When the weather is nice, the absolute last thing you want to do is teach kids. And yet, the kids continue to show up.

I've completely checked out. Nothing seems to get to me anymore. I can't even drum up a healthy dose of indignation towards the Japanese school system in which I am entrenched. My righteous anger has deserted me. The fuel for the fire is gone.

And I don't believe I'm alone in my apathy. For instance, just yesterday there was this festival uptown in which each neighborhood of a certain city built a huge wooden float, and then they rammed them into each other all night to booming bass drum accompaniment. Sounds wild right? Like a pretty wild time? It sure does. It probably was, too, but not for me. I went home at 9pm. Why? I don't really know, exactly. Seemed like the thing to do at the time. There were cataclysmic crashes of holy, paper lantern covered, fifteen foot tall floats happening one after the other right in front of me, and this is the conversation I remember having with Geoff:

"What are they hitting each other with, those floats?"
"I think they have battering rams attached to them. They hit each others battering rams."
"Oh. Cool."
"Yep."
...
"Can you imagine if one of your nuts was taped to that battering ram?"
"Ooh, yikes. That would probably hurt."
"No kidding, right?"
"Yeah. Geez."
"That's funny. It's a-...what a funny thought that is."
"No kidding. Sure is."
...
"So how have you been?"
"Good. Pretty good. I think I elbowed a guy in the eye coming over here. Little guy. Japanese guy."
"Oh no. When did that happen?"
"Coming over here."
"Right. What did he do?"
"Nothing. Just kept on walking."
"Huh.”
...
"I think I'm going to go get a coke. Do you want a coke? I'm gonna go get a coke”
"I'm ok. Thanks though."

Crazy festival madness, booths selling everything from squid to airgun ak47s, and this is the level of discourse. I swear, it’s like everyone’s been doped.

This phenomenon intrigued me, so I decided to ask around and see how everyone was doing, you know, put my finger on the pulse of JET life. Because if you really want to know how people feel, you have to get out there and in the thick of it. They spoke to me on condition of anonymity. I obliged.

So without further ado...let's take it to the streets:

What are we doing? What are any of us doing? Does any of it matter? And if it matters - does it matter that it matters?"
- "Geoff"

"They cancelled all of my classes until I cut my hair." - “Max”

“I have no internet at school today, so I might as well just end it all now.” – “Emily”

"I'm doing great. I don't know what the hell you're all talking about" - "Dave"

"I really thought the students were gonna get it this year. I really thought that this might be their year. ’05 to ’06, you know?" – “Bryan”

"Here's what I think: Japan is a place where the food tastes like the ocean vomited in your mouth." - "Robin"

"I am paid...comfortably salaried even...to dick around on internet message boards for hours a day and call it "research" for the English classes I am unqualified to teach. That's how I'm doing." - "Bunny"

And there you have it. Paints a pretty picture, doesn't it?
What is that picture? Don't ask me. All I ever want to do anymore is bowl.