A Jolly Good St. Valentine's Day to You!

Last week Yilin and I traveled to Montreal for the Chinese New Year. If one were to translate the Chinese lunisolar calendar to a western-style calendar, it is the year 4705. (There is a great Wikipedia page on this incredibly complicated sexagenary calendar system.) We had a great time, and I was excited to actually see snow (this winter it has snowed maybe twice in NYC, but nothing stuck to the ground).

One thing that I really like about Montreal is that it is relatively uncrowded. Well, especially in the winter. You see, in Montreal, you can go to work, do all of your shopping (groceries, medicine, clothes, etc.), and all of your traveling entirely underground. Some people don't even wear coats when they leave their houses in the morning, as they never step foot outside. It's amazing. Me, I love walking around on the sidewalks above ground with almost nobody around. More so when snow is blowing in my face.

By contrast, in NYC, it doesn't snow very often in the winter. Instead, it rains. This means that the sidewalks are full of people, with no option to walk underground, carrying umbrellas of various diameters. This is not fun. For those of you who haven't experienced it, allow me to explain. Please keep in mind two crucial points: 1) New Yorkers don't pay attention to anyone or anything, and rarely apologize for bumping into people; 2) Umbrellas are wider than people.

Imagine the hustle and bustle that is the typical NYC sidewalk; it's impossible not to brush into people and narrowly avoid bumping into them. Now imagine that every person is armed with an umbrella bearing no less than 8 spikes at its perimeter, and each umbrella is wider than the average person. This means that umbrellas are always bumping into each other. Everyone takes a minimal approach to dodging and avoiding other umbrellas, just like their minimal approach to dodging and avoiding people. However, if you aren't afraid of a little rain and don't carry an umbrella, you had best have reflexes like Jack Burton. Somehow, carrying an umbrella grants you the right of way (at least in New Yorker's minds). I can't tell you how many times I've been poked in the face by other people's umbrellas. My current tactic is to just knock their umbrellas out of the way rather than dodge them. Basically, it's as pleasant as going to the mall during Christmas season.

Don't get me wrong, there are some people who sidestep, move and/or lift their umbrella, or are otherwise conscientious of others on the sidewalk. These people, the minority, are the thoughtful ones. Thankfully, a much smaller minority is the group of people less than 5'4" who (basically) carry 4 foot wide beach umbrellas at the eye level of most people, and barrel down the sidewalk without trying to avoid hitting anyone or anything. However, the absolute smallest minority are those who don't use an umbrella. I fall into the last category. It's only water. And that is my reasoning behind why winter in Montreal is better than winter in NYC.

Have a swell Valentine's Day. Yilin and I will almost certainly be staying in tonight and relaxing.