Text: Cleo Chew
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A while ago, a friend wrote a Facebook status: he was practicing his break dancing moves in his void deck when a lady came up to him and told him to stop what he was doing. Her reason wasn’t that he was being disruptive or inconsiderate, but rather that he ‘should be studying’. He ended his status with, ‘why can’t I do both?’
My instinctive response was ‘I feel you bro’. This wasn’t the first time I’ve heard of a friend facing such stereotype and scrutiny, and it really bugs me. What exactly is being advocated here?
That we can only be one thing, either black or white?
That we must be only one thing, otherwise we are never focused?
I can only say I do not agree - at all.
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Nearing my university exam period, I would still make time to attend fashion related exhibitions and events whenever an opportunity was given to me. Simply because I wanted to; simply because I was interested to learn and to expose myself. This sparked off remarks from a few people (none of whom I knew, or knew me very well) who felt a need to inform me of the urgency of our upcoming papers, because I probably appeared too ignorant and blissful in my ‘frivolous’ schedule.
I understand my role as a student and there is not one day I am not grateful for my education. When I want to attend an event, I’d make sure I either wake up earlier or sleep later that day to cover what I had planned to revise. Other times, I’d just plan ahead to clear more time for studying before the actual event day. I found that I was repeatedly having to explain myself.
I recall a few other incidents:
(Source)
A while ago, a friend wrote a Facebook status: he was practicing his break dancing moves in his void deck when a lady came up to him and told him to stop what he was doing. Her reason wasn’t that he was being disruptive or inconsiderate, but rather that he ‘should be studying’. He ended his status with, ‘why can’t I do both?’
My instinctive response was ‘I feel you bro’. This wasn’t the first time I’ve heard of a friend facing such stereotype and scrutiny, and it really bugs me. What exactly is being advocated here?
That we can only be one thing, either black or white?
That we must be only one thing, otherwise we are never focused?
I can only say I do not agree - at all.
--
Nearing my university exam period, I would still make time to attend fashion related exhibitions and events whenever an opportunity was given to me. Simply because I wanted to; simply because I was interested to learn and to expose myself. This sparked off remarks from a few people (none of whom I knew, or knew me very well) who felt a need to inform me of the urgency of our upcoming papers, because I probably appeared too ignorant and blissful in my ‘frivolous’ schedule.
I understand my role as a student and there is not one day I am not grateful for my education. When I want to attend an event, I’d make sure I either wake up earlier or sleep later that day to cover what I had planned to revise. Other times, I’d just plan ahead to clear more time for studying before the actual event day. I found that I was repeatedly having to explain myself.
I recall a few other incidents:
(1) a friend’s parent referring to dance as a ‘useless sport’,
(2) a friend who enjoys making beauty related Youtube videos while still a student getting mercilessly teased, and
(3) a friend who is a teacher received feedback for being inappropriate by posting (very decent and stylish) OOTDs.
I don’t mean to sound like a dreamer high on empty ambition (or so they say), but whatever happened to pursuing your passion? We’re all human after all, and I think it’s time we start accepting that people can be grey, and that there’s nothing wrong with that.
