crazy hotIt's hot. Real hot. When I came into the teacher's room this morning around 8:20 am it was already 32 degrees inside. And of course it got hotter as the day went on. My public school doesn't have any air conditioning for the teachers or the students. I've been using my notebook computer all day and I think it's running hotter than me. Thankfully, I was just blessed with ice cream from the school's refrigerator. Ah, sweet, sweet goodness. Ice cream never tasted better

What's the best way to escape the summer heat? Except for leaving the country or having pockets full of dry ice, what can we do?

After walking 15 to 20 minutes to the station, standing on a train for almost an hour, and again walking for 10 minutes home from the station, I'm pretty hot. One of the best feelings after getting home is splashing water on my face and rinsing my hair in the bathroom sink (it's a fancy sink like at a hair salon where the tap comes off). Next thing, beer. You gotta have a cold beer and it must be a tall 500ml can, no exceptions. Then just sit and wait for the air conditioner to pour out frosty cool air.

Torani Mango SyrupIf beer isn't to your liking then you should try an Italian Soda. You only need two ingredients, both pretty easy to find. First you need a shot of flavored syrup poured onto ice. Seattle's Best Coffee has a good selection of syrups and one large 700ml bottle costs 1500 yen. Then you fill up your glass with Club Soda or Sparkling Water. I've tried Suntory, Asahi, and Perrier and they all taste the same. I usually drink Mango syrup, but Passion is also very good. Give it a try! You can also buy the same drink from Fred's Cafe on the Hankyu line (Kansai area).

I'd like to know how you escape the heat!