Friday, June 24, 2011

Spare a thought

Yesterday I taught 3 hours at school and after 15 minutes I was already conscious of the sweat starting to drip down my stomach and back. No fans, no air-conditioning, extreme heat. The windows were open though so we survived. Today I taught in a town about an hour away and again sweated like crazy, but the wind coming in the windows made life bearable, almost pleasant. We don't have air-conditioning in our house (well we do, but it hasn't been turned on for years), but as I sit here writing this I am really appreciative of the fan...... the temperatures have soared to 33 or more each day lately. All the shops/workplaces are very conscious this year of trying to save power and therefore even if they have the air-conditioning on it is usually set to 28 degrees. Cooler than outside, but not exactly cool!
I was thinking how much I hate summer here and then.... yesterday on the news I was watching some students in Fukushima - near where the nuclear power plants are in trouble. They were saying that it was very hot in their classrooms. They are not allowed to open the windows. They have no fans, let alone air-conditioning. I just can't imagine how they are going to cope in the next month before the school holidays start. I am starting to think I am not so badly off....

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:08 pm

    Saipan was hot but JAPAN is hotter! I think if I were in a room with no breeze, no windows open...I would probably faint. Seriously. Since hitting near menopause I do not do "heat" well. The past few days have been miserable-feeling dizzy and nauesated. I am thankful the summers don't last but a few months here. I'm already looking forward to Autumn and winter! After 30 years of perpetual summer in Saipan...I don't care if I never see another summer again! I for one am going to use the AC-it's either that or throw up!

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  2. Wow. I had no idea that you guys way down there were doing the eco-thing as well.

    My PIL are from Fukushima and not only are they not opening teh windows but they are drying all the washing inside as well. I can't imagine the humidity!

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  3. Megan7:03 am

    I so hated this time of year in Japan... I can remember the sweat starting to trickle down my back too! Yuck!

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