It's getting gradually warmer. Espied a mosquito today as it alighted upon the screen door. For it's cheek I killed it with a nice one-two combination of thumb and forefinger. No one was around to thank me for this service to humankind so I congratulated myself with a cigarette as I surveyed the small, devestated corpse - a beacon of warning to it's kin. Briefly hope said kin might pick up the scent, wing it over, and weep openly over the horrific death of young Pip, as I've posthumously christened it.

Ah, bring on summer. I'm ready. Mind casts back to last year and a lesson at Higashi Junior School, the room full of moisture and an ungodly amount of mosquitos. The Special Needs kids going crazy slapping their arms.
No wait. It was me going crazy and they were wondering why they were having their arms slapped.

Yes, there was much insect death in that room that day in this majoritively Buddhist country.

Back at Higashi again now and haven't been asked to teach Special Needs this time. This of course, is pure coincidence.