What it Means to Be Asian?

What it means to be Asian?

It means one thing to one and another thing to other. It may mean being an Indonesian to one and being Japanese to the other. It may mean Buddhism or Confucius. Or it may mean black eyes, black hair or brown skin. The west looks at Asian with a suspicious tone. Hence the saying, "East is east, west is west and the twain shall never be met." Even Asian does not quite fully understand her own self and hence this question of, "What it means to be Asian?"

To me, Asian is people of Asia that is unique in many ways of his own. First and foremost among all is her being the oldest people that lived on earth. China may like to boast of her 5500 over year long history and insinuating that she is the beginning of human culture. A search through the crystal ball tells me otherwise that it is actually the Tigris River in Mesopotamia region (Iraq today) where Asian originated.

Secondly, Asian is unique in her culture. No where else in the world has a culture as rich as an Asian. Weather you are Indian, Chinese, Iranian, Israelis, and you name it, all has a history of over a thousand years. Due to the long historical period of Asian, she has accumulated so much culture in virtually all areas.

Architecture wise, she has the Israelis Wailing Wall, The Throne Hall of Per Polis in Iran, Petra in Jordan. Going further east, we have the Indian Taj-Mahal, Chinese Great Wall and Nanjing Porcelain Tower, and Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar. Moving south - east, we see Cambodia Anchor Wat, Philippines Banaue Rice Terraces, and Indonesia Borobudur Temple. And the list could go on.

Food wise, she too is exotic, sumptuous and well known. No one in this planet would never have tried or at least heard of Chinese, Indian, Japanese or Thai food. Not only is she the most eaten food in the world simply because of the cheer number of population, but it is also famous of her very tasteful and culinary nature. The renowned extravagant fit for the King Chinese, spicy, and curry Indian, fresh from the sea Japanese, or Tom-Yum-Kung Thai cooking are all mouth watering yummies-yummies.