Told off a politician today.

[Professor Smooth]

You know that point where you just kind of snap? I reached that point today. Back in the states, my little circle of friends is imploding (which kind of happens when one friend sleeps with another friend's fiancée roughly 9 or 10 months before the second friend's daughter is born.) A relative is going in for cancer surgery. Every single moment of news I've been exposed to has been either "Japan is falling in on itself" or "The US government is shutting down because politics are more important than people." Plus other fun stuff.

So, today, I went out, bought some sushi and tea, and headed for the nearest grove of cherry trees. It's that time of year. It's what people do to relax. It's a new beginning, cherry tree season. There must have been 10,000 people in this park (Hiroshima's Peace Park). The weather was beautiful. Warm. Sunny. Gentle breeze.

Oh, and about 5 different politicians, with about 30 campaign workers each, marching around the park with MEGAPHONES imploring the assembled masses to vote for them.

OVER and OVER again, we got to listen to, "I am XXXX. Please vote for me!"

I did my best to ignore them. I really did. I just wanted to sit under my cherry tree, eat my sushi, and drink my tea until I remembered not everything in the entire world sucked.

Then one of these politicians saw me. I knew, immediately, what he was thinking. "Oh! Foreigner! Great photo opportunity!"

And I know this because it has been true of EVERY election in EVERY town EVER since I came to this country.

So this guy makes a B-line for me and says, "Hello, I'm So-And-So!" And I replied, in the most intentionally impolite way possible.

"You are also very loud and annoying. Get out of my face. Let me and all of these people here enjoy the cherry blossom season you noisy self-serving, inappropriate piece of ****!"

Which resulted in an almost thunderous applause from the people around me. (Who, I'm told, wanted to say the same thing but couldn't, due to social restrictions.)

Felt good.

But... If this person gets elected, I am all different kinds of ****ed.