So this morning, as I looked out of the window and peered into the pouring rain, it occurred to me that I actually like the weather in this country.
The rain makes it very fertile and in the interim season, that is spring, plants and trees can grow up to 30 centimetres in a few weeks. The rain is good for us.
I asked myself: “Does it actually rain often?” And I am inclined to think “no”. Because I cycle to work every day, and I usually come in dry, or virtually dry. Maybe a few times a year I get really soaked during this short 7,3 minutes journey.
I was in Costa Rica once. In the rain-season. And nobody who seemed in his right mind complained about the weather. The daily, hours long rain, was just taken into ones stride. And it was definitely a lot wetter than I have ever seen it here.
So what must I think of that, I wonder. “We” Dutch complain about the weather all the time. Well, not me that is; I don’t complain at all, because if you make the weather a topic to complain about in this country, you are basically screwed. So what does that lead to? Exactly, two things: it doesn’t rain (often) enough in this country for the peoples complaints to be washed out of their daily attitude, and the Dutch like to be screwed.
Weird buggers, the Dutch. But nice, nevertheless. However, I can’t clue in to this culture of complaining. Last summer was great. We were outside for months on end. But somehow, everyone seems to agree on one thing in this country: last summer was crap.
I rest my case.
