The Upside of Global Warming

The upside to global warming is hot summery days in March! You see, I've become someone who loves talking about the weather. And winging about the weather. And incapable of staying indoors on a balmy spring day that freakishly and unnaturally occurs in winter.

Part of the problem is that growing up in Los Angeles, the weather is the last thing you ever actually talk about. Unless it rains. Okay, so once a year you talk about the weather and the local news reporters dress up like on expedition to find the Northwest Passage, but have to feign enthusiasm for the fact that fate and a temperate climate has instead found them standing on the overpass of the 405 / 10 juncture in a drizzle talking about how bad the traffic is. Because it's usually so clear at 5pm on a Friday. Oh, and the graphics department goes nuts with the 'STORM WATCH 05!' banners. Because it's raining.

But here in London, heat makes the news and I love talking about how nice it is even though I know it won't last! I even asked my brother how to convert Celcius to Farenheit just for the occassion [F = (9/5 x C) +32].

But there's something dark lurking behind this unseasonable warm spell. People are out and smiling and leaving their coats behind, but there's a distrust in the air. 'Why on earth would the weather gods be so kind to us?' The so-called British resolve seems to thrive better in misery then in comfort it seems. Whereas the Angelino takes their sunshine so for granted it's frowned upon in some circles to complain when it's too hot, unless it's August and then it's okay. Our relationship to our micro-climates is key to understanding the sensibility of a place and how we talk about the weather could be the meta-narrative of how we conceptualise our selves in it. And if its possible to find a light cotton dress in February.

Have you talked about the weather today?