I think they’re running out of things to talk about. In fact I just saw a headline that said (I am not making this up) that Obama went to the Forbidden City and thought it was “magnificent.” Newsflash.

Anyway, here’s the umbrella thing:

He had it clasped firmly in his left hand, a large black umbrella protecting him from a downpour as he stepped off Air Force One on arrival in Shanghai on Sunday evening. In a country where officials often have flunkeys to hold their umbrellas, the image of a U.S. president keeping his own head dry was poignant. Xinhua and other prominent Chinese media all captured the moment.

Cute.

Kind of reminds me of the look I get from a new secretary in China when I explain that I never let anyone get coffee for me. I have to do it myself. For some reason, it was ingrained in me long ago that it was demeaning to ask a secretary to get coffee, so I never do it. In fact, it makes me uncomfortable even thinking about it.

I think I would feel the same way if someone was carrying an umbrella for me. Just seems creepy. And if the umbrella carrier were a local guy, then I would definitely get this imperialistic guilt thing. I’ve got issues.

By the way, check this out:

To his credit, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao bucks the umbrella trend in China. Mr. Wen, who cultivates a man-of-the-people image, often carries his own umbrella when he shows up to comfort victims of natural disasters.

This guy never ceases to amaze me. When he retires from politics, he should really start his own PR firm. The “everyman” stuff is handled perfectly. The only folks who have surpassed Grandpa Wen’s staff are the people that convinced the American public in 1988 that George HW Bush, a rich dude from Connecticut that went to all the top schools, was an average cracker from Texas.