Everyday has been close to 40C. It's rough. I spend a great deal of my day bitching and complaining about the heat. I'm not alone in this though. Almost every Japanese person I know has been complaining even more than I have.
I've decided to make a list of the top 10 things I really hate about struggling through a Japanese heat wave.
1. Wet clothes! My clothes are soaking wet the moment I leave the house. I'm not alone here. As I look around the train platform in the morning or afternoon I see a sea of pain contorted faces. People wearing sweat soaked shirts and dresses. It's definitely necessary to bring an extra shirt to work in the morning!
2. Air conditioners in Japanese houses are small and struggle to cool down the rooms they're placed in. With the a/c units cranked to cool it still takes hours to cool down my apartment to a tolerable level.
3. I find myself complaining a lot more than I normally do!
4. You go I to a convenience store to buy an ice cream to cool down. The instant you step outside, it instantly melts and drips down your hand and arm.
5. Get on a crowded train filled with sweaty businessmen! Smells like a large dead animal was carefully placed in the ventilation system.
6. Being outside too long makes me grumpy and dizzy.
7. My beer gets warm really fast!
8. Even more Japanese women are sporting parasols (that's right...still used in Japan) and they don't pay attention when they walk in crowds with them. It's "almost getting your eye poked out by a parasol" season!!!
9. I'm unable to rip the a/c unit out of my daily commuter train and bring it home...cause the one in the train actually works!
10. The crazy people I see on the train every day seem to become even crazier!
You can find me on Twitter: @jlandkev
Although not quite as bad as Kansai (I assume), Tokyo has been hit pretty hard by the heat wave too. Thankfully since I'm on summer vacation and don't have to go to work I try not to go out as much as possible. On the other hand, I'm also trying to not raise my electricity bill any higher than it's gone (it skyrocketed last month), so I've been using two fans, leaving my balcony window open, and attempting to stay cool (which isn't very effective). I'm definitely ready for fall (or something that seems similar to fall and not a prolonged summer!)
ReplyDeleteSave the Beer!
ReplyDeleteI remember summer in Okinawa being a nightmare. But I do miss it so.