I'll leave you with my some of my thoughts. These thoughts amble through my brain at a million miles a second but take years to understand. Here's what I think so far, about Japan, about life, about myself and about my future in general. No.... actually that's wrong, I won't be telling you that - because I am incapable of doing so. Here's what you should do;

Go and find a copy of 'Cat's Cradle' by Kurt Vonnegut. Read it cover to cover. Done? Good.

The main protagbist of this book is a guy called John Everyman. For he is just an everyman and called John.

Upon researching the history behind the Atomic bomb and the children of Felix Hoenikker, the creator of the modern atom bomb - he discovers 'Ice-9' a chemical that can turn all the world's water supplies into ice by a process of atom crystalising from one to another. Finding himself flung ashore on San Lorenzo one of the poorest nations on earth in search of locating Hoenikker's children he discovers the relgion if Bokononism - so influential that it is banned even though everyone practices it.

The corrupt dictator of this tinpot little island, uses his sources to buy a piece of Ice-9 from one of Hoenikker's children who is living on the island. The dictator promplty drinks the chemical to commit suicide as a result of a terminal cancer and promptly infects the river source - and thus every single drop of water on earth.

As the water dries up, John seeks refuge in a bomb shelter and discovers the rest of the people on San Lorenzo who although suriving in the shelters have committed suicide by ingesting Ice-9, at the bequest of the teachings of Bokonoism.

However he finds Lionel Boyd Johnson - Bokonon, the founder of Bokononism. He is a working on a book. The greatest book on human stupidity the world has ever seen. In conclusion, Bokonon advises John to climb to the top of the highest mountain on the island, clutching his book. This book - is called Cat's Cradle. There he rests, book grasped firmly in his hands and looking straight up into the sky as all the life source around him evaporates into blocks of ice.

He swallows the last remaining Ice-9 and grins horribly still staring up into the sky, one single man, an everyman if you will, one single person holding a testament of man's utter stupidity and utterly doomed existence on this planet.

For you see. I am John. I am an everyman. I am the man carrying this book to the top of a mountain as the world turns into blocks of ice around me.