the pewter flasks of spirit

I caught Batman Begins this afternoon and besides dismissing immediately the casting of Katie Holmes, I noticed an element we Asians should take pride in over the Whites. Revolved around the plot is somewhat of a scarecrow of a mask, which together with a sort of gas brings you into a state of panic, making you envision your surroundings to be of your greatest fear.

Victims in the movie saw an American limited culturally void bunch of maggots, red-eyed monsters, bats... I thought about it, and I think if I were to play victim to the mask, I'd see pontianaks, toyols and Japanese/Korean paranoid girls ala Dark Water.

Point is, if you come to think of it, we Asians have a certain quality that makes us "Truly Asia" (yeah, I know this is beginning to sound a little too travel agency advertisement, but still); we have a certain cultural feel to us, which explains why Americans, Europeans and Australians thrive on "going oriental" or for a yogalates session.

So I learned today that I shan't cringe each time an American says karaoke anymore - I shall wave my heritage of an intangible Asian flag with pride.