Ian and Willy

I love this photo of my roommate Ian, but actually he hates it. I took it one the morning before Ian had his panic attack, which was a day before we fled Tokyo. It was the last photo on the roll, so immediately afterwards I dropped it off at the one-hour photo lab. After I got it back, I showed it proudly to Ian, thinking he would be delighted, but instead he did the sneer he always does when he is unhappy and said that he looks just like his grandfather these days, which scares him… On top of that, he pointed out that you could see his double chin.

All I see when I look at this photo is my best friend. When we decided to skip town, Ian bought me a shinkansen ticket because he knew I couldn’t afford it even though he was saving money for his wedding in October. And now that I am unemployed and applying for jobs, Ian Photoshopped my passport photo yesterday, upgrading my old clothes to a swank Armani suit.

Because that’s what Ian does… and that’s why he’s my best friend… and that’s why I can’t see his double chin...