From: Wade T. Smith (wade.t.smith@verizon.net)
Date: Wed 05 Mar 2003 - 19:26:16 GMT
On Wednesday, March 5, 2003, at 01:18 PM, memetics-digest wrote:
> The Chinese word for umbrella (san) also means to come loose or fall
> apart.
> If you give an umbrella to a friend, then it implies that you are
> breaking
> up with that person. If you have a very good friend and you warn the
> friend
> ahead of time that you are going to give him (or her) and umbrella,
> then it
> is OK, as it is no surprise. If a girl suddenly gives her boyfriend an
> umbrella, then it means she is breaking up. Believe me.
I was just in New York City recently, and it began to rain heavily. We
were right next to Chinatown, so we went onto Canal Street and found
one of the several purveyors of umbrellas that were on the street. We
got one, for $3. So far, it hasn't come apart, but I expect it to,
probably soon....
In New York, they also have umbrella stands at the entrance to many of
the stores, at least they did in Soho and the Village which is where we
were, and at least twice I left the store with a different, albeit
similar, umbrella. The last exchange netted me a somewhat better
umbrella, although, yes, it did appear to be what we were fast coming
to call a 'chinatown' umbrella.
- Wade
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