When I had been to Japan before, it was always summer. And I knew it was hot and that I got sweaty, but I was usually walking everywhere or taking the train, so I did not get my heart rate up like I do when I ride a bike. So this time, having to ride my bike to school was quite a different experience. I got sweaty. And I arrived to school sweaty. And it was gross. And all of the other teachers drove to school so they could blast air conditioning in their car so that they could be nice and cool by the time they arrived. And then there was me. Luckily, Japan has a thing for little hand towels that you carry everywhere with you (in case you need to wipe your hands off in the public bathroom after wash your hands because there are no paper towels or hand dryers) and I used mine for wiping the sweat off of my neck and back (in the bathroom, of course). The summers are hot and sticky and muggy. But one day there might be a strong breeze and, boy, does it feel great. Although that will be the day you wear a skirt and ride your bike, so you have to ride one-handed so that no one sees your underwear. Yeah. That’s fun. However, skirts are your best friend if you are a girl because they give you a breeze that you wouldn’t get if you wore capris or pants.
In Iowa, there is the occasional cicada that will sing and sing and sing until it dies, but in Japan, they are everywhere. And you might get hit in the head by one while you are riding your bike and then it freaks you out and you might look crazy trying to swat at your head to see if it is stuck in your hair. Or you might accidently kill one as you ride your bike and it kamikazes in front of your wheel and you squish it with a loud crunch. Also, there are several different kinds. Who knew? Not me. And they have different songs of varying annoyance. But the worst is the kind that land on your window screen and proceed to sing the song of their kind into your tiny apartment. One of the best things about Japanese summers is the vending machine drinks. Now, vending machines are literally everywhere. Seriously, you can find one in the middle of a field with nothing else around but that. And the drinks are really varied, too. There could be five different kinds of coffee (all cold since it is summer), three different sports drinks, two kinds of orange drinks (bubbly or not), milky drinks, fruit drinks, and much more. You really can’t go wrong with most of them (except if you are lactose intolerant, then you should really look at the labels to know if they have milk or not—usually if they say creamy or milky you should stay away). However, once it turns to cooler weather in November, the machines then have a hot side and a cold side. That’s right. You can get hot drinks from a vending machine. Pretty cool (I mean, hot). Just look for the red or orange buttons instead of the regular blue buttons and that means your drink will be deposited hot (but still in its regular bottle/can). Japan also has many other means to keep oneself cool during the unbelievably hot months of summer. For example, there is a cooling spray that you can use on your body as a quick cool-down. Also, many vegetables are reportedly cooling agents (like cucumbers), so it is recommended that you eat more of them during the summer months so that your body does not get as hot. Plus, there are many kinds of sweat-wicking clothes that you can buy to put on under your regular clothes so that they absorb the sweat instead of your everyday clothes. And they work really well and it makes it look as if you are not dying of sweat because the sweat does not show up on your outer layers!
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Myself
Video blogger and now a blogger as well. My life in Japan has changed me for the better. However, it wasn't easy... Archives
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