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The word "Counter Culture" may sound bad but not on a different context. What I mean by that is it's diversity. I'm sure most of you already know about it's diversity.
What is counter culture?
"a way of life and set of attitudes opposed to or at variance with the prevailing social norm." according to Google. Like being "rebels" in style, showing they're different but their also proud with a positive message to people. Some take it to a cringe level, some take it to a positive level. Example would be like those grunge, punks, emos, rappers, hip-hop, etc. that makes boomers feel even more boomer. And it started in the mid 1960s. Sounds too recent? What if I told you, Southeast Asia had been doing that way before those alternative trends started.
Ancient Counter Culture
I don't mean Southeast Asians are like those grungy, alternative, streety people. What it means is how Southeast Asia accepts religion, culture, fashion and art and interpret it their own way with their own art styles peacefully. They take Islam, Hindu, Buddhism and Christianity and "Malay-ize" it as they started out as Austronesian animists. Because they're group of traders, it's not an accident that they try to be unique. It's how they brand themselves and judge each other less.
Malay-zing
Yeah, that’s not really a word. I just made it up. What I mean is taking something foreign, like an art style or design, and adapting it with distinctly Malay or Southeast Asian elements. It’s about blending local motifs, colors, and cultural sensibilities into something new and uniquely Southeast Asian. So instead of copying something exactly, it's reinterpret it through their own cultural lens making it feel authentic and fresh.
For Example
An Islamic Mosque looking like this in Malaysia. Mosques are usually those dome shape so this is something you don't really expect to see from Islamic culture so they reinterpreted it their way uniquely turning it into this. Something like that can also be found in Indonesia.
When you think of Asian roofs, it's those curved roofs but a curved roof like this? Not something you'd expect if one says "Curved Asian roof".
"Those upward curves are always at the corners. What if we curve the ridges upward instead?" And you get this result. Uniquely Indonesian.
I've gotta give it to Indonesia for being the boldest one in mixing the vibes. You know what pagodas are. These look like those Chinese pagodas but with native huts stacked like that instead. And it's Hindu! Look at those Swastikas!
They also have that actual Hindu temple and stacked like a pagoda. What a fusion!
The southeast Asian fashion, celebration having so many different colors, shape, sizes and sounds. To the untrained eye, it's very hard to tell which is which. But mostly, you take a Chinese outfit, Arab outfit, Indian outfit, you "Malay-ize" it and boom. You get the southeast Asian aesthetics. I know we have standardized outfits for formal events but when it comes to celebrations, it gets crazy with all the fusions.
The "Malay-ized" Christiañ traditioñ from Cebu Philippines. So this is Sto. Niño, AKA the child Jesus which we worship in a traditional Austronesian way. Like you'd never expect to see Christianity being fused with southeast Asian tradition. It's a miracle that the Cebuanos got away with the Spaniards calling it "blasphemy" during colonial times.
The Philippines didn't really had time to develop like the rest of Southeast Asia before it got colonized. I kinda wish we had crazy temples like those but the closest one I can find. It has that "temple" vibes and it's dedicated to the Virgin Marry.
The French Indo China aesthetics. As I've said, Southeast Asia is really good at adapting art style making twists for their own. “What if we took French Baroque or Rococo styles, the gilded palaces and churches and "Malay-ized" or "Asian-ized" them?” Instead of the traditional French gilding patterns, local motifs and designs are used, creating something entirely new. The result? A stunning blend that feels both familiar and uniquely Southeast Asian.
Look at this abomination! (Don’t worry, I mean that in the best possible way. I’m genuinely fascinated!)
Geography
The region is full of islands and peninsulas, each separated by water but still connected by trade routes. This creates constant contact but also constant competition. We trade with them, but our style must be distinct. Southeast Asia’s cultural diversity wasn’t an accident, it was a competitive sport. That’s why you see such elaborate differences even between neighboring islands.
You start at the very west like Myanmar (Burma), it starts off as the Buddhist vibes with many pointy and dome like temples. I think Nepal and Bhutan would fall under the looks of Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos even though they're not in the same region but that's also what ironically makes them unique because they're separated by region.
But when you go to Thailand, that's where the Chinese flair starts to show up from the food, the people and formality.
Then you have Vientam, distinctly the topical and lush China vibes.
Now if you head south, You'll arrive in Malaysia which has that Malay-zed tropical middle east vibes and Chinese temples.
Go East and you'll be in Brunei with the middle east vibes with Chinese formality.
Then head south a little, you'll arrive at Singapore being that modern Chinese vibes.
Indonesia at the south has that very experimental vibes. The boldest one in terms of mixing vibes. Very diverse with Islam, Hindu and Chinese with it's own unique twist.
To the east would be the Philippines, the "South America" of Southeast Asia because of it's pronounced colonial identity and Christianity.
Timor Leste being the Carribean/Polynesia because of it's isolation. Sadly not a part of ASEAN but still in southeast Asia. Also heavily colonized like the Philippines.
The moment you cross a border or even an island within the country, the vibes change drastically.
An Example of The Opposite
Like Europe
Sure in modern times and ancient, their unique identity flairs up a bit but during the medieval and early modern age, they're really "same-ish". Same looking castles, palaces, cathedrals, clothing and etc. Europe when they compete art sets a lot of standards. So Europe competes on who gets "that particular look" the best or in short, they compete about who gets to be the most "European looking" European country. With some outlier being the southern Europe for being older than the rest of Europe but still. Time went on, they start looking "same-ish"
That can be applied to the Middle East, Some parts of South Asia (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka), Central Asia and East Asia having their own standards to compete to.
South America and North America looking "Same-ish" is because they focus on revolution and change adds another layer, with less concern for fitting a traditional mold and more about reshaping identity through history and social movements.
But in Southeast Asia? It's a competition of whoever looks the most unique and different. They don't have strict standardization so they "bastardize" a lot of culture.
"If we like it, we don't care what you think. But you're always welcome to join us"
This is what counterculture truly means here. Ironically, despite this cultural remixing, Southeast Asia has a long history of peaceful trade partnerships. They don't over expand and stress over controlling many territories. They just like to trade happily and value their differences. Even today, Southeast Asians are in good terms. That’s what makes this region truly special.
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