Dear Cyber Friend,

I know my teacher since August and think we have a student-teacher relationship.  I want to send her my photo.  Is it polite?  Can I ask her to send me a photo?

Thank you for any advice.

Anon in Turkey
 
 

Hi Anon,

Thanks for writing your Cyber Friend.  I think it's fine to ask your teacher, or any friend for that matter, for a photo.  By that I mean that it shouldn't hurt to ASK.  Of course you can ask politely.  For example, you might say something like:

"You know, I was wondering if it would be alright to ask if you can send me a photo."

Or:

"Since we've been corresponding all this time, I'm curious what you look like.  Do you think we could exchange photographs?"

If for some reason, your friend doesn't want you to have a photo, your friend can always politely refuse.  For example, your friend could say,

"That's a nice idea, but let's get to know each other a little better first."

Or:

"Well, I don't have any recent photos, but I'll send one if I have any made any time soon."

More likely, your friend will agree.

Let us know if you get a picture of your teacher,

Your Cyber Friend (cyber.friend@usa.net)