Late August

I find myself in August, 26. This month has flashed before me in an instant, an apparition that was here and then not here. Wakayama is still suffering from the late-summer lassitude which drags its feet in the post-matsuri ennui. Could this be a repetition of something said before? Japan is hot and humid during the summer, yes. The forty or so children in the classroom stare vacantly at their desks, sometimes--Praise the Lord!--at me. Yesterday a kid named Kohei had a conversation with me in front of the whole class (transcribed quite accurately):

"Kohei, what is your answer for number four?"
"Eh?"
"Kohei, your answer for number four..."
"Eh?"
"Kohei, number four...your answer..."
"Eh?"
"Number F-O-U-R...your answer...your KOTAE..." [Japanese slipping out]
"Eh?"
(Hand holding up four fingers) "Number FOUR! ANSWER...READ..." [pantomime of someone reading]
"Eh? Wakaran..."

So now I head into a long day of classes with junior high school students, coffee in hand and donughts already consumed. Next installment, pictures from the calligraphy club's exhibition...