Guilt

 Because of the heat I have to get up early, between 5 and 6am, to do housework.  Yesterday I managed to do all the floors, this morning I cleaned the kitchen.  Each day I try to get as much done before 9am.  That means that most days unless I have classes I can spend time reading, studying Japanese or watching TV.  Sounds great but I always feel guilty because I'm not doing anything productive.  My garden is a disaster but there is no way I can go out when the tempreture is 38C.  The bedrooms need cleaning, the bathroom as well but it's seems impossible to do anything.  And after this week it looks like even going shopping is out of the question.  Maybe one store but not like on Monday going to 3 different places and getting so sick.   

I don't like summer.  I don't like that I can't do everything I need to do.  I get so frustrated with myself and end up taking it out on the kids.  I would love to have a lovely cool summer, be able to go out and enjoy myself but it's not to be.  This Sunday is the summer festival here, I would love to go but I know that just walking to the area would end up with me getting heatstroke it heat exhaustion.  Mikey is doing cotton candy.  One good thing is that he will be working with somebody else so they can take turns to sell and then rest in the air conditioning!!

The cats are miserable as well.  They are just lying around, but at night when it is a bit cooler they start to fight!  

Hot cat

Random Thoughts

 Mikey recovered quickly from his bout with Covid.  He was down for three days but bounced back quickly.  The rest of us are okay, we didn't get sick!!

I've been watching the news about the heat waves in Europe and the USA.  How do people live in such extreme temperatures?   Some cities are reaching over 40C,  Phoenix, Arizona is up to 43C.  Is it possible to go outside in that temperature?  Here it's in the mid-30Cs. I got sick yesterday just shopping!!  I was alright until the last shop, the air conditioning wasn't very strong and I started to feel hot!! Came home, and felt really ill until I could get in front of the air conditioning!  I feel sorry for Hannah, she has to walk about half an hour from her campus to the train station.  Going is alright as it isn't that hot but finishing in the afternoon she has to walk at the hottest time of the day.  I suggested that she should get a parasol, it might help a bit.  I really do wonder about people who have to work outside.  Yesterday I saw an elderly gentleman directing traffic near a construction site,  I wondered how long he would have to stand outside!! I know I couldn't do that.   I feel really sorry for the kids, summer holidays have just started but the kids can't really play outside.  One good thing in Japan is that the school pools are open to allow the kids to go and play there, there is some supervision which helps.  Otherwise the kids are inside all the time!!!

The cats are all spread out,  I know it's hot when the cats lie on their backs!!  Poor things!  They don't like the air conditioning but sleep next to the door so they get a cool breeze from the room!!!

blocking my door!!

Mikey

 This morning Mikey called me from his bedroom.  He asked for aspirin and a drink.  I took it up for him, he tells me he has a 39.9C fever! Other than that he felt okay, tired of course but no coughing, sore throat, nothing at all.  So we assumed that he was probably suffering from heat stroke, he's been working outside with the cotton candy business and driving Hannah to the city a few times a week (2 hours drive each day). He canceled our volunteer class and the classes he had this afternoon and just slept.  At 4 o'clock he decided to go to the doctor. He has Covid, but very mild.  He has to rest for 3 days then check again.  This also means we have to cancel classes.  I know it's not as bad as when the pandemic was full force but I would hate to be responsible for others getting sick.  Not sure what David, Christopher and Hannah are going to do about their jobs.  This is our second round with Covid. The first time David, Hannah and I got very sick, Mikey tested positive but very mild symptoms and Christopher tested negative.

I hope that this is finished soon.  Being sick with a fever is never nice but when it's so hot outside it makes cooling down a lot harder.

The cats have decided to sleep near my door.  I have an air conditioner running most of the day, there is a little bit of a cool breeze under the door so they sleep there.  The problem is my door opens outwards,  Sometimes it's difficult to open the door.

outside my door

It's Getting Hot

 I know that there are very few places in the northern hemisphere that are cool at the moment.  I was watching the news about the heatwave in southern Europe.  I feel the heat is more destructive there as it's a dry heat which can lead to wildfires.  

