Turning up the heat

Yamanashi is really getting warm!! Right now I think it’s up there with Ayers Rock heat, that furnace heat that gives no mercy. Maybe I’m exaggerating, as it’s not 46-degree heat of the Red Centre, but I feel it’s the same uncomfortableness on different scales.

I think perhaps I’ve got a bit soft after working in harsh climates with air conditioners for the best part of 6 years.

When I first moved to Japan, I had plenty of old t-shirts and shorts that would become my farm clothes. On my first day, I excitedly put on a polo t-shirt and some cargo shorts, wolfed down some Mister Donuts for breakfast and made my way to the truck to head out to work. All of a sudden I began getting laughed at, almost as much as my Japanese friend who struggles to use chopsticks.

The Morita Farm team were all dressed in overalls, gloves and had tea towels wrapped around their faces. I was missing their joke; I never knew my clothes were so hilarious…

By lunch time, I knew I had make a fatal error, even with sun cream, sunglasses and a cap, I could still feel the sun heat attacking my skin. This was not even the worst part of it. The insects were going to town on my body and the dust from the farm was making my skin itch more than a meth addict.

I looked around at everyone else in harmony with nature sipping away at their iced tea and enjoying their delicious bento boxes, the only one scratching themselves was Haru the Dog who has summer fleas.

At that moment I released I had to also get in on this overall action and ditch my beach clothes that I stupidly thought would be useful to peach farming in the Yamanashi Highlands.

The overalls are an absolute blessing, I now want to wear them everywhere and today I wore them to Costco to buy 10kgs of Bulgogi beef.

It was a foolish mistake not researching the dress code over here, but I’m sure it wont be the last time I make a error.