ATSUI DESU NE

Hot isn't it.
Japan comes out in summer.

Firstly the heat, minimum of 28 C, max 38 C, same tomorrow and the rest of the week, it is 30 C at 5.30am! The ice-cream index has gone through the roof, shaved ice is recommended today,but last week it was a soft cream everyday. The wet season is over now, it is simply hot. 0% chance of needing an umbrella but 30% chance of heat stroke, the sweat index is graded at "drenched shirt", yesterday it was "body seeming to melt", tomorrow it is "if you expect a lot of experience to be wary heat stroke to be". I do love this Japanese weather bureau, I feel the weather even on the Internet, I hope you can feel it too, back in Australia, where it is now the middle of winter. I know back home in Melbourne this forecast would seem quite attractive, at least for a day or two of summer pool parties and surfing down at Point Roadnight. Is this what Queensland weather is like? But here there is little relief, only my new Japanese parasol and our 5 air conditioners. Even the shower sweats out the heat after use and seems to trap the temperature. To get to the beach is a difficult drive through the traffic, I have heard of one family who leave at 4am to have a swim, maybe we should join them. But so far we have had trouble getting under the water, it is so shallow, even the pools are shallow, give me a 1970's deep and cold Australian pool anytime soon...please! Yesterday we were invited to a public pool on the far northern outskirts of Nagoya. A tattoo free, no nappies (like that one), no running, no towel kind of pool. I am getting use to the hourly exercises that we do together, all of us at the pool. On the hour, everyone has to get out of the pool whilst the attendants check for something, but what?? Apparently, they are looking for bodies, I have heard that twice now. I guess it can happen there are so many people here. After we get out we commence our exercises, all of us, the same routine every time. I have even heard the same "exercise-music" on the radio too and Mark starts his day at work with the same set of moves. The pool was heated, aargh! The Japanese like their water warm, like in an onsen. Interestingly, this pool was cheap to enter 510Yen for and an adult, the pool is subsidized by the next door power plant, where energy is generated for the pool's heating by the burning of household rubbish, now that is another blog!

So far these summer holidays:
we have been to see the sumo wrestlers,

bought a pet rhinoceros beatle and found all sorts of mushi,

met a geisha and danced at a traditional festival with friends with whom we cannot converse,

took a taiko lesson and played a shamisen, a traditional 3 stringed Japanese instrument,

fell into a number of American tourist traps,

travelled to Tokyo, Osaka and next week to Nagano prefecture,

shopped at the latest and greatest kids shop in the world called Kiddyland,

bought and lit firecrackers, Oliver's newest passion,

spent hours watching the fireworks in the land of Toyota City.

and felt our first earthquake!

Never a dull day in Japan.