OPINION: Weather whinge not the sole domain of the English
In three months time my family and I will have been residents of Australia for 11 years. It’s a big chunk of time and, like any anniversary, it can lead to looking back and contemplating changes.
We have only returned to the UK once since we have lived in WA and it was last year — so I guess differences in our cultures are fresh in our minds.
I know its a cliche, but the overriding difference in my two motherlands is simple — the overpowering WA heat in the summer and the freezing cold winters in the UK.
I am not just talking about how it affects our mood or how we cope as individuals. I am talking about how it affects every facet of our lives.
Look at how our homes are laid out, for example. Go around any house in the UK and you will see these weird and wonderful things called radiators attached to most walls. It’s great being able to set a timer that effectively warms up every room in the house to your heart’s content, but what about when the UK suffers a “heatwave”?
I know, we snigger now, since a heatwave in the UK is an average summer’s day in WA.
One hint of heat in the UK, and we Poms do not know what to do.
We either move in droves to the beach or local river, or sweat it out in front of a desk fan.
But back in WA it’s a similar story to how we cope in our “winters”.
I’m sorry, but we don’t really have a winter in WA — no snow means no winter.
As soon as the thermometer drops below 20C, we go into hibernation mode — into our warm cosy rooms to crank up the fires.
It makes me chuckle from both sides now — how Aussies and Poms compare the extremes of weather and boast or complain depending on the forecast.
I am sure there must be a happy halfway point somewhere on the planet, where it’s a lovely autumn or spring 24/7?
I wonder what New Zealand is like this time of year? But it’s just the musings of a Pom in Oz.
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