Raindrops Keep Falling on Our Heads

A recent episode of BBC 1's Stephen Fry in America reminded me of another great topic to tackle: the weather.  While driving through pouring rain in Kentucky, Fry mentioned that Americans joke with British visitors that rainstorms must make them feel at home.  I would have thought that too, but the rain here is nothing like what we're used to.

Rain in Edinburgh, and reportedly across much of Great Britain, is light, misty, and terribly cold.  The dampness chills so deeply, I would never have guessed how cold it would feel.  I'm glad I brought my waterproof winter jacket!  It's very difficult to dress properly for outside activities, hence me staying inside today fighting a cold I picked up while experiencing damp Glasgow weather on Sunday.

Rain here has the annoying habit of sneaking up on us when we least expect it.  In the morning if it's sunny and clear we'll decide to go for a walk, and five minutes later we'll turn a corner and there's a thick blanket of dark clouds rapidly approaching.  Even if we have our umbrellas (which we normally do), they're usually useless because either the wind is too strong or it's so misty that the water droplets get all over you anyway.

Before I came to Edinburgh, I was sent several pamphlets on the school and the city, including an arrival guide for new international students.  One sentence that stuck in my mind has turned out to be true: you can never be sure that on any given day it won't rain.  However, the word 'rain' seems to have a number of meanings, so we still weren't prepared.