Hot and Humid

When I went to Japan, it was summer, so it was very hot and humid. I had been hiking though Japanese concrete jungles all day and it was the hottest time of the day. If I looked into the distance I could see shimmering heat illusions. My feet were aching, the arches of my feet not very supported by my walking shoes. My shirt was soaked with sweat where my backpack rested against my back. Each step felt like I was generating heat. Because it was in the city, the buildings didn't give much shade.

My paper fan gave me minimal relief from the heat, but the sticky humid air surrounded me. Everyone in my group seemed to have to muster up energy for each step. We were on a long road to the temple we were going to visit. In Japan, it's rude to sit on the ground, especially in a temple. That's considered incredibly disrespectful. But the problem with being used to America is, there aren't many seats in Japan. The people who live in Japan are used to walking, and they are generally skinnier in Japan than Americans (in fact, anorexia rates are very high in Japan, but that's due to very restrictive beauty standards, not the actual overall healthiness of Japanese citizens). Obesity rates in America are skyrocketing, and benches can be seen nearly every block in many highly populated areas. In Japan, however, seats are generally reserved for pregnant women, disabled persons, and the elderly. These seats can be taken by out-of-shape foreigners only if there aren't any other people around.