Market! Market!
Perhaps it was that particularly unfunny scene from that particularly funny film, “Mars Attacks!” that spawned my mean stereotype about the Japanese. In that movie, green, goofy, quacking aliens try to overtake the world and begin an insatiable spree of destruction. The Martians, keen on making their Martian rage felt, obliterated the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids of Giza and the Eiffel tower with laser beams stuck through their rotating uh, Martian space ships. As they were attacking the Glden gate bridge, a group of Japanese tourists were taking pictures with the familiar Los Angeles sight as background. When the spaceships reduced the bridge into rubble, the tourists didn’t flee. To hell with Martian domination of the world, when it’s a great photo op? they went on shooting with their cameras, looking like, er, Japanese tourists. I’m not so sure though if the Martians changed them to sushi.
After seeing, Mars Attacks! , and some Naked Gun films, I have come to the conclusion that the Japanese : 1) can afford to travel around the world, and 2) they are ignorant about it.
So last Wednesday, I knew, more or less, what to expect with our lecturer. However, her credentials seem to leave my prejudice hanging. Midori Hirota is an artist residing in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, can speak bahasa fluently and is studying Southeast Asia. Apparently, she’ll talk to us about markets in “Pasar-Ichiban-Talipapa: Cultural Cross-Currents”. Now, don’t ask me why. Perhaps, it’s the ‘market of ideas’ she’ll be talking about, or the vibrant, stock markets in Southeast asia. Then again, it might just be markets, period.
Since I arrived quite late, I didn’t know how I’d figure with the discussion. I saw her already seated, maneuvering her slide show presentation. Hirota was showing us her pictures of the devastation in Yogyakarta when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian city. She, along with some artists, formed an outreach program with funding from Japan to the children affected by the catastrophe. She designed the colorful shirts, the makeshift classrooms, and even taught the kids some traditional Japanese culture. At their makeshift tents, these kids were also able to take part in a cultural show where they used utensils to make music, or something close to it. Hirota’s long stay in Indonesia was also the reason why most of her work reflected the Javanese culture. But in any case, she’s come from a diverse background. Her influences include, Christian, Buddhist and Hindu traditions. It amazed me how much this person knew about other Asian traditions. Her understanding of other cultures drowned me and I saw how hungry she was to learn more. Above all, I was impressed and humbled by her humanitarian efforts to reach out to those in need. Perhaps, after all, Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines, have more things in common than sharing one regional character and a vibrant ‘market’. All three countries belong to the “Pacific belt ring of fire” where frequent volcanic eruptions, as well as sea and land earthquakes are common. The recent Asian Tsunami might have also become a catalyst for Asian unity and humanity. But that’s jumping too soon to the conclusion.
After the talk, I felt quite ashamed of my previous stereotype. Hirota not only shows another side of the Japanese, but also of Asia. One that is constantly defying regional, cultural and ethno linguistic boundaries in region so diverse such as ours. Now that is truly breaking out. I hope, that in the future I would also take part in such endeavors. I like to reach out and know about other cultures. It’s time the Asians define Asia, and enough of the Martian stereotypes. #
