Heat and humidity are my bane. I can endure most any other living situation without malaise. But heat and humidity make me grumpy, bitter, and whiny. So what do I do? I move to India then Japan, two of the muggiest counties on the planet.
There is simply nothing I hate more than sweating when I don't want to. When I'm prepared to sweat (working out, on the beach, doing labor in labor clothes, etc). I'll sweat buckets and not mind. But as soon as I step out of the shower, I want to be done perspiring.
Without sounding too weird, I think it's because of my body density. I'm 5'11", which isn't short. But I weigh over 200lbs. That's a lot of muscle burning a lot of energy producing a lot of heat.
I always feel hot. At night, I have the fan directly on me on high while my girlfriend is curled up in a winter blanket. She's the opposite case: ~5'4", ~108lbs.
I try to laugh about it as much as I can. But when your physical comfort is upset, it upsets everything else. And my physical comfort is constantly upset. Japan, bless them, is doing their part to save energy by using as little AC as possible. However, it's been 86+ for the past two weeks at 80%+ humidity. And there's no AC at work.
I'm amazed teachers in Japan get much of anything done in school around summer. It is simply too hot. I pity the students, who suffer higher temperatures the higher up they are. Japanese schools all have 4 floors: teachers, 3rd grade, 2nd grade, 1st grade. God bless the first graders on the 4th floor; they're little troopers.
The US Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) recommends a temperature range of 68-76F / 20-24.5C for office workers. The Canadian OHS recommends 69-73F / 20.5-23C.
So my office at 29 or 30C / 85 or 86F is significantly higher than the highest recommendation. I sometimes have sweat run down my shins in the office. And curses to the classes I have to teach. I soak through my shirts and my pants.
As the CCOHS site says, "Maintaining constant thermal conditions in the offices is important. Even minor deviation from comfort may be stressful and affect performance and safety. Workers already under stress are less tolerant of uncomfortable conditions." And, "To have "thermal comfort" means that a person wearing a normal amount of clothing feels neither too cold nor too warm. Thermal comfort is important both for one's well-being and for productivity. It can be achieved only when the air temperature, humidity and air movement are within the specified range often referred to as the "comfort zone"."
Lots more about the topic can be found on their site: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/thermal_comfort.html
It'll be over soon! (Keep telling yourself that...)

There is simply nothing I hate more than sweating when I don't want to. When I'm prepared to sweat (working out, on the beach, doing labor in labor clothes, etc). I'll sweat buckets and not mind. But as soon as I step out of the shower, I want to be done perspiring.
Without sounding too weird, I think it's because of my body density. I'm 5'11", which isn't short. But I weigh over 200lbs. That's a lot of muscle burning a lot of energy producing a lot of heat.


I try to laugh about it as much as I can. But when your physical comfort is upset, it upsets everything else. And my physical comfort is constantly upset. Japan, bless them, is doing their part to save energy by using as little AC as possible. However, it's been 86+ for the past two weeks at 80%+ humidity. And there's no AC at work.

I'm amazed teachers in Japan get much of anything done in school around summer. It is simply too hot. I pity the students, who suffer higher temperatures the higher up they are. Japanese schools all have 4 floors: teachers, 3rd grade, 2nd grade, 1st grade. God bless the first graders on the 4th floor; they're little troopers.
The US Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) recommends a temperature range of 68-76F / 20-24.5C for office workers. The Canadian OHS recommends 69-73F / 20.5-23C.
So my office at 29 or 30C / 85 or 86F is significantly higher than the highest recommendation. I sometimes have sweat run down my shins in the office. And curses to the classes I have to teach. I soak through my shirts and my pants.
As the CCOHS site says, "Maintaining constant thermal conditions in the offices is important. Even minor deviation from comfort may be stressful and affect performance and safety. Workers already under stress are less tolerant of uncomfortable conditions." And, "To have "thermal comfort" means that a person wearing a normal amount of clothing feels neither too cold nor too warm. Thermal comfort is important both for one's well-being and for productivity. It can be achieved only when the air temperature, humidity and air movement are within the specified range often referred to as the "comfort zone"."
Lots more about the topic can be found on their site: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/thermal_comfort.html
It'll be over soon! (Keep telling yourself that...)
VIEW 9 of 9 COMMENTS
I love lentils and kitties, I can't live without them
too bad...sigh..