lunar.soliloquy

So uni's started for me already and it's been depressing having to constantly tell people that you won't be free on x day because you have uni, then having to explain that 4th year med starts 3 weeks before everyone else. I wouldn't mind starting uni early if everyone else was in the same boat, but I guess that's just another case of "it's fine so long as everyone else has to suffer like me and I'm not alone" kind of thing and that's just not how life goes. Ranting aside, I did have an enjoyable last few days of holiday hanging out with friends, playing Starcraft and watching anime so it's not as though I haven't had time to do the things I like. It's just never enough sometimes, but I don't regret going back home because the work experience was great (not to mention the $ ^^;). Next summer I have plans to go overseas with my family so I don't think I'll be working again anyway. It's been a while since I've had a holiday overseas and something tells me I'll need it after finishing 4th year... >< This year's going to be a challenging one, and just one flick through the course info booklet was enough to tell me so.

The first week of uni started off with two jam-packed-crammed days full of rheumatology and locomotor stuff that's completely new to me and they go through the stuff so fast we're like halfway through the coursebook already. Fortunately I don't have my loco attachment til like June so I'll have time to get to grips with this stuff (hopefully). The rest of the 3 days were spent learning about the culturally appropriate management of Maori and Pacific Island patients =.=. It was like Maori Health Week all over again, although this time at least we didn't have to draw posters. But they still made us learn Te Reo. And go to a Marae 30 minutes out of the city in South Auckland where no buses go (fortunately I had transport). Not that I mind having an easy three days at uni but hearing all this talk about cultural sensitivity and how we should be aware of Maori's values and beliefs really annoys me when that's the only culture they care about when there are so many other cultures in New Zealand. Doesn't New Zealand pride itself in being a cultural diverse country? What about MY culture? If Maori are entitled to culturally appropriate management then shouldn't I be, as well? Not that I identify myself with any culture, anyway. When you look Chinese yet were brought up in a Westernised environment, have relatives in Indonesia yet don't speak Indonesian, have relatives in Canada yet speak with a strong Kiwi accent, it's not long before you feel that you don't belong anywhere at all, least of all, in your own country (which one is it, anyway?) and to be honest, nobody gives a damn because they think you're just another goddamn asian. Fortunately I can relate to asian culture (or at least what I think it is) relatively well and even though I don't use chopsticks perfectly, speak any asian language or play chinese chess, I'm still quite satisfied with being identified as an asian and I can live with that. I understand that culture is something that gives individuals resilience and being close to one's culture can give people greater ability to cope with the many of life's struggles and I believe that's an important part of being an individual. So what about the Maori? Well I do believe their culture should be acknowledged as part of their overall well-being but I just wish that other cultures were considered as well. If I had a Chinese name I'm sure I'd be just as insulted if someone doesn't even try and pronounce it as would a Maori person. I think cultural health should be taught as a whole and perhaps greater emphasis on the cultures most relevant to New Zealand. Yes, that does include Asians and if they want to benefit from all the dollars us Asians are bringing into the country through tourism and international student schemes then I believe they have a responsibility to treat us properly. Learning about other cultures is actually pretty interesting and it's really neat to see how others get around life and the reasons for doing the things the way they do. But when the sole focus is just on one culture it begins to get a bit one-sided and I just lose interest after a while. I hope I don't come across as racist or anything, I do appreciate that Maori are a population with high health needs and yes, they are entitled to quality health services but that doesn't mean I'm obliged to learn their language or anything like that.

Sigh, I hope I don't get in trouble for voicing my opinions so publicly but that's just how I've been feeling for the past three days. I guess the lack of having my own culture to relate to kind of attenuates my annoyance, having to learn so much about other people's cultures while barely having anything of the sort yourself kind of hurts after three days. I guess it's the same as I felt over the duration of Maori Health week two years ago, although back then having a solid self-identity as a person wasn't something I was too concerned about back then. Sometimes I wonder if I'm allowed to be proud to be Asian when I know so little about the way Asians do things compared to people who have been brought up in that sort of environment. It wasn't til I went up to Auckland that I had Asian friends who I could relate to on the same level (my parents were sort of Asian, but not really) and up til then most of my friends were from much different upbringings to mine. Not that I can't get along with people from different backgrounds, but it's just nice to have someone you can talk to on the same level as yourself and know that the things you say actually mean something to the other person. In essence, I think that cultural sensitivity is simply acknowledging that other people have reasons for doing the things the way they do. Even if you do things a little bit differently (and you probably think you're doing it better), I feel that respecting their way of doing things and acknowledging that it means something to them is all you need to communicate on the same level as someone with a different backgrouind than yours.