Our new air conditioner arrived today. I was so pleased I practically jumped up and down and clapped Japanese style. I was talking to Ohata-sensei about how difficult it was to sleep at night and she asked why we hadn’t moved our bed into the living room. This never occurred to us. I would find it strange to have the bed in the same room as the sofa, TV and dining table but it really would have made sleeping much easier. But tonight I will get to sleep in a cool room.

I am hoping the heat wave in Japan ends soon. There have been quite a few heat related deaths. I thought that the heat would mostly affect the elderly but some people in their 30’s have died in the past week. I have been saddened by the news as many of the deaths seemed to be avoidable: a man out jogging who died of heat stroke; a child who collapsed and died after practising baseball for three hours; a toddler left in a van by nursery staff.

I try not to spend too much time outside during the day and don’t really walk to anywhere further than the local supermarket or the train station. Tony tells me he likes there to be lots of light but I’m really glad that the sun goes down here early in the evening.