We’re getting rain –again. When I drove up SR 23 Monday night after a quick trip to southeastern Kentucky, I could see the river ‘s waters shimmering, higher than normal. These are the days when having a decent umbrella on hand can save you from getting drenched and uncomfortable–maybe. If you get caught in one of Taiwan’s torrential rain, lots of luck. I remember wringing out my socks in a restaurant bathroom sink once.
One thing I like about one kind of umbrella in Taiwan is the plastic covering that folds like a plastic foldable cup, one section tucking into another when the umbrella is open. The compressed cup is at the top of the umbrella while the umbrella is in use. After you close the umbrella, the “cup” expands as each section slides over the nylon fabric and ribs until all are covered. The idea is that the covered umbrella does not allow water to drip over the floor. It kind of works. I did bring one back to the U.S. with me, but I don’t know where it is anymore. Such is the life of an umbrella.
Lisa Shin dove into the life of an umbrella a few years ago, vowing to try several to find the best. Her findings are here in this Slate article I came across when searching for info on the Taiwan style umbrella. No luck with that, but, from what I can tell, according to Shin, a cheap umbrella bought in Chinatown might work just fine. She details several umbrellas with pros, cons and prices of each. I was floored that someone would pay more than $20 for an umbrella. How about close to over $200!! They are so hard to keep track of. Are people nuts?