Your First Line of Defense

I’m not a very gifted umbrella user. I find them unwieldy and that they often have a mind of their own. I find that they are very fickle- you kick one around, treat it irreverently, or make a smart remark about one and you’ll find that it will spitefully turn inside out on you during the next down pour. But god love them when it’s raining, you always want to find yourself armed with one.

Here in Taipei, umbrellas can be used for many more reason than just sheltering from rain. In fact here are the top 5 uses of umbrellas in Taipei:

1. for protection from the rain
2. for protection from the sun
3. for emphasis when trying to make your point – older people tend to wave or shake their umbrellas at you when they are trying to make a point
4. to hit or maim others on the sidewalk- umbrella violence peaks on days when it has been raining for consecutive days
5. to shoo away stray dogs, cats, or kids

As if those 5 reasons weren’t enough to entice you to carry an umbrella, the selection of polka dotted umbrellas, striped umbrellas, and novelty umbrellas will let you color coordinate and match your every whim and mood.