Dutch Weather

This morning I took the waterbus and then cycled to my inburgeringscursus in the rain. It was cold and wet and miserable and I was wondering to myself what kind of masochist I was. And I don't even dare to feel sorry for myself because I was far from the only person out there on their bike. When I got to the waterbushalte at a little after 7:30 there were at least 20 kids on their bikes and a few older people on their way to work. Everybody looked miserable, but this is life in the Netherlands for most people. They get used to cycling to school or work until they can afford a driver's licence, which costs over €1000 excluding the car and how much it costs to run and insure it. I look at the traffic here and think to myself that I don't care if I never drive here. There are speed traps everywhere, gas costs a lot and often you can get from point A to B faster on a bike than you can by car simply because the bike paths go straight through while the streets are one-way and they have a lot of traffic lights. As for the speed traps, Dutch laws are set up to fine you for every minor infraction. The speed camera catches you speeding and a while later you get the dreaded blue envelope from the tax office announcing your fine. Driving a car is expensive here, and a lot of that can be fines or the mandatory roadworthiness check every year during which all problems must be repaired and paid for before you're allowed to drive your car. Miserable weather notwithstanding, biking or taking public transit is easier and cheaper and most of the time it's faster.

Still, as I got colder and wetter I had to question whether I was really going to stick it out riding my bike. Yesterday on my way home there was an ambulance and a police car on the bike path because someone got hurt. Today on the same stretch of bike path I got chased by a dog and I had to wonder if there were any connection between the accident yesterday and the dog. The dog's owner and I just kind of shrugged at each other as if to agree that neither of us knew what his dog's problem was. Yesterday it was cold, but today it was colder. I found out that knitted gloves do nothing to keep your hands warm once they're wet. I also have a rain poncho and I could have probably kept myself a lot dryer if I had remembered it sooner and put it on. I'm having to learn things that the Dutch have all known as almost second nature since they were children. I have a lot of catching up to do if I ever want to fully integrate at their level.

I ask myself sometimes if it ever gets any easier, and my inner voice laughs and says simply, "No". Maybe we just try to make the best of it, because it's all we can do. I think perhaps the Dutch have perfected the art of making the best of it. Not that they don't complain, because they do all the time, especially about the weather, but they still get out there and ride their bike in the rain if they have to.