Archive for the 'Asian-ness' Category
October 3 2008: An Asian Extravaganza
Filed under Asian-ness with 23 Comments
I’m being exceedingly politically incorrect, and having an “Asian Extravaganza” for my 22nd birthday celebrations next month. The night of festivities will include:
- An Asian dinner somewhere in Chinatown
- An Asian arcade, playing Dance Dance Revolution until our legs fall off
- An Asian karaoke bar, with our own private karaoke room
- An Asian night of mahjong back at the hotel room I’ll be booking for the night
All in all, an incredibly Asian-tastic time. I briefly contemplated slotting in a visit to An Asian Club (capitals entirely necessary), but to tell you the truth, it scares me a bit to be in a club entirely filled with Asian people when I’m in Melbourne. I’m comfortable with it in China (cause you know, lots of Chinese people), but put me in the same sort of club in Melbourne and it just freaks me out no end.
There’ll also be a dress-up element to the night, with party guests encouraged to dress up in a costume which is vaguely related to Asia in some way. Whether they dress up like a fobby exchange student, as a Harajuku girl/boy, in a qipao, or as an anime character, the best costume on the night (as judged by myself) will receive a $22 gift certificate (the arbitary number is because I’m turning twenty-two).
Who me, politically incorrect and stereotyping? Never!
As always, all Melbournian readers of this blog are invited - just shoot me an email (acchamanda at gmail dot com) and I can let you know more details closer to the date (last week of November). All other readers are invited of course, provided that you can make your way down under.
September 14 2008: A Chicken Trying To Talk To A Duck
Filed under Asian-ness & Family with 15 Comments
I’m informed that today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, or 中秋节.
I say informed, because my family, although extremely yellow, has effectively lost touch with all the festivals and celebrations that one would experience when actually living in China. A side effect of living in Australia for the past seventeen years, but also a result of pure apathy on the part of my parents, who view our cultural festivals as nothing but occasions that end up costing too much money and creating too much extra housework for them. Aside from Chinese New Year, we pretty much ignore all other Chinese festivals and celebrations in our household.
It’s sad of course, because while I have enough interest in my heritage to research such traditions in my own time, my brother, as a born and bred Australian, has none. He knows nothing about such festivals and celebrations, he has no interest in learning the language, and in fact, can’t communicate with our parents in our native Cantonese. Coupled with my parents’ lack of English, he’s become literally “a chicken trying to talk to a duck” (a Cantonese phrase).
It’s sad. What’s sadder, is that I know this will happen to my children - and if not my children, their children, or the children of their children. I intend on speaking Chinese to my children from a young age, in the hope that they’ll grow up bilingual. They’ll be fed Chinese food, they’ll be educated about Chinese traditions, and heck, I’ll feed them moon cakes whenever the Mid-Autumn Festival rolls around.
August 26 2008: The Nature Of Truth
Filed under Asian-ness & Media & Uni/Work with 4 Comments
In my Contemporary China class today, we were examining the nature of truth. Does truth exist in Western media reports, does it exist in Chinese media reports? What is fact, what is truth, what is real, and what isn’t? We supported our discussion with a brief exercise. In two groups (one representing Western media, the other representing Chinese media), we each came up with a brief article on two issues: unrest in Tibet and troubles on the Olympic torch relay.
As part of the latter group of Chinese journalists, we wrote these short articles:
Recent acts of terrorism, wanton violence, thievery, and attacks on innocent civilians, by a minority faction of Tibetan separatists have disturbed the peace of China’s western region. These acts were sparked by the continuing duplicitous behaviour of the false leader, the Dalai Lama. It is believed that these acts are an attack on China’s growing economic strength. Chinese peacekeepers in the region have been helping to maintain stability in the face of these criminal acts, protecting social and community unity.
Community groups of Chinese sons and daughters based overseas been showing their support in displaying the glory of China along the path of the Olympic torch. Groups have organised bus trips to points along the path, and people have made the support of the torch a priority in their lives – dedicating time from their studies and careers to show their support in person. Foreign governments have also shown great belief in the power and might of the Chinese, with support of China’s Olympic glory by providing escorts along the path. Our Olympic slogan of “one world, one dream” has become reality.
It may seem like mindless propaganda, but read it again. There’s not one word of untruth in either article, it’s merely that the focus isn’t what one would find in non-Chinese reports.
There has been violence, looting, and attacks on civilians in Tibet. The Dalai Lama has thrown the legitimacy of his position into question by deciding to choose his successor before he dies (traditionally, the next Dalai Lama is supposed to be reincarnated after the death of the previous Dalai Lama, not chosen before the death). Chinese troops have been protecting civilians from the riots. Chinese expatriates were skivving school and work in order to support the path of the Olympic torch. There were organised community trips to go support the torch relay. Foreign governments did provide escorts for the torch relay.
Everything in the articles is true. It’s a lesson in learning to draw truths out from two opposing biases. What you read in Western media reports isn’t the whole truth, just like what you read in Chinese media reports isn’t the whole truth either. It’s selective truth. Combine the two, throw in some salt and pepper, maybe a bit of soy sauce, and you might get some semblance of reality.