Umbrella Weather
For most of June the rain has been falling constantly, but in the last few days the temperature has climbed back into the 30s. The sun has reappeared, beating down through the gaps in the clouds that continue to deliver random showers most days. Thus, it is possible to be soaked from the outside by the rain, and then soaked from the inside by your own sweat as a result of the energy sapping humidity. My way of dealing with this is to coat myself in a thick layer of suncream and wear lightweight wicking fabrics. Despite this the sweat still literally drips off me.
Meanwhile the locals in their jeans and cotton shirts remain miraculously moisture free. The scooter riders carry rain ponchos which they pull on and remove as the rain showers come and go. The most dextrous among them manage to do this while on the go, barely slowing down. Pedestrians, meanwhile, carry a diverse collection of brightly coloured umbrellas, doubly useful for keeping both the rain and the sun off. While I was dripping my way along Beijing Road and Zhongshan Road a few days ago I snapped a few pictures of the umbrellas on parade. One rather stern looking security guard, in a full black ninja outfit, was sporting a pinky-purple one with little teddy bears on it. Sadly, he headed into shade and lowered it before I got a picture. Here, though, are a few others I did get.