After last week's rain, the heat has started.  Last night's low was 26C, not that hot but very humid.  I woke up at 3am and felt as if there was no air!!  It was 30C by 9am.  The only way I can survive is to get up early and do as much housework as possible.  I could do the living, dining and kitchen areas later as that area has an air conditioner but the bathroom, toilet and corridors don't.  Just sweeping and mopping takes a lot of effort once it gets hot.  Also I try not to go out too much.  I'm okay in the car or stores but just the short walk to the car to the stores makes me uncomfortable.  One good thing is that we don't have to wear masks anymore. I worry about Hannah, she had to walk form the station to her campus, about 30 minutes.  Mornings or evenings are okay but if she finishes midafternoon it might be hard for her.  I tell her to stop in shops on the way and drink as much as possible.  

Today is a national holiday, Marine Day.  A day to celebrate the ocean.  A lot of people take the chance to go to the beach, which considering how hot it is might be the best place to be!!!

Catch Up Post

 The rain we had last week was really bad, some places near here were hit really hard, with floods and landslides.  Watching the news was very strange, places I know kept coming up.  One supermarket that I usually shop at had to close for a few days to clean up, and a truck full of food was thrown out.  The small town next to my mother in laws house was hit by a massive landslide.  It's the same mountain range that is behind the house!  I haven't been to the house for a couple of weeks, hopefully, I can go this week.  

We have a new laundry machine.  But the weather has been so bad that I still haven't caught up on the laundry pile.  Today is nice drying weather so I've already done some curtains and have a second load in at the moment.  I will win the battle of the laundry!

Proud Mommy time.  Hannah works part-time at a local after-school cram school teaching English. Basically helping kids with their tests.  Yesterday she had a meeting with the manager and other teachers.  The top 3 students who had improved their test scores in English were students that Hannah has been teaching!  I know the kids worked hard but so did Hannah, it's not easy trying to get the kids to focus after a day of studying.  I'm glad the cram school recognized Hannah's efforts, this gives her the confidence to keep going!  The cram school bought sushi for dinner, nice!

Sushi

Rain

 I know it's the rainy season but the past few days have been crazy.  Heavy torrential rain, thunderstorms and strong wind!

Hannah had university this morning. yes even though it's a Sunday.  We weren't sure if the trains would run so Mikey drove her to the campus and then hung out while she had her class.  When they left it was raining but not too bad within half an hour it got really bad.  The kind of rain where the windshield wipers make no difference.

David got back at about half past nine.  He was soaked through even with a raincoat on!  He said that the road outside was flooded, all the way to the local supermarket.

This was just outside our door.

I've seen the road flood before but it never came into the carport.

Fortunately, the water receded after bout an hour!!  

That was at 10am, it is now 6:30 pm and it is still raining.  And more is forecast for the next 24 hours!!

Oh Bother!

 Feels like two steps forward, 10 steps back!

When my students renew their contract they pay a yearly fee, it's standard practice for most English schools and cram schools.  I don't charge a lot but it helps with covering prints that I make, snacks for the Halloween and Christmas parties and running the air conditioners and heaters.  I was looking through our accounts and noticed that a lot of students will renew this month.  Great, bit extra, maybe I can save some money.  But of course not.

As I mentioned we are in the middle of the rainy season, constant rain for days on end.  So I haven't done a lot of laundry, just what every one needs. It's so hard trying to dry everything inside, even with fans blasting on the clothes it takes a few days.  I was so looking forward to the weekend, couple of dry days, get the laundry done.  Filled the machine, pushed the buttons and nothing.  So I did what I always do when electronics don't work, I unplugged it and waited a bit.  Plugged it back in and watched as the lights flashed through the different wash cycles.  Then nothing, it just wouldn't start.  Unplugged it again and the same thing happened.  So my washing machine is broken.  Christopher took some laundry to the local laundromat, Mikey took more the next day.  But I need a machine.  Summer means lots of showers, which means lots of towels being used.  There is no way I can keep up with laundry without a machine.  I thought of handwashing but in the heat we are experiencing that would be a death sentence.  

David came to the rescue and ordered a machine but he doesn't know when it will be delivered.  He offered to pay but he should be saving for a car.  So that extra bit of money will go for a new machine.  Such is life I guess!!

Fluffy hiding from the storms

It wouldn't be my blog without at least one photo of a cat!  poor Fluffy really freaks out with the thinderstorms, she find the most interesting places to hide!!