January 29, 2004

Snow

This afternoon when I opened our front door on my way to pick the children up from school, I noticed that it was snowing quite heavily. And so I pulled the hood of my parka on and headed into the flurries.

As I was walking down the street, head bowed in a vain attempt to keep my glasses clear, I noticed that everyone passing me by was carrying an umbrella.

Perhaps my memory fails me, for I lived in New England for almost ten years and don't recall ever having seen a sea of umbrellas on a snowy day.

Or perhaps things have just changed since I have been gone.

Posted by sue at January 29, 2004 07:01 PM
Comments

Odd, that. Having grown up in suburban Chicago, we never used umbrellas when it snowed, but then I moved to Washington, DC as an adult and people there used umbrellas when it snowed. Which I always thought was extremely stupid: just brush the snow off yourself right before you come inside and you'll stay dry. More or less. So I always thought the umbrella-in-the-snow phenomenon was purely something seen in areas where people aren't used to snow. But perhaps I'm wrong. Certainly up here in Stockholm no one has an umbrella in the snow. Then again, it seems as if a lot of people don't even use umbrellas in the rain...

Posted by: francis s. at January 30, 2004 10:46 AM

I first came across umbrellas being used for snow in eastern Slovenia, an area that gets a lot of snow. I couldn't remember having seen them being used for that purpose in Britain.

I ended up adopting the tradition, though, which I still adhere to when it isn't too windy. I just find it a comfortable thing to do!

Posted by: David (TEFL Smiler) at January 30, 2004 05:59 PM

Francis, I thought about this comment for... far too long. I had almost begun to believe that what you said was, indeed true. Until David left his comment.

But still, while I know it makes perfect sense to use an umbrella during a snow storm, well, it just looks so... fussy, if you know what I mean.Along the lines of I'm a lumberjack and all of that.

Posted by: sue at January 30, 2004 10:12 PM

In Gifu Prefecture, Japan, which tends to get snow measureable in meters each winter, almost everyone uses an umbrella during the winter snowfall. Then again, people here use umbrellas in the summer too, to protect against sun. And in spring, for rain. I haven't yet seen anyone use one to shield themselves from the falling leaves in autumn, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if I did, either.

Posted by: Karla at February 12, 2004 11:42 AM