The rain has stopped, it must be summer in Europe

By Yeoh Siew Hoon

Having been in Europe nearly a week and having caught just glimpses of the sun through the slit of one eye and having being nearly blown off the cliff by blustery gales at the wild coast of Quiberon in Brittany, I now understand why Europeans, in general, go slightly mad when they see the sun.

When you get so little of something, you go insane when you finally get it.

It’s supposed to be the height of summer but the weather’s been miserable.

The taxi driver who picked me up from Cardiff airport was more weatherman than cabbie. Driving past an area called Barry, he said it was flooded two weeks ago. “Never seen anything like it in the last, oh, 40 years.”

What used to be small talk in Britain – the weather – is now a full time preoccupation.

Feeling my full 40 years after a 16-hour journey, I replied, in the hope that it would cheer him up, “It’s been like this in Singapore too – raining all the time.”

My response opened up the floodgates of weather chatter, and all that’s wrong with the UK. Worst summer ever, climate change, foot and mouth, bloody government, youth drinking and violence, Iraq … I always find taxi drivers are the best barometer of a nation’s state of mind at any time.

The weather though is top of mind everywhere I go. Perhaps it’s because it’s been so miserable and people are actually living it.

In some cases, it is hitting people where it hurts most – in their pockets.

Seaside resorts in Britain – although, based on my tropical index, I’ve never considered Brighton or Blackpool summer resorts – are losing millions of pounds because of the bad weather.

One ski resort in Switzerland has closed down its ski lift because there is no more snow in its mountains. It is now trying to rejuvenate itself as a summer vacation spot – only problem is, where is the sun?

Well, it’s not in Brittany for sure. I’ve been here for four days and while we had spots of sunshine the first two days, it was fairly variable and unstable. On one coastal walk, I found myself running from one rain-free zone to another. I quite like this, playing tag with the rain clouds. Catch me if you can. Unfortunately, nature always wins.

I must say I admire the do-or-die French vacation spirit though. On the beach yesterday, while I was huddled and freezing in my sweater, I saw men kite-surfing and windsurfing. It is 15 degrees out of the water. Only polar bears would go into that, as far as I am concerned, but I saw at least one dog and three men in the ocean.

Brittany being the home of the hardiest sailors in the world, I am determined not to be a wimp. When in Bretagne, do as the Bretons. So I am out there doing stuff even though the wind (I just am not used to the wind here) is blowing the stuffing out of me.

I am also stuffing myself with the freshest seafood, scrumptious crepes and wonderful fruits and vegetables. Plus of course, plenty of rose wine. Hey, never mind about the weather outside, it is summer. Damn it.

Plus, I played my first game of “hold ’em” poker and beat four French men, and won 20 Euros.

Yes, you can tell, it’s the summer of 2007.

Catch up with Yeoh Siew Hoon every week at The Transit Cafe – www.thetransitcafe.com