Asian culture increasingly influential

It’s been a constant fascination for me to see how, as economic globalisation leads to increased Asian affluence, cultural trends begin in Asia and head west. Two recent articles to add to the up-and-coming list:

• Bruce Sterling comments on Indian Levis – designed in India, modelled by Sushmita Sen. If these aren’t already on sale in the UK, I reckon they will be soon.
• The IHT reports on how traditional Chinese medicine is becoming mainstream in Singapore, with doctors either coming from mainland China or being trained in the local Chinese medicine college. Chinese medicines are regulated, and have high quality standards, which means they’re becoming big business. The article looks at Chinatown, but even Raffles Hospital offers traditional Chinese medicine packages – I’ve got some leaflets on my desk.

  The article has the obligatory quote from a western medicine source but, you know, in many cases I personally would prefer to go to a Chinese doctor. When I fell last year and badly hurt my foot and ankle, the Western doctor I first went to just gave me an aspirin and sent me on my way. Within a few days, I couldn’t walk. The Chinese doctor I went to on a friend’s recommendation gave me acupunture and some mysterious pills, and made a huge improvement. So, personal experience says, trust the Chinese…

  Anyway, the article points out that people are coming from all over the world to Singapore for the treatment. That means there’s a global demand, so expect to see the supply expanding into more countries.