I am up to my earlobes in elections at the moment dear reader. And this, as you know, is what I get paid to do. Watch and wonder the hows and whys of how and why people mark their ballot papers in the various ways they do.
And lucky for me, I get to do it on two languages. And next month, July, I get to make those observations three, yes, three times. Yes, most people groan at the thought of even one. I am, on the other hand, sharpening my pencil in anticipation.
There's the Australian federal election on 2 July (where I'll be taking in the atmosphere at the Embassy here in Tokyo...), the Japanese Upper House election on 10 July and the election for a new Tokyo Governor on 31 July now the incumbent has had to resign over money scandals (he also resigned from Tokyo University when I was studying there many years ago, but that's a story for another time...)
So naturally, I'm keen to take in observations around the neighbourhood. I took a pic of the poster board the other day, just prior to the day candidates could start to put their posters up. Yesterday was the official start to the election and already today the board is filling up.
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| Filling in the gaps |
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| A range of parties... |
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| A range of faces |
Indeed, even on my way home this evening, I noticed a few more had been added in the interim.
And on my way to a research seminar this evening, I noticed some of the neighbourhood flowers were getting their maroon on, following last night's marvellous Origin victory.
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| Blooming... |
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| Marvellous |
#Queenslander
[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 4.22pm-4.23pm, 4.27pm; 23 June 2016]
