I'm glad they don't do "the mistletoe thing" here...

Monday morning. Chatan High School. The 'snorter' the next desk over keeps going and going without any sign of wavering. My hearing is starting to suffer thanks to the iPod's full-blast powers. I have experimented with various artists to see which blends the snorting/sniffing/phlegm-sucking-to-the-back-of-the-brain sound out the best. As of right now, The Decemberists mask him with the most success. All I know is that if this allergy attack/plague/sinus thing doesn't kill him, I might.

Speaking of the consumption, I took a taxi ride home the other night and I'd wager my driver is dead right now. He was making a strange wheezing noise from his nostrils and then started a coughing fit that was decidedly raspy. Also, I'm pretty sure I saw some blood in his handkerchief. Okay, now I'm exaggerating, but when I got my change back knowing what germs were now partying on my 100 yen coin, I flashed back to the journey around the world and the quote that never got old... "I have cholera now." This particular driver didn't speak a word to me and glared at me through his rearview mirror the entire ride. (This is most unusual as cabdrivers are generally quite sweet. One lady almost killed herself to get me when I was succumbing to the weight of all of the Christmas goodies that I had purchased). Anyways, I had Mr. I-Should-Have-Called-In-Sick drop me off at Yoshi Hachi, which is a famous sushi restaurant down from my apartment. It's the easiest landmark to guide drivers and is always frequented by American military personnel. I could see a group of men eyeing my taxi (although I briefly thought it was me, and then I remembered that I had been walking in the wind all day) and were ready to jump in once I got out. I gave them a shake of the head and wished them luck. We all know they've had their smallpox immunizations, but I hope they've also had their TB boosters.