overseas briefing Braving the brollies near Buckingham Palace

Author: Tarsi Dunlop

LONDON- Here are some instructions for the fine art of umbrella dodging. London is the place for them. Heretofore, they shall be referred to as brollies. When it rains, or mists, the bobbing heads become a sea of different sizes and colors. It is noteworthy that having a smaller brolly does not reduce the chances of being bumped about. Navigating the crowded streets is exhausting. Here are the detailed steps one must undertake, described in great detail, in order to survive.

First, before setting sail, you must open your brolly. Be careful, as opening it inside and then easing out of the somewhat narrow doorways is challenging to say the least. Following this potentially dangerous maneuver, the brolly must end up above your head (as it is the function of such an object). Extreme caution must be taken for accidentally hitting someone in the face is far more common than you can imagine. There have been some near misses on my part. Now you might think all you've got to do is walk to your destination right? No, wrong. You are embarking on a voyage where you must dodge the oncoming onslaught of human traffic that switches from the left to the right sides of the sidewalk every block. Other factors include many other moving brollies such as speeding taxis that you should avoid if at all possible and sneaky puddles that jump out at you when you least expect them. By the way you're doing all of this at a ripe old speed of about three miles an hour.

The fact that hundreds of others are doing the same can create an almost hysterical scene. But wait, it gets a little better, try crossing the street while walk signs are flashing. There is no rhyme or reason to human traffic patterns during these sections of your journey. The only good thing is that puddles are less prominent because the asphalt is smooth, thus preventing water build ups. If you are not of a standard height you have to hold your brolly at a height that will keep you dry. Unfortunately, I am a little below the height cutoff. This invariably means you will hit someone else's shoulder and gracefully dump water all over them. A quick apology and a faster pace usually eases one through those awkward moments without much of a problem. Upon arriving at your destination, you must carefully lower, slowly shake, and then gingerly close up your brolly so as not to get everything in sight wet, including your poor abused shoes. If you get the floor too wet, it can turn into a slip 'n slide. This is a bit of problem in entranceways. After finally reaching your destination, class, coffee shop, wherever it may be, the realization that things in your backpack are somewhat wet offers a somewhat ironic end to all your careful efforts.

London is both foreign and manageable. The little things that make the day challenging are in the end a simple exercise in testing one's ability to adjust. It is so very different from any place I've ever lived. I certainly miss Middlebury, but the work here is keeping me very busy, and the multitudes of traveling opportunities and cultural shifts are providing a most enjoyable start to the my abroad experience.