Wednesday, August 31, 2005
How much of You is Really You? - 5:38 PM
So, its a brand new term here at Michigan State. At this time of the year, the leaves are still green, there's no slush on the grounds and we're still in skirts/shorts/tshirts. Fall doesn't officially start till September 22nd. I'm looking forward to that cos thats when the leaves on that giantic tree outside my room thats shading the sun are gonna turn red and gold (and then they turn brown n die. muahaha). And i'm EVEN MORE looking forward to trudging my boots in the snow. GREAT. -rolls eyes-Let's see what has remained unchanged in school. Practically everything, I must say...same few faces at the reception desk downstairs, books are still expensive, food's still unhealthy... Things that have changed? ...New room, new roommate, new classes (music n culture, accounting, social inequality, interpersonal communication), new layout in the McDonel cafeteria that doesn't feed us well anyway, NEW DRYERS in the basement THAT CHARGES FREAKING 50C a load (it used to be free btw) and.. oh yah, a brand new perspective. =)
Yesterday's Social Inequality class was interesting. The Prof's Pakistani, and doesn't hestitate to discuss about religions and touch on topics we usually try to avoid. Why do most Asians hang out with Asians even when they're on foreign soil? Why do the Ang mohs prefer to hang out with Kim mohs even though we bring to them a whole new perspective and offer exotic cultural exchanges? (don't even mention that it happens in the US. it happens in singapore too... the prc/indian scholars never fail to hang out with their own kind, right?). We are binded by this social stratification system that quietly split us up into different social groups. Association & socialization creates mechanisms that aims to segregate people according to their age/gender/location/occupation/income etc.
We tend to stick to people from similar social classes as we do, the pple who shop/eat/hang out at the places we do. .. We might accept someone with a slightly higher/lower status as us, but nothing too drastic. Cos the unknown is very intimidating, and so we choose the easy path. I mean, yah lor. How are we supposed to pay for the Hyatt high teas and weekly spa treatments or all the other fancy shamcy stuff they do?! Neither do we want to visit our friends when they're living under the overhead bridge in a Lays potato chips cardboard box. NO, not even a Cadbury Marble chocolate cardbox box for that matter, thankuvedimuchie. Now, you get the gist? Indeed, it would take an open mind and an even greater heart to be able to accept people of different compositions...and that, my friend, is not as easy as u think!
Some differences are biological such as race, gender and age, while others are nonbiological, such as religion. Being different from others is not wrong, it is only wrong when people start applying differential treatment to the various groups of people. Though its sad that they do, its something we can't avoid. So lets all be comfortable in our own skin. You don't have to go out and splurge $400 on a pair of jeans just cos the COOL people have them; you buy them cos they jolly well fit! You don't have to lie about your age, because honey, it SHOWS. You don't have to fake an ang moh accent cos guess wad?... You can put on a blonde wig and wear blue contacts and still never be white enough in their eyes. So its really important that we accept and respect our own identities... Our background, our upbringing that shaped us into who we are today. Remember, beauty is diverse and we are beautiful in our own ways. We know that, now we just have to believe.
*cheers and have a great weekend!*