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JoshuaZ · Feb 17, 2007, 01:49 PM

I was up at the Winter Snow Festival in Sapporo last weekend with a group of friends. While going over the pictures today I found that I had totally missed the fact that this one snow sculpture is in fact a giant iPod with an Apple sticking out of it. Enjoy the love. (In case you're wondering thats one of my coworkers with the group of Japanese people who made the sculpture.)

hickey · Feb 17, 2007, 02:19 PM

neato

Eug · Feb 17, 2007, 07:34 PM

Why is it that Caucasian people make the V sign in all snapshots?

paul w · Feb 17, 2007, 08:22 PM

Victory over all other races?

JoshuaZ · Feb 17, 2007, 09:37 PM

Actually its a Japanese thing, that Japanese people do in all pictures. We Caucasians do it because they do it.

I like how its titled Musicle.

SirCastor · Feb 17, 2007, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by paul w

Victory over all other races?

That made me laugh out loud... how sad.

Eriamjh · Feb 17, 2007, 10:51 PM

They are rabbit ears. It's just in case someone jumps in front of the picture.

brassplayersrock² · Feb 18, 2007, 12:58 AM

and to give the "bunny ears" to someone is a sign of respect that you are showing. it means that the person you are giving them to has great, uhh, abilities to reproduce. something those lines. read that somewhere. ill try and dig it up

-a

rickey939 · Feb 18, 2007, 01:21 AM

So wait, does this make the iPod officially popular?

JoshuaZ · Feb 18, 2007, 04:08 AM

Originally Posted by rickey939

So wait, does this make the iPod officially popular?

No, because clearly no one will want to lug around an iPod that big, or one that will melt.

Plus those headphones are useless to the average person.

RAILhead · Feb 18, 2007, 08:55 AM

Is it just me, or does that thing not look like an iPod at all?

- - e r i k - - · Feb 18, 2007, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by JoshuaZ

Actually its a Japanese thing, that Japanese people do in all pictures.

I know. But WHY?

Non-asian cultures demand an answer!

JoshuaZ · Feb 18, 2007, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

I know. But WHY?

Non-asian cultures demand an answer!

Its just a fad thats been happening for a long time.

- - e r i k - - · Feb 18, 2007, 05:21 PM

On the subject of which: Why do they always take pictures of themselves in front of stuff (invariably with the v-sign)? If you were to look at a typical japanese photoalbum, what percentage of the pictures would be of the owner (or his family) in front of buildings and landmarks?

paul w · Feb 18, 2007, 06:29 PM

They don't ALL do that. But yeah. It seems like - from my now fading memory of being in Japan amongst Japanese people that travel was filled with lots of ritual practices. You travelled in tour groups or highly organized trips. You took pictures in front of the expected monuments. You bought friends, family and coworkers the expected gifts (you should see a Japanese tour group at the airport giftshop before going back - serious business).

It's pretty much what you're expected to do and so you do it to conform. Not to say Japanese are mindless robots - there are plenty of who stray from the usual and even the ones that don't still seem to have a curiousity, even on a superficial level that rivals even Americans.

But I've been extremely touched by receiving a gift from a collegue returned from a trip, or being shown some pictures to someplace like Budapest. Travelling may just be one of the ways they can break out from the routine and share new ideas and experiences with eachother.

JoshuaZ · Feb 19, 2007, 01:29 AM

Example: I was getting a fun picture taken with my 4 year old host brother. I pick him up, and what does he do, flash the V sign. You can't see his face in the picture because of the darn V.

Its a cultural thing. Like waving around poloroids or slurping noodles.