The Night was Sultry

Mari and I officially declared our summer begun with the air conditioner going on for the first time since the end of winter. It became too hot for me to sleep without it. We'd spent the previous week with the sliding door open while we slept, but that wasn't working for me anymore. In true ladylike fashion Mari never sweats, which is good as I do enough for both of us, and anyone else who should happen to be there. For the next few months its days of 30+, and humidity of about 1000%.　Or so it seems.

I do hate the summer heat, but only because I live in the city and have to ride a crowded train 5 days a week. Were I to be unemployed and live near the sea it would be great. Unfortunately Japan's welfare system doesn't support lazy Aussies - in fact it doesn't even support hard working Japanese. Lousy work ethic.

I hardly ever see flies here, and now I know why. Through the black arts they've all joined together into the one ginormous fly that has been trapped in the staff room since Friday. Now that the air con is on here too, it can't get out. When I'm eating I'm reluctant to walk away from my food for even a few seconds. Not so much because it might land on it (ewuhhh), but because it might carry it off.

And I saw the most interesting toilet the other day. I'd read about TOTO's "Princess Sound" toilet in the paper, but had never seen one. What's so interesting about the "Princess Sound"? Well along with all the other features we've come to expect from our toilets (electronic raising and lowering of toilet seat, temperature controlled seat, bidet with dual action and temperature controlled water, jet of warm air after it's all said and done) we can now press a button to make a simulated flushing sound. This is to cover any unwanted noises which may be accompanying the action. Of course I had to try it out. The sound was surprisingly loud. So loud I thought that anyone standing outside would think that I'm somehow amplifying the sound of a toilet flush.

How many times can you use this feature at one sitting without others thinking that there is something unnatural going on inside the cubicle?