Get Me Outa Here!

The other day, while Re-yan and I discussed air conditioning I was quite surprised to be told that 82F（27.8℃） was a temperature quite adequate to set the thermostat, in Japan. Because, I set my air conditioner at 80F（26.7℃） in America, and I am called "quite eccentric" because of setting it so high.

Air conditioners in America are generally set at 72F（22.2℃） or 74F（23.3℃）. Furthermore, it's not uncommon at all for air conditioners to be turned on in May and "forgotten" until October. Never turned off.

The air conditioned temperature in our famous Wal Mart stores is like winter in Kyoto.

Often, I will park my car and as I walk past other parked cars, people may be in those cars waiting for someone. The car will be running-air conditioner on. I can take the time to do a little shopping, etc. and as I return, the cars will still be in place-air conditioner running.

In the winter, many Americans will dress in shorts and T-shirts and then complain that the house is "too cold". Answer for many of them? Turn the heat temperature to 85F（29.4℃） or so.

This winter practice is not just limited to Americans, though. We have many foreign students from the Mideast, India and Africa. They will dress during our winter, as they do in their country in the worst summer heat. And then they will complain to their landlord that something is wrong with the apartment or the heat because it's too cold or the heating bill is too much.

I can remember when America did not take air conditioning and heating for granted. This is a change that has occurred in the last 20 years.