I own the sun.
It sounds like a bold, foolish statement to make but it’s true. In fact, my ownership is so extensive I can force it to obey my commands. A little less heat please….yes, that’s better. No, no, no…over here, a little to the right. Yes….that’s it.
Yes, I own the sun and it pleases me. Everyone knows it. And they’re jealous. Just ask anyone around this joint and they’ll back me up.
Susie owns the sun.
I inherited it when I moved here, sort of a welcome present. Of course I didn’t realize the fullness of the power at first…it took several months for circumstances to change. Autumn lingered long enough but the cold threats of Hokkaido winds are knocking at my window panes.
Winter is at the doorstep, howling and whistling to be let in through the cracks. I summon the sun! Be gone! Away! I chase away the drafty chills with my golden beams of hotness! Mwahahahaaa!!!!
I own the sun.
Before this borders on blasphemy I suppose I should clarify that “the sun” is the endearing term bestowed upon my heater. It’s a large oscillating fan-looking thing only larger. The heating shell is a bit smaller than your average street-garbage can lid. It’s on a little stand and even has a remote and timer. Properly placed, I can turn it on and enjoy the immediate directed warmth as I sit in my massage chair and watch movies on my laptop.
I may have mentioned this before, but Japan doesn’t do heating. Well, that’s not entirely true. They have plenty of ways to get warm besides a fireplace. Here are some common household items that contain heating elements: blankets for the bed, carpets, tables, and toilet seats. Let’s not forget the various units of mass heat production: Air conditioner (air con) that triples as a heater/AC/dehumidifier, electric stand up elements acting like a heat lamp (like “the sun”) and kerosene space heaters. Why we can’t all just insulate our houses I’ll never understand.
So, since there’s no insulation you have to practically run your heater the entire time you’re occupying a room, saving energy by shutting the doors of every unused portion of the house. This includes closets, spare rooms, and basically every room you’re not in at the time. Imagine spending several hours in your room, then you have to use the bathroom. There’s been no heat there for awhile. Have fun with that. I’ve heard stories….people’s toilet seats have ice around them in the morning, they slip on ice in the shower, toothpaste and shampoo are frozen, keeping contact lens solution in the fridge because it’s warmer there…the list goes on. If anyone is reading this and wondering what I would like in a care package, please send instant oatmeal and wool socks.
Oh, in case you’re wondering what they do in public buildings, here’s what happens: people do whatever they want. You can join the national crusade for electricity conservation and keep the heat minimal, or just heat the rooms you use. For schools, this means each teacher can decided when to use the kerosene heater in their room. Yes, heater means ONE heater. Do the hallways have heaters? No, they don’t. Imagine visiting the local elementary school as we do each week. You have to take off your coat and gloves at the door. You’re in the entryway and it’s freezing as you change your shoes. You walk into the toasty teachers office and they serve hot tea. You warm up. You walk down a 30 degree hallway to the classroom. The temperature inside may vary from 60-70 degrees…actually I don’t know if they allow the temperature to go down below that in the classroom. You’d think the kids couldn’t write if it were any colder. It’s quite the temperature change, regardless.
Here’s one of the great ironies of Japan: No insulation requires more heat. The heaters dry out the air which means you have to buy a humidifier. Now you’re running two appliances in the same space. Energy conservation? No.
Let’s change to a more friendly topic: Fall. It’s so beautiful. The yochien is surrounded by well manicured deciduous trees of different species. These yield a variety of shapes and sizes of leaves as well as colors and time of color change. Currently a well-shaped Japanese maple is holding the record for last leaves to fall. The tree is swept by vivid reds and oranges in an orderly yet smooth patch combination. I’ve seen quite a few gorgeous trees and picturesque settings like this and I always tell myself “I’m going to get my camera next time and take a picture.” But, after passing the tree yet again I determine it would be quite a crime to attempt to capture the rapturous beauty of this creation. The greatest offense would be to try and immortalize the moon and the stars in such a picture. The harvest moon rising through the clouds to join the night constellations is a scene best remembered by the most attentive and guarded memory. It’s the times you don’t have a camera and you know you have to pay attention to each detail—that’s when the best memories are captured.
