Summer vs Winter

On our way to work today, we were talking about which is worse, summer in Dubai or winter in Japan. We visualized the 3-meters of snow in M’s hometown and our dead coldhome in Nagano. Nagano Prefecture wasn’t chosen as the site of the 1998 Winter Olympics for nothing!

Today is hellish 43C in the shade with a whooping 75% humidity. Beat that!! We went out from our comfort zone, read: a/c equipped building, onto the sliding doors and almost immediately shouted to each other “Whoa, it’s baking time!” 

The time is just 7:15 am.

We walked to the uncovered car park, about 20 meters from the building exit and turned on the car a/c before even attempting to sit down. Then we started our little talk on the way to my office.

In Dubai, especially in summer:

• we wake up knowing the sun is there and we will not be rained and no snow of course!

• the car is dusty but with no frost, no snow on it so no scraping and other tactics to do but turn the a/c on, fast

• after a couple of minutes we are off driving

• there’s traffic but not necessarily limited to the summer season nor caused by slippery snowy roads, just the usual mental drivers who unfortunately, thrive/drive whole year through!!

• I get out and move on from one a/c controlled environment (car) to another (inside of the building). Time spent: 3 seconds

• I can walk fast, run, gallop, dash, do whatever I can without slipping on the road - – unless I have severe lack of sleep and at my dumbest

• we don’t have to turn on the heater inside the house but set our home a/c to 28C; not cold, not hot, just comfortable

• we can go out with minimal clothing – shirts and shorts and slippers – ANYTIME! and by the way, I loove to sleep in just a t-shirt and a pajama (bottoms) 365 days a year, without electric woolly blankets!!

In Japan, during winter:

• we wake up to find our car looking like an igloo in the morning

• the front window is covered in frost as early as November

• we have to start the car engine and the heater at least 15 minutes before getting inside and driving

• I have to prepare hot water to pour over the front window if I forgot to put the heater on 15 minutes before

• the wet window would ice in seconds and I have to repeat the same procedure…urrggh

• the car heater takes forever to warm me and before I know it, I have arrived in my work place parking area

• my hands are rock hard because of the cold and it’s almost hard to maneuver the wheel

• there’s traffic on the road because of snow-related accidents

• I walk from the parking area to the building – - very careful walk, in special shoes I may add, there have been people who slipped in the ice and ended up with broken bones! (my FIL for example…)

• we come home and sit near the miserable heater all the time!!

• we need to have at least 10 pieces of clothing: undershirt & sweater, underpants and warm bottoms, a thick jacket, winter woolly hats, a pair of winter socks, mufflers, a pair of gloves and if needed, some ear muffs.

I guess this is saying, I’d take an August day in Dubai than winter in Japan? Hmm..can’t decide!!

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