MYTH OF ERUDITION
- Aug 2, 2017
- 3 min read
This term, we got two new modules: Future Fashion Project and Global Experience in Art & Design (usually we abbreviated it as GE). For the latter, we are given the opportunity to go on an international field trip to a fashion capital.
Several cities were proposed. We heard Hong Kong once, but that proposal dissipated because not many were interested. Milan was quite a favourite, but the distance and price package didn't gain the majority of supporters. Seoul was the destination for a good week, until a couple of discussions later confirmed for Tokyo instead.
To be honest, I was quite excited for Seoul. Its reputation as a fashion city is growing exponentially in the last few years, and shopping there would be heavenly (my credit card doesn't agree with me on that). I even bought a T Money card (Singapore's EZ Link equivalent in Seoul) already.
Why such an interest in Seoul? I grew up with a mom who watches Korean drama and puts on K-Pop music ever since I can remember. Throughout the years, I also became a fan of Bigbang, the band who has collaborated with Chanel and Fendi. Watching Korean dramas (and there were some really amazing ones) became an everyday activity. I somehow find myself purchasing South Korean beauty more since I find them wallet-friendly but more effective.
Some are even baffled when they find out that I have never set foot in South Korea, given my deep dive in their pop culture.
I think I have mentioned once here that aside from Hallyu exports, I also grew up reading Japanese manga and watching anime. If you're an Indonesian born in the 90s, you might have probably watch Doraemon every Sunday. I read my first manga at first grade (Candy Candy and Doraemon), and still collecting them until today.
Many of my friends and even teachers would say, it is a waste of time. I literally saw a parent at Popular bookstore dragging their child away from the comic book section and taking them to the sections I never even bothered to go to (mainly because I have and never will take an O level in my lifetime).
Can I say that I do not agree with that, at all? Manga is a work of fiction, but they usually derive from facts. Since I'm a nerd anyway, I did cross-check the facts. From those 'wasteful readings' I got to know about the Borgias (real-life Lannisters), Marie Antoinette, ballet moves, and even the last Russian princesses (Movie/musical Anastasia is 90% fiction, although this scene doubled in meaning after I recognised her family). I memorised the planets' names because of Sailor Moon's squad. And this is not including the 'life lessons' part, which is much more important than counting how deep a rock can sink in a bucket (in my opinion).
What's more important is that I developed an understanding on Japanese culture after all these years. It's definitely not 100% profound because I never experienced it first-hand, but I think it's quite decent for a starting point. How a salaryman like Nobita's dad in Doraemon shapes the nation's economy. Cram school and the massive pressure for students as experienced by Paradise Kiss' Yukari (which features a fictional version of Bunka). Life in the Meiji period as depicted in Yokohama Monogatari.
I won't say that every single anime/manga is 100% educational, but they always have positive traits to pick up, if one could spot them. Honestly, learning how to see the positive sides of a situation is a skill much more practical than all those hours trying to make sense of algebra.
Lesson here? Erudition doesn't necessarily have to come from 'boring books' or a typical 'study'. Being immersed with foreign culture makes you a more open-minded person, which might even make you wiser in the long run. Yes, I'm even talking about K-Pop because I owe them for my small comprehension in Korean language. What's important is curiosity and the desire to discover. Experience matters, too. What you go through today, will guide you through tomorrow.
I look forward to the field trip so I would be a better person and hopefully learn things that make me a better person. And restrain myself from over shopping.
Comments