Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Frosty Thoughts

I have to remind myself that I need to cultivate tolerance. Yes, tolerance. Perhaps even some understanding ... dare I say compassion too? Tolerance and understanding and compassion. Tolerance and understanding and compassion for the poor souls whom I watched on their way to work this morning, all bundled up in their parkas, hats and scarves. They did look cold.

At 10:30 this morning, it was 21◦ C and will probably climb to about 26. Where I come from, that's not exactly winter outerwear weather and the Old Me - the one who has yet to begin cultivating tolerance and understanding and compassion - would probably make some snarky comment at the expense of those poor souls. Something along the lines of "cold enough for ya?" But not the New Me.

Because I know that if I were to spend next winter at home, all of my friends and family would delight in mocking me as I shiver through wind chills and snow storms and plummeting temperatures.

Oh. Except that it's not winter. It's spring. And it's 21 freaking degrees today and will probably climb to about 26. So much for the New Me.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It really gets on my nerves when people so exaggeratedly wear scarves when the weather clearly does not warrant it. I get even angry when I see it and I´m walking home from work sweating. I´m from Phoenix, where it´s exactly the opposite, and no matter how freaking cold it is in the winter, there are people that REFUSE to wear anything other than flip flops and T-shirts, I think because they don´t want to buy clothes it MIGHT get cold enough to wear for two days. Here, however, I get the feeling this is about wardrobe and wanting to keep showing off that scarf until Fería de Abril, when they can "estrenar" their new flamenco dresses.

Anonymous said...

That truly was a remarkable five-minute change.

Anonymous said...

You will know you are a native when you start putting on a parka instead of sun block.

Anonymous said...

Bluestreak is right: it's a fashion "statement". Same was true for Morocco - drove me nuts to see the winter wear hauled out and worn between October and April.

Anonymous said...

That reads unimaginably delightful, as we're still under the winter/spring cloud over here in Belgium ... sigh.

Last April, it was suddenly hot, 27oC hot ... but we didn't realise, that was our summer month.