When I was first in Hong Kong, I remember looking out of my hotel window one evening and thinking to myself that I needed to wear a jacket when I went out.  Well, I felt a bit cold, and it seemed logical that it would be cool in the evening.  Somehow my brain hadn’t registered that the reason I felt cold was that the chambermaids always turn the temperature down to the minimum when they clean the room.  Of course it was actually hot and humid outside, as I soon discovered.

Even now, I sometimes get confused when I am walking towards the door and it gets cooler, so my brain concludes that it must be cool outside.  Reasonable enough, you might think, what with it being November and all that.  Except that actually the aircon has been turned down to “freezing” and outside is quite pleasant. 

We shouldn’t really need aircon in this weather.  Yet you will find it in virtually all offices, shops, restaurants, cars, taxis, buses, etc.  Unfortunately most buildings are not designed with adequate ventilation, and the only way to get fresh air is to switch on the aircon.

Open some windows, why don’t you?

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