aka Japan CAN kill you if you are german – used to a life within an airconditioner free country where non-smoking areas actually outnumber those places that legally allow you to blow money into the air.
Airconditioning systems here in Japan are let’s say – philosophy – There is a set date you should use them, and a time where they are turned off (regardless of actual temperature outside) → people here call it ‘cool biz‘ ², telling you “it is first of june, it’s summer, so you gonna wear a tshirt now” (necktie industrie is currently suffering a lot → see this article)
Actually I should not complain. I have the honour to work in a non-office-type kinda work, which is more like family. Thus my caughing-attacks and 4l water consumption dosis has a certain effect to turn airconditioning up at least 2°C.
∴ HOW TO USE AC in JAPAN Guide (if you can’t run, go with the flow and take the chance of being able to control at least your own AC at home )
What is more of a problem is the smoking area in our restaurant (which makes me do feel a little nostalgic ) ~ we all remember those days:
going to a club, where your eyes start to ache after one of those real smoke-clouds hit your face; coming back repeating the same sentences everytime
→ ‘mom, really. I did NOT SMOKE‘ while hanging your clothes outside the window to get rid of that smell.
In Japan the only difference is, they do have some nice anti-smell products which transform you and your clothes into a walking lemon (or rose-flower if prefered) but unfortunately there is no cough-prevention (except those masks, which I am [of course ] not allowed to wear while working)
Thus, my 12h shifts could be subtitled as an “all-kill” – the Shinkuu Hadouken¹ in modern times, whereas riding a normal over-cooled bus, train or enter other AC non-smoking areas are pure golden honey for my lungs.
In short – being in Japan for 3 weeks now – I have been coughing my lungs up for an average of 1 week. I’m not on the verge of dieing (the only reason which makes me enter a hospital voluntarily) and there is hope left – to get used to it, someday…oneday ⇒ and dreaming of the day where Japan actually solves the last big issues:
- plastic (I feel so bad, so baaad)
- temp. sensors for airconditioning (korea 1 japan 0)
- better filtered soft water (those chalk water stains are everywhere)
⇒ well it’s summer, if you can’t change it caugh make the best out of it
¹ Hadouken [Street Fighter]
² (Super) Cool Biz [MEO Campaign]
HomelessParasite 