There was something highly entertaining on the television last night. It's not often I can say that about Japanese TV.

It went like this: Fly in speed-walking world record holder Jefferson Perez from Ecuador and set about scaring the living daylights out of him.

It started innocently enough with him walking about a Japanese town at top speed. He was being lulled into a false sense of security by the programme makers. And yes, Jefferson is a very fast walker. The cameraman was sprinting to keep up.

Then the fun began. We discover that the programme makers want to find out if Jefferson, who seems like a gentle and unassuming chap, will walk or run when faced with life threatening danger. I would've thought the answer was pretty obvious. But thankfully the programme makers wanted to go ahead with their experiment nonetheless. So they set him up big time.........

In a room filled with hidden cameras, they told Jefferson they wanted him to try to beat a walking record on an athletics track. As all this was being translated to him, there suddenly appeared, on a TV in the corner of the room, a mock news story about some samurai warriors who had escaped from jail and were now terrorising the neighbourhood....THEIR neighbourhood. The news story was absurd in the extreme, but poor Jefferson, not being from around these parts, didn’t know any better. The translator translated. Jefferson looked worried.

Cut to Jefferson beginning his record-breaking attempt later that day. At the same time the samurais were preparing to storm the athletics track. After Jefferson had completed one lap, the samurais were given their cue to go after Jefferson.

As they appeared on the athletics track and noisily took out the security guards, Jefferson looked anxiously over his shoulder. A look of blind terror flashed across his face. Admirably, he kept on walking, however, his speed understandably increased somewhat. Had the track not been brown, I think we would've seen a trail of something in his wake.

The samurais raised their swords, screamed manically, and started legging it after Jefferson. And so the big question was about to be answered: Would he walk or would he run? Of course, he ran. He ran like the wind.


The plan...


Jefferson taking his task seriously. Little does he know what terror is about to befall him.


The samurais arrive at the athletics track.


Jefferson realises for the first time that there is more to life than walking.


Dictionary definition of walking: "to move along by putting one foot in front of the other, allowing each foot to touch the ground before lifting the next" Yep, he's still walking, though a little faster than before.


Jefferson screams for his mother.


Now he's running!


Dictionary definition of running: "to move along, faster than walking, by taking quick steps in which each foot is lifted before the next foot touches the ground" Yep, he's definitely running.


Run, Jefferson! Run!

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 10, 2005 at 11:25 pm. You can skip to the end and leave a response.