   Since I came to California I have only been back to Germany twice in winter.  Once early on – and regretted it immediately and vowed to never repeat that foolish mistake again.

Just last week, though – mid-November – I had to go to Germany for a conference.  Why anybody would chose to hold a conference in November in Germany is a mystery to me, there are lots better places I can think off,  southern Spain, for example.  The whole experience was – frustrating.  I am just no longer used to freezing temperatures and what the Germans I spoke to considered fairly decently warm weather almost froze my behind off.  I no longer have long underwear type things, the soles of my shoes are thin and 90% of my tops sleeveless.  Here I thought I was doing a decent winter packing job by bringing a jacket and an overcoat, a scarf and shoes that do not fall into the strappy sandals category.  After 10 minutes waiting for a taxi cab I was frozen stiff, the cold air literally crept into the sleeves of my coat making me realize how useful long underthings can be.

I am back now in California and sitting here in a sleeveless T-shirt and barefoot, it isn’t really warm – only about 20 degrees Celcius and the sun is shining.  I am loving it!