“A benefit of the NationState
was the spread of
universal compulsory education
even though it was designed
to inculcate military values.”

This started off
the morning lecture
about Foucault
but the students
already properly socialized
into their roles
as recipients of information
properly took notes
and didn’t engage
in a discussion
of the implications,
especially not
the young Japanese girls.

“How do we live counter narratives?”
I thought to myself
not wanting my questions
to be dismissed
as part of
foreign student performativity.