When I lived in Japan 25 years ago, two major events happened: the Hanshin earthquake and the Sarin gas attacks. It was an interesting time to learn Japanese by reading the newspapers. I had real, fully contextual practice learning words like kidnapping.
But I was still oblivious to what that gas attack meant, and what terrorism would mean to people in a few years after 9/11.
After the gas attacks happened, the other exchange students that all lived in the new foreigners dormitory (deep in the mountains outside of Kanazawa) planned a party. We put up flyers with a bear dancing with Asahara Shokou, the blind prophet of the cult. He was the Japanese equivalent of Osama bin Laden. The caption read "ore mo ikitai kedo naa!" ("Damn, I wish I could go too!") We thought it was really funny, since he had been arrested by that point.
The school administrators dragged us in, saying that "black humor, well..." We immediately took down all the flyers.
Sounds like the Microsoft PR people had the same reaction.
But I was still oblivious to what that gas attack meant, and what terrorism would mean to people in a few years after 9/11.
After the gas attacks happened, the other exchange students that all lived in the new foreigners dormitory (deep in the mountains outside of Kanazawa) planned a party. We put up flyers with a bear dancing with Asahara Shokou, the blind prophet of the cult. He was the Japanese equivalent of Osama bin Laden. The caption read "ore mo ikitai kedo naa!" ("Damn, I wish I could go too!") We thought it was really funny, since he had been arrested by that point.
The school administrators dragged us in, saying that "black humor, well..." We immediately took down all the flyers.
Sounds like the Microsoft PR people had the same reaction.