As an intrepid reporter, I thought I should try to answer the question that I posed in this very blog a few days ago. The question was whether Vancouver's rain and warm weather is causing our visitors from abroad to believe Canada's Great White North reputation is a farce. The answer, according to my completely unscientific poll, is no, they don't.

I spent some shoe leather getting to the bottom of it. I walked down to Robson Square with a microphone and umbrella to find "people from away." It's not that easy to pin-point people who don't live here.

Vancouver is a city of many cultures and languages. So there were a couple of embarassing conversations involving me asking people if they were visiting only to learn they'd lived here for years.

There was also an awkward moment involving one man who suggested my desire to know his name was evidence that Canada was becoming a Bush state. It's unfortunate because he had some interesting things to say about the weather.
 
"It's not your fault," said Daniel (last name withheld) from Europe (country withheld). "It's ugly but that's bad luck."
 
He went on to say he expects Canada will make everything wonderful, unless of course there's no snow for the alpine ski events. Then he might have a problem.
 
Some of the visitors were a little easier to spot. Take, for example, Rosa Marie Ventre and her friends. They were decked out in wool coats, scarves, mits and hats. They looked ready for winter. Sadly for them it was seven degrees and raining. Ventre assured me it wasn't dampening their Olympic spirits, nor was it making our Swiss visitors scoff at Canada's faulty climate.
 
"In our heads Canada is still a winter country," she promised, "despite the lack of snow."  
 
Ventre says Switzerland has lots of snow, much much more than here. Sure, rub it in.
 
The weather has ensured Olympic revellers add one more piece of 'must-have' gear to their backpacks and carry-alls. But be advised, there are rules about using an umbrella in this town. People here seem to know the routine. People like me, mess it up.

Local umbrella user Barb Howell gave me some tips. Never allow the drops from your umbrella to drip onto someone else's neck. I doubt this will be a problem for me as I'm more likely to be on the receiving end of wayward drips. Also, watch out for other parasols. This one I learned early. One can't deek through crowded streets when the umbrellas are out.

Walking takes more skill and attention. One person lifts their umbrella while the oncoming walker dips his or hers down. It's a meteorlogical ballet and you don't want to miss your impromptu partner's cue. Her final suggestion was simple.
 
"Wear your hood," she said with force, looking at mine laying flat against my neck.
 
That's how people in Halifax used to do it. I don't even remember owning an umbrella in that city. There was no point. Any time you'd get to a street corner, the wind would blow it inside out (this was also the reason why I stopped wearing skirts when it rained). I don't know how many times I saw some poor soul trying to twist his umbrella back into shape, cars splashing as he struggled, wind whipping rain at his face. As soon as he'd succeed, it would happen all over again.

It was the Abbott to his Costello.