Today was a beautiful sunny morning, but by early afternoon it was dark and thunder rolled across the sky. It's the rainy season in southern China, and we often feel as if we live inside a storm cloud. My coworker Roger loves to inform me almost daily of the latest typhoon or tropical storm brewing off the coast.
It makes sense to carry an umbrella on a daily basis since the weather is so unreliable right now. However, swarms of people carry open umbrellas when the sun shines in Shenzhen.
One of the first times I left the office for lunch, my coworker Kathy accompanied me with umbrella in hand. As soon as we stepped out into the beautiful sunshine, she popped it open and held it over my head. I looked at her like she was crazy! I didn’t want or need a shade over my head for our short walk.
She told me it would protect our skin from the sun and prevent unwanted tanning. It didn’t matter that we would only be outside for about 3 minutes while walking to a local restaurant. Fair skin is desirable here, and she is a very fashionable woman, so she avoids all exposure to the sun when possible.
My favorite fair weather umbrellas are made of a shimmery iridescent material with lace and sparkly rhinestones around the edges. They remind me of Victorian parasols. I’ve never seen anything quite like them in the States. I told Matt I would love to have one and he found a kiosk in a local mall selling them for 300 RMB, or roughly $45 a piece, but I don’t want one that bad. I’m not even sure they’re waterproof.
I'm getting used to seeing sunny-day umbrellas, but it still amuses me every once in a while, especially when I see drivers of scooters peeking out from underneath them as they zip on by.
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