(Like A) Heatwave!

With Japan now firmly mired in its first real heat wave of the summer, I have once again been reminded of one of the strangest customs we humans have - dress codes. I've spent all weekend wearing as little as possible, but tomorrow when school resumes I'm off in a shirt, tie, and slacks, despite what's bound to be high heat and humidity, sure to be soaked in sweat by the time I make it to my desk, and with no A/C in the staffroom, unlikely to cool down for awhile. Without a preconceived cultural conception of what constitutes "appropriate dress", any sane person would wear shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals to school.

If alien anthropologists descended on Earth to observe our species, no doubt this is only one of many human customs they'd find odd. But given that it's the one that makes work a miserable place to be for 3+ months of the year, it's one of the ones I most dislike.