On Friday, I was invited to his Grandparent's home for dinner. They prepared a wide selection of food for us - sushi, sashimi, chicken wings, potato salad, miso soup with pork, and beef. It was immense, and I regretted eating onigiri an hour before, as I couldn't finish all of the delicious food.
His grandparents were not quite what I was expecting. His grandmother reminded me a lot of my babysitter's mother from childhood - she looked rather Western in her clothing and appearance to me. She spoke a lot more than her husband did. No one here spoke English. I didn't get to see them much at first though, because they didn't eat dinner with us - they went upstairs while we ate. I was confused, and still am at the moment. I thought they were going to eat with us. There was certainly enough food!
This was taken very casually, with virtually no posing or pre-planning. What I love about this photo is the contrast between young and old - the grandparents are not smiling, and standing as they normally would. The two younger guys, though, are smiling and posing for the camera. I think it stems from olden days when cameras were less common, and even perhaps when you had to stand still for photos so they wouldn't blur.
As a parting gift, she gave me a Nagano guidebook (I'm headed there this weekend), and a box of sweets. I was so grateful. I will be sending them a return gift soon.
Tyler
2 comments:
There is indeed a contrast, and the western clothing may throw some people off. Good photos. But those two young grandparents hardly fit the bill for having to sit through large format photos from the late 19th century. Did you ask your friend why his grandparents did not eat with you? A great chance for some ethnography there, and to learn more about the context of that event. Keep at it.
Yes, it seems as though there were many cultural assumptions going on... Please ask your friend about it. I really wasn't thinking of a family portrait for this week's post so this is an interesting approach. However, there is so much readers would like to know not only of the experience but of the grandparents as well.
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