The Tables are Turned

I am sure that I've mentioned before (probably only about a thousand times) how we tend to get photographed wherever we go, living in this country of Asians, since we travel with three blue-eyed blondes who look to our national friends like "foriegn baby dolls." This photography comes in several forms:

• The surreptitious photographer. This is when the person slyly sneaks out his cell phone or digital camera and takes the picture without you knowing, not bothering you in the least.
• The sweet and eager photographer. This is the person who is so genuinely excited to "take a photo" and so sweet about asking that you consent, even though it's late and you meant to be going by now and your kids are not exactly cooperating.
• The bold photographer. This person walks up, poses next to you while enlisting a friend to take a picture, and it's over before you could even say, "no thank you."
• The cutesy photographer. These people want to pose. They want to flash the peace sign, put their arms around you, get your kids to hug or kiss them, etc etc. I'm sorry to say that these are the most annoying. They frequently are not satisfied with the first photo and insist on a second, or third.
• The too-late photographer. This is the person who wants to snap a photo, but gets ready too slowly and my kids have already dashed off somewhere else.

You may disbelieve my list there, but truly, we've lived here long enough and have had all manner of these encounters. Some days I handle it well, other days it really, really bugs me. On the positive side, it's sweet that people think my children are beautiful and want to take pictures of them. On the negative side, no one (except people who know us) realizes that every person that we saw that day also wanted to take a picture of us, and that the moment we stop for one photo in a crowd, immediately twenty more cameras come out. It's really an amazing pheonomena. I guess that perhaps being a famous person is a little like this.

Anyway, on this particular day in early October, we (including Grandma Ann) were playing frisbee and letting the girls ride their bikes outside, when along came these twins. My MIL got so excited, she thought they were SO CUTE! She wanted to take a picture, and though the mother of the twins looked a bit uncomfortable, she gave permission and so John snapped this photo. Ann just kept gushing about how cute these little tykes were! I'm sure the mother had some of the same feelings we have when people ask to take pictures of our kids! Interestingly enough, the tables were turned.

They ARE cute, though, aren't they? And aren't you glad my MIL insisted on a picture so you could see them, just as my children's pictures are probably sent to friends and relations all over this country? Ahhh, the price of popularity!