On rain

7.42 pm

If this cold gets better, it will be despite the weather, not because of it. This morning began with a slow, misting sort of drizzle. The kind of weather where the air feels wet, but you're not quite sure if it's actually raining. From the window in my office I watched it progress to a steady rain with intermittent gusts of wind. By the time I got out of the building, the rain wasn't coming down so hard, but the wind was blowing in just about every direction simultaneously. My cute, red, 2 euro umbrella, which had looked so cheerful this morning, was quickly bent and warped. The wind would be blowing from behind me, then all of a sudden switch so that my umbrella was turned inside out. It seems that a good umbrella here is a must.

7.57 pm

Things that I have been unable to find in The Netherlands, so far:

Mint tea
Dryer sheets
over-the-counter drugs