This post is about Asians
Apr. 15th, 2011 10:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kyrasantae
Confucius thought that the Good Man should cultivate the "Six Arts". I'm not sure if this fact is explicitly taught to modern Chinese people, but if you really think about it, it seems as though the tradition has been passed down to the modern stereotypical Chinese mother and the kinds of things that they expect their kids to do:
When Hong Kongers heard that the area around the Fukushima reactors were being evacuated and some people there were being given iodine treatments, they were quick to jump on board the panic game and cleared supermarket shelves of table salt and soy sauce.
Wait, soy sauce?
Not only is the iodine content of table salt fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, nor that iodine treatment when not necessary is really bad for you, they seemed to miss the point that the iodine in table salt is ADDED in and has nothing to do with its saltiness. OH BUT SALT IS SALTY! SO LET'S HOARD SOY SAUCE.
Hong Kongers LIVE on sensationalism and blowing things way out of proportion. I'm not sure whether there's even a SERIOUS newspaper there (South China Morning Post, maybe?); the major daily papers (and heck, all the media) are really tabloid-y. (FYI: A Hong Kong tabloid mogul started that company in Taiwan that makes all those hilarious news animations.) Imagine a Finland where no one really reads anything but Ilta-Sanomat and Iltalehti. Or a Canada where everyone just reads the Sun and watches FOX News.
Especially for relatively educated diaspora in Western countries like me, HK can seem like a perpetual facepalm.
- The Rites: Good character, proper manners, modest dress, respect for elders, stuff like that.
- Music: Piano, flute, violin, etc.. Must be classical instrument. Classical music is civilized, you know.
- Archery: Any sport that emphasizes dexterity and finesse over strength. Badminton is a good example. Or martial arts. You don't normally find Chinese kids in hockey. That's why.
- Charioteering: It's imperative that you get your driving licence as soon as you're able to. If you prefer to think of charioteering as a military skill, play chess.
- Calligraphy: YOU BETTER HAVE NEAT HANDWRITING. I think painting/drawing lessons fall under this too, since calligraphy is an art form.
- Mathematics: Math tutors, Kumon...this one speaks for itself. Falling under this category is also the emphasis on science-based fields in university.
When Hong Kongers heard that the area around the Fukushima reactors were being evacuated and some people there were being given iodine treatments, they were quick to jump on board the panic game and cleared supermarket shelves of table salt and soy sauce.
Wait, soy sauce?
Not only is the iodine content of table salt fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, nor that iodine treatment when not necessary is really bad for you, they seemed to miss the point that the iodine in table salt is ADDED in and has nothing to do with its saltiness. OH BUT SALT IS SALTY! SO LET'S HOARD SOY SAUCE.
Hong Kongers LIVE on sensationalism and blowing things way out of proportion. I'm not sure whether there's even a SERIOUS newspaper there (South China Morning Post, maybe?); the major daily papers (and heck, all the media) are really tabloid-y. (FYI: A Hong Kong tabloid mogul started that company in Taiwan that makes all those hilarious news animations.) Imagine a Finland where no one really reads anything but Ilta-Sanomat and Iltalehti. Or a Canada where everyone just reads the Sun and watches FOX News.
Especially for relatively educated diaspora in Western countries like me, HK can seem like a perpetual facepalm.
