For me, this is the most tangible evidence that things are not normal these days. The high school yard is deserted on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. What I miss more is the noise the kids make. It's my constant background noise. And now it's gone. Have you ever watched a movie with the sound turned completely off? It feels off. That's what Ibaraki-shi feels like now -- off.
Here's Yuki and I getting ready to go grocery shopping yesterday:
I look like a medical professional, don't I? Outside, mask-wearers outnumber gamblers over 3-to-1.
You know who needs a mask? The cat. She doesn't seem to be sweating it too much, though:
