Now. This entry is my rant (albeit a mild one after two edits), so if you’re reading this, don’t start getting personal—this isn’t a personal attack on anybody.
Farrago is Melbourne University’s official magazine. I was (yes, past tense, because I’m hoping it’ll change this year) the ONLY Asian/international student in the community of active writers, and the only one in the editorial team. I started thinking, why is this so? 10,000 internationals in this uni—95% of which are Asians, and Media and Communications (my course) is SWAMPED with Asians. So what is the matter?
Here are a few possibilities:
1) Asians are too shy, they feel intimidated
2) The Aussies are racist
3) There is a secret movement to deny equal rights to international students
4) Asians don’t know Farrago exist (uni is strictly about books and exams, they’re ignorant of everything else)
5) Asians don’t understand Farrago, it’s Greek to them
6) Asians are too busy—shopping, DVDs and DOTA takes up time
Most of the above are correct to some degree, except number 2 and 3 (I think!)
But guess what? I think I know another possibility. Asians just couldn’t be bothered. These are some reasons my friends always give me;
Friend: Oh! Farrago is just so good, I could never write that well.
Me : Did you try?
Friend: Erm, no…but I would really love to! I don’t know much about their culture and politics and all that, sigh….
Me : Huh, haven’t you been here, like, ages?
Friend: Yeah, but you know, I don’t read the papers (its so boring!), I don’t see the news on TV….etc etc…anyway, how do you start writing for them anyway…
Me : Well, don’t you see posters everywhere? Why don’t you just see the editors in the office?
Friend: Ha? Oh no, so scary!
Argh. And to think these are people who wanna be somebody in the media world.
Note: This scenario is perhaps more accurate in Melb Uni and universities in Western countries rather than Asian countries. If I may add; if you’re an international student, your fees are so damn high, make the most of it, you *@sponferluted goblok#*!
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4 comments:
Probably all six of the possibilities. Though I must say that DOTA can take up quite a while. I've seen many midnights in the hole that is Damansara Jaya to confirm that :> Kidding.
On a more serious note, me and MY discussed something like this a while back, why, despite numerous filmmaking workshops that we've organised (and the relatively good reception they received), not many people have taken up digital filmmaking. His theory, that people don't want to mess up, and would only do it if they can get it right the first time, seems to hold the most water. Equipment, support, manpower etc is another story, but relative to your post, I think that's something worth considering.
Which is silly. Messing up is part of learning, and the more you learn, the better future end products will be.
Well, that's my two cents (or 20 Korean wons :>).
Simply because talk is cheap, I think.
writing is underrated, especially among the malaysians. few would appreciate a good read let alone a good malaysian writer.
i probably wouldn't write for a school magazine simply because i feel i don't have the credibility. but other than that, or others in the private circulation circuit or blogs, there really isn't any other outlet for a writer to get creative.
or maybe, it would be difficult for me to omit profanities when i write :P
based on fikri's mentioning of my mentioning of the whole "dare to mess up" thing. to date i have been rejected by a few editors already, for writing complete crap. but it doesn't matter.
hey asians are hard to notice ok. look at you suan mei. you're like a white rabbit in snowy antartica.
sorry, i just couldn't resist the chance to publicly say something stupid about u.
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