My friend Kirsty resenting the Sydney rain - October 2009
Rain in Sydney is a curious thing. It's pretty rare, and when it happens it's generally no worse than anywhere else in the world - and best of all, it doesn't usually hang around very long. But it produces a resentment in Sydneysiders (including myself) which is strangely out-of-proportion. I guess when you're spoiled with good weather (as with anything), you're bound to have a worse reaction when it's taken away, even for a short while.
From my own point of view, I think my resentment comes from having moved here all the way from London - and although the weather wasn't a particularly big factor in my re-location, I do have a subconscious sense that Sydney has a duty to live up to its reputation somewhat. I admit that I can occasionally be heard to whinge (and how Australians love to hear 'whinging poms') that "if I wanted rain I'd have stayed in London" - which is neither logical nor realistic - nor indeed, true.
Certainly, since living in Sydney I have become much more aware of how the weather affects people's moods. I'd given it lip-service acknowledgement before, but when you move to a warmer climate it really is astounding how much of an effect it has on your life. I've also noticed how true the cliché is about British people constantly talking about the weather. All I hear in the winter from my British friends on Skype, email, Facebook, etc is how miserable the weather is; then in the summer (briefly) how glorious it is. I suppose there's always something to talk about in the UK because the weather is so changeable - after the 100th straight day of sunshine in Sydney, you don't really think to mention it.
Anyway, as I'm typing these words, the Sydney rain is pattering on the window in a particularly British drizzle, and I'm trying my best not to be irritated by it. This always helps:
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