Weather

One of my favourite sayings comes from Richard Carlson, author of the Don't Sweat the Small Stuff series, "There's no such thing as bad weather – only different kinds of good weather."

I admit it. There are times when I was too serious about weather, getting myself overwhelmed and uptight.

When I first arrived at Hallstatt in Austria last month, I met all that rain. The city, supposedly rich in pastel-coloured houses casting spectacular reflections onto the glassy water of the lake, did not seem to live up to its fame. To my amazement - believe it or not - the rainy day finished with a breathtaking rainbow over the scenic lake. Now and then, we are blessed with all these wonders. At first, my younger sister got disappointed with the rainy weather during her maiden outdoor photography trip at the Peak (with the new camera I bought her) this Sunday. Bad luck? Not necessarily. By noon, we were soon enthusiastic to take countless shots of the fabulous waterfalls that one can never see on a sunny day. I was overjoyed, and still am.

In a way, I have learned the tricks and come to appreciate all these different kinds of "good weather." The downpour and lightning this morning, for instance, did not seem to annoy me even though I ended up being trapped in the elevator. After all, I cannot demand that weather be fired or resign on the basis of its "bad character."

At any rate, the weather is what it is, and it obviously won't care what we think about it. Let it be.