Thoughts about Asia

A few things bewilder me whenever I'm in Asia, that I want to explore:

- Why are Asians so materialistic?
- Why are R&B, hip hop and hard electo the most popular genres of music?
- Why aren't there many sub-cultures amongst the youth? Most people there just dress according to the latest Western trends. You won't find hippies, emos, goths, punks, mods, skaters, ravers, rockabillies, indie rockers or retro dressers.
- The contrast between the repression of expression and choice, and how young people behave (i.e. how repressed people act out). For example, Muslims are prohibited to drink and smoke but there are plenty of young people getting pissed and high in clubs in Malaysia. Chinese parents are especially strict on their kids, so even when their kids become adults, they continue to smoke behind their parents back. I find it really facinating that Western kids are so open to their parents about most facets of their life, so much so that when the kids become adults they become friends with their parents. When Asian kids become adults, the parent-child relationship is still there, where the parent is still this high up being who tells the child what to do, and the child obeys. My white friends drink with their parents. The only time this happens with Asians is at weddings!