In Tokyo for the W3C Japanese Layout Taskforce meeting, I went to the first day of the Sumo basho with a friend. Firstly, I was amazed by the number of foreigners in the audience (as opposed to the number of foreigners competing), and secondly I was flabbergasted when one North American told his friends just as the top division was getting started that he was going to leave because his camera battery was going flat.
Whatever happened to experiencing something for its own sake? Is the experience only real if you can take photos of it? Is it only real if you can put photos of it on your social networking site? What about just staying with your friends while you all watch something unique to the country you are visiting and that you may never see again?
Reminds me of the story of the mother who, when complemented about her child, said “Oh you should see his photo!”
Enjoy Tokyo.
Ronan