London Weather

The weather in London certainly takes some getting used to.  Let's just take today for example.  I woke up this morning to a freezing mist that encirled me the second I walked out the door.  It was so cold as I walked the block and a half to the tube station that I seriously considered turning around and getting another jacket.  All that changed however the moment I walked into the station.  The chill abated, and I made it down the lifts and onto my train in comfort.  After about five minutes on the train though, I start getting a little too warm.  First the scarf went, then the gloves, then the jacket, and even after peeling off as many layers as was possible without causing a scandal, I was still sweating by the time I reached my destination.  After the lift ride to the exit, I was positively on fire.  Not for long though, because once I swiped my oyster card, and was swept by the torrent of people back outside, I was frozen in a matter of seconds.  I re-applied all of my layers for the five minute walk to school.

Now, by the time I got to our campus, my blood started pumping and off came the scarf again.  I sat outside for a moment, letting my temperature regulate a bit, and then set off to class.  I took the stairs to my classroom on the third floor, which is my normal custom, and by the time I got to the top I was so blasted hot that I had to go into the bathroom and take off my undershirt.  The classrooms are pretty stable in regards to temperature, and once seated I was quite comfortable again.

Now this routine is to be expected everyday here.  The tricky part however, is that there is no way to really know how cold it is outside without actually going and standing out there for a minute.  Some days it's rainy, and still as you walk down the street there is no way that anyone could call it cold.  While other days the sky is a clear crystal blue, the sun shining, and the air is bitingly cold. 

So while here, I have adopted the boy scout motto; Be prepared.  Layering is definitely best, and with all those layers best to add a layer of patience as well.  There is no point getting frustrated, because then you will literally always feel that way here.  So... just suck it up, wear your hair so that the sweat won't ruin you, and slap on a smile, because in London, and anywhere else for that matter, it is insanity to expect perfect weather.