It sounds like a bold, foolish statement to make but it’s true. In fact, my ownership is so extensive I can force it to obey my commands. A little less heat please….yes, that’s better. No, no, no…over here, a little to the right. Yes….that’s it.
Yes, I own the sun and it pleases me. Everyone knows it. And they’re jealous. Just ask anyone around this joint and they’ll back me up.
Susie owns the sun.
I inherited it when I moved here, sort of a welcome present. Of course I didn’t realize the fullness of the power at first…it took several months for circumstances to change. Autumn lingered long enough but the cold threats of Hokkaido winds are knocking at my window panes.
Winter is at the doorstep, howling and whistling to be let in through the cracks. I summon the sun! Be gone! Away! I chase away the drafty chills with my golden beams of hotness! Mwahahahaaa!!!!
I own the sun.
Before this borders on blasphemy I suppose I should clarify that “the sun” is the endearing term bestowed upon my heater. It’s a large oscillating fan-looking thing only larger. The heating shell is a bit smaller than your average street-garbage can lid. It’s on a little stand and even has a remote and timer. Properly placed, I can turn it on and enjoy the immediate directed warmth as I sit in my massage chair and watch movies on my laptop.
I may have mentioned this before, but Japan doesn’t do heating. Well, that’s not entirely true. They have plenty of ways to get warm besides a fireplace. Here are some common household items that contain heating elements: blankets for the bed, carpets, tables, and toilet seats. Let’s not forget the various units of mass heat production: Air conditioner (air con) that triples as a heater/AC/dehumidifier, electric stand up elements acting like a heat lamp (like “the sun”) and kerosene space heaters. Why we can’t all just insulate our houses I’ll never understand.
So, since there’s no insulation you have to practically run your heater the entire time you’re occupying a room, saving energy by shutting the doors of every unused portion of the house. This includes closets, spare rooms, and basically every room you’re not in at the time. Imagine spending several hours in your room, then you have to use the bathroom. There’s been no heat there for awhile. Have fun with that. I’ve heard stories….people’s toilet seats have ice around them in the morning, they slip on ice in the shower, toothpaste and shampoo are frozen, keeping contact lens solution in the fridge because it’s warmer there…the list goes on. If anyone is reading this and wondering what I would like in a care package, please send instant oatmeal and wool socks.
Oh, in case you’re wondering what they do in public buildings, here’s what happens: people do whatever they want. You can join the national crusade for electricity conservation and keep the heat minimal, or just heat the rooms you use. For schools, this means each teacher can decided when to use the kerosene heater in their room. Yes, heater means ONE heater. Do the hallways have heaters? No, they don’t. Imagine visiting the local elementary school as we do each week. You have to take off your coat and gloves at the door. You’re in the entryway and it’s freezing as you change your shoes. You walk into the toasty teachers office and they serve hot tea. You warm up. You walk down a 30 degree hallway to the classroom. The temperature inside may vary from 60-70 degrees…actually I don’t know if they allow the temperature to go down below that in the classroom. You’d think the kids couldn’t write if it were any colder. It’s quite the temperature change, regardless.
Here’s one of the great ironies of Japan: No insulation requires more heat. The heaters dry out the air which means you have to buy a humidifier. Now you’re running two appliances in the same space. Energy conservation? No.
Let’s change to a more friendly topic: Fall. It’s so beautiful. The yochien is surrounded by well manicured deciduous trees of different species. These yield a variety of shapes and sizes of leaves as well as colors and time of color change. Currently a well-shaped Japanese maple is holding the record for last leaves to fall. The tree is swept by vivid reds and oranges in an orderly yet smooth patch combination. I’ve seen quite a few gorgeous trees and picturesque settings like this and I always tell myself “I’m going to get my camera next time and take a picture.” But, after passing the tree yet again I determine it would be quite a crime to attempt to capture the rapturous beauty of this creation. The greatest offense would be to try and immortalize the moon and the stars in such a picture. The harvest moon rising through the clouds to join the night constellations is a scene best remembered by the most attentive and guarded memory. It’s the times you don’t have a camera and you know you have to pay attention to each detail—that’s when the best memories are captured.
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