Job Discussion Forums

[6810]

You're all wimps! Summer is summer.

Where I come from, days pushing 38-42 degrees are not uncommon.

Like the cold in Canada, you get used to it... or you move somewhere else...

I currently live on the seventh floor of an apartment complex that gets unbelievably cool breezes, has insulation etc - and haven't had to use air con yet.

Ha!

[gaijinalways]

Good for you, but for the rest of us, someone invented air conditioning .

In another thread, a student told me that my wife and I should leave Japan because my Japanese wife and I always want to leave Japan in the summer to travel in Europe where it is generally drier and cooler (this year I'm not so sure it will be so 'nice') . Just as my parents head south every winter, we generally head out of hot and sticky Asia.

Another thing to remember, recognized ideal temperatures for humans are 20-22 degrees C with humidity between 30-50%. then again, my wife calls me MR Eskimo!

[jademonkey]

It's really not that hot in summer. It's fairly humid, but not overly. The hottest temperature I've experienced in my hometown is 47 celcius, which is fairly bloody hot, though it doesn't usually exceed 45 in summer.
The crushing drought also sucks.

[J.]

I agree with the person who said that optimum temperatures are not this hot. Doesn't matter if we're wimps or not and we can "take it", which depends a lot on your physiology and fitness, perhaps. Should we want to "take it" to prove that we're tougher than everybody else? I say no.

Right now we have to use a lot of energy with air conditioners to make life bearable, but there are other solutions, like using green technology, that should be in more widespread use. In the future they will be, but for now we can take a few steps that are simple and inexpensive. One of the best things you/we can do is grow plants on your balcony. If you get a lot of plants out there, even with the extra water they use, you will be adding to the oxygen and cooling effect. This is especially important if you live in a big city. The more people we can get doing this, the better the air and more cooling we can get.

If you like to cook, you can even grow herbs and vegetables in planters, reduce your stress with a bit of gardening, take some control of the bleak landscape and create your own little corner of beauty and pleasure. And save a few yen at the grocery store.

Easily grow-able in tubs are tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, most herbs, including sweet basil which is fantastic in anything Italian. All the baby plants are easily gotten at plant stores or Sunday markets. And probably your nearest 100 yen store has all the equipment and tools you will need, even potting soil.

[JimDunlop2]

[J.]

Take a look at the picture (2nd entry down) and see if your tomatoes look like these:

http://www.heavypetal.ca/archives/2005/09/


I'm sure there may be many causes but it seems one is getting water on the leaves and fruit, which you can control, and humid weather, which you can't. In any case take a look; there are a few suggestions.

Might be a case of starting them a bit too early. Try after the rainy season.

Gambatte.

[TokyoLiz]

Nawlinsgirl,

I feel for your kids. It's tough for little people to struggle through on a hot, muggy day.

At least today's a relief in Kanto, raining hard in Kanagawa now.

[6810]

As for being hot and taking it, let me clarify.

1. I have heard enough Nihonjinron to set my head on fire and jump into a barrel of oil. The whole thing of "the reason we X is because our magical Japanese DNA dictates Y" really does get on my nerves.

2. Many of my friends wilt in the heat, indeed, my family too. In my opinion, at least 50% of the battle against the heat is psychology. Again, if one walks around saying "hot, hot oh I'm so hot" all day then all I can say is 自業自得。。。

3. As far as Japan being a country for dealing with heat, I agree with all the "wimps" - Japan sucks. There is massive over reliance on air conditioning which is a necessity due to horrendous urban planning and house design... short of air conditioners - what is there?

4. Which bring me back to my rather blunt and un-nuanced "wimps" point. Utilise self knowledge, experience and innovation if you can't rely on technology.

Either that or move to Canada or New Zealand...

[anne_o]

The weather here is nothing to complain about, sorry! I hate air-conditioning. I lived in Bangkok where it was HOT and rarely used it at home....maybe 12 times in one year and it's HOT year round. It's the weather, it's not extreme, deal with it. It's so nice to ride the train here and not freeze your butt off because the air-con is cranked. Same goes for the shops, restaurants, etc, they are never too cold. Like someone said, a lot of dealing with the elements is psycological. Adapting to your surroundings is part of life, stop whining and complaining.....especially about the weather.
Man, I just went to the onsen a few days ago.....feel the heat....it's nice!

