In Which She Hides From The Sun

For those who live in NYC, think about the little old ladies in Chinatown that walk around in the summertime hiding under the shade of the umbrella. Now multiply that by everyone on the streets doing the same thing.

Okay, so it’s not quite this dramatic, but here in TW, walking around with an umbrella is a very common sighting. Taiwan’s climate is “tropical,” and indeed, the sun is brutal. The summer climate is brutal. Not only is the sun willing bear down on your neck with vicious happiness almost all the damn time, the humidity makes it a sauna just to stand outside with no shade.

Add to this, the obsession that Asians have with remaining as pale as possible. We don’t have to get into analyzing the whys, but know that the skin whitening industry in Asia is one of, if not the, biggest cosmetic industry. And enter the SUNbrella.

Not merely umbrellas. The best kinds are lined with some sort of special fabric that protects from UV rays. Seriously? Yes. Check it out.Do you see the shiny?

I like the guy on the bicycle with the umbrella. I swore to myself I would not become that person who used the sunbrella, but I am. I totally have one that I carry around in my bag. I guess that’s not surprising; I did walk around NYC with a parasol in the summertime. The sunbrella becomes an unexpected accessory – the choices are plentiful, but you want to find a sturdy one that is light and also has a pattern suitable to your personality and most of your wardrobe. Both of these qualifications drastically reduce the number of possibilities, and unfortunately many of the remaining sunbrellas that fulfill both weight and UV-ray protection have horrible floral patterns.

I ended up choosing polka dots, which fortunately for my polka-dot-fiend self, is a very popular pattern in TW, and this pink (with a bit of purple undertones) background. Seems unobtrusive enough to work well with most of my outfits.