ignorance...

Just as I was composing an entry about my search for random Fanta flavors in my town, while taking pictures with my new Holga cam....(this composing was being done in my head as I took a late night stroll with kiwi-boy). My thoughts get interrupted when a black SUV (lis 68-09) slows down, the passenger hangs themself outside the window and starts screaming at us "FUCK YOU GAIJIN!" over and over again. My first response, when the car slowed down was to run...then when they started yelling, I was so close to hitting the ground. I seriously thought the passenger had climbed out the window to shoot us. I know, its Japan...RURAL Japan...and guns are pretty much a none issue here. But I am not from Japan...in fact I am from a place, where you could get shot...and if an SUV slows down, while you are walking down a dark street...you better god damn well, run....And if someone starts yelling racial slurs at you...then you better hide behind a car, because who knows what that jackass will do next?

But back to the issue at hand....I am in JAPAN....ignorant, rural, middle of nowhere Japan. And no, this is not the first time I have been sworn at, called names, and whatever else because I am a foreigner. This just happens to be the first time that it was so violently done....and to make matters worse...the car came back for more...3xs in fact. It just kept driving in circles like it was taunting us...I felt like it was a giant cat, and we were its Mouse-dinner. I wanted to call the police to have them escort us home...it was that bad (let's face it, I would pretty much do everything in my power to NEVER have to see the police in this country again.)

In the end, I got their license number...big deal...its not like anything will happen to them. We only have a volunteer police force in this town. So then i thought about writing a letter to the newspaper....but these people are ignorant, so how do i know they will read it? Then i thought about the fact that it is a small town and they could easily get back and me...its not like i'm living in a gated community or anything.

At the end of the day, I hate the fact that these people have done something so immature and ignorant, but have still managed to win...because here I sit...Angry...Vengeful....but a tiny bit scared about what the reprecussions of my actions towards them will be. I think in the end, i will play this up like a Japanese person. I think I will write a passive agressive letter to the editor of the town and State papers, explaining about how this hurt my feelings. THen do a short diatribe about how ignorance in general hurts.....cheesy and "after-school special-ish" I know....but I think it may be my only recourse.