The Weather

Since just before my arrival in Scotland and right up until my departure, Scotland was gripped by some of the worst wintery conditions in living memory. In fact, judging by the continuing news reports, problems were still occurring until very recently.For the most part, despite some travel problems, I think most people welcomed a white Christmas and took pleasure in seeing their surroundings blanketed with snow. I certainly did not mind the snow at all and enjoyed seeing a change to the Scottish landscape. Driving, although a little dangerous at times, was fun and allowed me to implement some of my winter driving skills I acquired living in rural Japan.

The most interesting thing for me is how Scotland reacted to the snow in comparison to rural Japan. By comparison to the Minami-Aizu area where I used to live, the snow Scotland received was paltry. However, this small amount of snow closed roads, airports, and cancelled train services. The chaos in Scotland was total. Although it is fair to say that rural Japan can expect a goodly amount of snow each year, and is therefore much better equipped and prepared for this certainty, I still don't think Scotland can get away scot free (no pun intended) for the way the country descended into chaos.At the end of the day though, with many services in Britain, it is all about saving money and profit. The idea of public service solely for the sake of public service seems to have been lost and replaced with the need for cuts and the desire for someone to make a profit. Of course, this has led to the disintegration of many important national institutions and the removal of safety nets for many of the British public. The safety net for many drivers seems to have been removed with the privatisation of road maintenance services, small hospitals are now being closed or downsized (Portree Hospital), and post offices are disappearing which are an important source of contact for many in rural communities. The list goes on. It certainly seems that Big Brother is watching you in Britain these days - the problem is he is no longer taking care of you.

Perversely, I actually enjoyed the travel problems during my time in Scotland, if not the problems I encountered when trying to leave the country (more on this in the next posting). Snow in Scotland always reminds me of happy childhood Christmases, throwing snowballs with friends, and sitting huddled around a small gas fire whilst Skye was suffering another power cut. My most recent visit to will not be forgotten anytime soon.