May 14, 2013 — Kenechi Udogu
May 14, 2013 — Kenechi Udogu
I am obsessed with the weather. It’s no secret, I’m literally obsessed with it. I blog about it, rant about it, watch the news just to scowl at the smiling weather lady pointing at the perpetual blanket of rain clouds that cover London, and then I spend the rest of the day checking weather websites with bated breath for improvements on the forecast. Perhaps my (ehem) mild obsession stems from growing up in a hot country before moving to a temperate island where it sometimes feels like we experience all four seasons in one day.
So, it’s no surprise that I was disappointed when I saw the forecast this morning. Highs of 11°C! For mid-May! Even the meteorologist admitted it’s a tad bit chilly for this time of year. I was not pleased at all. We’ve had record breaking crappy weather this year and I was hoping last week’s brief heat wave was a sure sign that things were finally swinging my way. Clearly not. I decided to torture myself a little further by checking the forecast for Abuja. 32°C. Of course!
As I donned my work clothes, I made sure to slip on an extra layer under my shirt. Then, with my trusty scarf wound round my neck and my autumn jacket in tow (because a spring jacket just wouldn’t do), I stepped out to the comforting sight of other pedestrians in thick jackets and scarfs. I even caught sight of a gloved lady on my bus ride to the station. Granted, she looked to be in her seventies and probably needed the gloves for medical reasons, but it made me smile. Maybe I wasn’t overreacting after all.
I was halfway to my office when I ran into my Scottish colleague, dressed only in a T-shirt and trousers. No jacket. I repeat, NO JACKET!
“Lovely day isn’t it? Could be warmer but…”
Could be warmer?
I bit my tongue before I could retort with a sarcastic comment. Why? Because I’d finally found the answer to my problem and it wasn’t even that complicated. All I need to do is relocate to chilly ol’ Scotland for a while. Now, that would shut me up!
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Kenechi spends her days masquerading as an architect and her nights moonlighting as a writer in the rainy city of London. She hates the cold and hopes to one day figure out how to hibernate in winter. She tweets as @KenechiUdogu