I stepped off the plane to a morning that felt like swimming in my own blood. The air in the city smells vaguely of chlorine like walking into the lobby of an indoor pool. I ought to enjoy it because I know it won’t be long before I catch a whiff of the stinky sewers.

The heat and humidity really knocked me out after Adelaide’s winter chilliness, so at lunch Tod took me out for eel to increase our summer stamina. Today is 土用丑の日 (one of two this year), considered to be the height of summer. Fatty grilled eel fends off summer blah and weight loss, though the tradition of eating it on this day started as a marketing gimmick 200 years ago.

Despite the dreadful weather, I am happy to be back in the city and at home.