Okay that was a lie, maybe a half-truth, so let me rephrase that: Today was the first time I managed to get a seat on the morning trains after a looong loong time... while having my "buns" toasted.
Usually I just stand at the very end of the last train carriage, with my hair getting blow-dried by the heated air-conditioning, and my back feeling the warmth of the train master's cabin. But today, due to my unrelenting lateness, I've managed to grab a seat!
It was a moment of a bliss, after being subjected to a freezing morning walk to the station. I then began to thaw and was soon taking my scarf off (apparently the scarf really does warm you, I was just too cold to notice).
I realized that my bum was hot. Hello, what's this? Am I on a hot seat? And I dug a hand to check... wow, it really IS hot! And very soft and firm too!
A glance at the row in front of me, and I saw a long grill hidden underneath the seats. I've long wondered what they were for (back when the aircon still blew cold) and thought that they must be exhaust fans of some sort to suck out the dust.
How nice is that! A heater that stretches along the opposite sides of the train, warming Japanese bums and toasting our legs. It was wonderful... at first. Then I began to feel just how hot a heater can be at a VERY close range. There were moments I've even thought about giving up my treasured seat just to cool off my burn-marks (just kidding).
I've known about the Japs and their obsession with scalding things; I've burnt my tongue an innumerable number of times slurping ramen, biting into takoyaki balls, and sipping miso soup. So it wasn't a surprise to find the onsen-loving people firing-up the temps inside the train. But after a few stations, I was welcoming the cool air rushing in at every stop.
I guess it's a delicate balance: not too hot for the passengers inside, while not being too cold for the new arrivals. I sincerely appreciate the energy-consuming conveniences the trains provide, but I do hope the Temperature Coordinating Manager Train Master would take a look at their computations once again.
Either that or I'll just have to resort to standing up again.
Megane~kun
宜しくお願い致します！
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11/14/2008 10:05:00 AM
Keywords: cold, hot, Japan, Japan Rail, train
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2 messages:
Ewww....I think maybe you just got unlucky to sit in one of those heater seats... >_< The whole train you take isn't loaded with those areas, is it?? As much as they warm the train nicely when it's freezing, it's AWFUL to have to sit on those spots. My first experience with those seats was when we were visiting Hiroshima last year around this time. We were on one of their nicely preserved streetcar style trains, but we had to travel quite a distance from where we had been, so the heat from those seats became unbearable after awhile. I start to feel nauseated if I'm in that kind of situation for too long, so it was extra torture until we were able to get off that train. I wouldn't be surprised if you actually *did* get some burns!
Woot, that really sounds excruciating! I don't tolerate heat very well, sounding weird coming from a tropical archipelago-inhabitant like me, but I prefer the cold.
Sure I may rant on and on, but I'm actually typing these with a smug smile. I love Japan's seasons. And I can't wait to experience the remaining two! (Winter and Spring)
Wait... what's the question again?
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