[Sherri]

Dear Anne
Is this your first summer in Japan? If so just wait, the summer has not begun in Japan. The heat amps up at the end of July and the finally cools off in late Sept. This is for Tokyo in any case.

I imagine Thailand is worse, but the city conditions of Tokyo make the heat hard to take. No matter your prior experience Tokyo in August is not fun.

Sherri

[anne_o]

The city conditions? Ha! Try walking down the street while dodging other pedestrians, street vendors, and mange ridden dogs, on a sidewalk--if there is one-- made of small squres of concrete, some of which are missing some that move when stepped on. The noise and the pollution are horrendous; you do not breathe freash air and cannot talk on a mobile in the street in the center of the city. And then the rainy season....HOt and HUMID. The streets flood and become even messier. The city condition here? Please. I'm a 5 minute walk to the train, the sidewalks are maintained, the air is clean comparitively, my shoes might actually last longer than a few months without getting totally trashed. I feel like I'm in Barcelona....ha ha!
AND....as I said, mind over matter......try not complaining so much. Also, did I not say in my post that I enjoy the heat. It's sexy. I enjoy the changes of seasons and the weather that accompanies each one.....it inspires me. So, on that note........try to enjoy yourselves during this MISERABLE, UNBEARABLE, summer.......you have about two more months to go!

[sidjameson]

I have to agree with Ann. When I first came here I was a bit of a wimp I think, though not as much as many. But I realised something. The best way to deal with the heat is to attack it. I mean, if you get up, dont move and just feel hot, you will feel that it is damn hot. Get up, get out, walk, build up a sweat, you actually feel better.
Acouple of years ago I even started jogging in the evenings and as another posted stated, this actually seems to help you cope with the heat even more. I go for a run, get home and take a cold shower and then even though my apartment is 30 degrees I feel perfect.

[gaijinalways]

Sorry, after living in Asia for about 15 years, I'm afraid my tolerance hasn't gotten much better than it is now. I have never liked going out in weather that leaves me soaked to the skin after going to the station. Yes, it's fine if you don't have to dress up for work, but summers here leave me inside most of the time.

As to the heat island effect here, yes it makes it worse.

[Sweetsee]

Give me the heat over the cold any day, slipping into a cool tub in the mornings and a pair of frozen knickers for the road.
Enjoy,
s

[cafebleu]

I had a similar experience in Japan at a casual job and I asked for fans to be used in my classroom. Very nicely.

I informed the head of the kindy that when I teach English I do so with the intention of creating an English space so that I do things the way I would do outside Japan. My classrooms constituted child abuse - the humidity alone was really stressing out the kids who were pouring with sweat and just couldn't get in the comfortable frame of mind to really learn.

I said this to the head and said I needed the correct environment to teach those children effectively. Please buy some cheap fans - they don't have to be expensive. He refused and so I gave my notice on the spot. I didn't have a contract and I was given the run around such as cut hours when it suited them so I had no compunction about quitting.

Take my advice - it's all about an adequate working and learning environment and occupational health and safety. If your employer refuses to provide it, irrespective of their excuses or idiocy it is best to quit. If it's not full time work it's probably not paying enough money to put up with this bloody mindedness.

As for the Japanese 'enduring' the heat - what rubbish. I'm a Brit and I didn't have sweat running down my face, making a pool of my forehead and making bubbles on my nose. The Japanese are very poor at coping with their own humidity and heat because they are a hybrid people - from Mongolia, Korea, China, and of Polynesian extract as well.

I worked in Korea for a while and they hardly seemed to sweat compared to the Japanese, proof it seemed to me that they were far more suited to their own environment because they are indigenous to it.

Let the Japanese wreck their children's learning experiences. Don't accept literally sweatshop conditions.