And Then There Was Me

I would love to show you the photographs of all the teachers in this elementary school.  Of course I can't, but the contrast with the stupid picture I took is, well, something.  All the teachers are featured in a small pamphlet sent out to parents, detailing how the kids will be indoctrinated, and how they'll be brainwashed.  In line with this pessimistic view of education, all the teachers had their likenesses captured in the same way - head and shoulders, facing forwards without a smile.

There are more than a dozen of these pictures, taken in the same way.

Then there is me.

Here I am, championing the cause for foreigners everywhere in Japan.

In order to take this, I quickly struck the pose while the shutter was being pressed, before the image was displayed on the screen.  When it did reveal itself, I was promptly called back by the photographer and asked to retake the photograph.  It is, obviously, not in keeping with the Japanese way.

At this point I used my daily gaijin card, and walked away, pretending not to understand his demands.  And here we are, a couple of lines of nonsense about favourite colours and foods, and a picture that makes me look like a gimp eyes wannabe david.