American Perspectives: An Egocentric Son of Light gets shown up by the "Woodcutter." "Ever Night" Ep.19-22 Response

Come Visit Me!

Long Qing is a bit of an egoist, but I don't think it becomes apparent until episodes 18 or 19 when he leaves the Xiling Empire for the Tang Empire with the intention of becoming Fu Zi's student.  The arrogant attitude he has toward the Tang Academy students and the Tang People is very pronounced.  Granted, he did experience childhood trauma at the hands of the Tang...however, his sense of entitlement for a student position with Fu Zi is astounding.  Maybe not so much entitled, as he is presumptuous.  He assumes that the test he will have to undergo will be a slam dunk.

Ning Que wasn't even on the list of students who were eligible to take the test, but decided to do so on a whim, as there wasn't anything in the rules stating that he couldn't.  He withstood every struggle and kicked Long Qing's ass.  Adding insult to injury, Ning Que didn't have the privilege of cultivating for most of his life, and he didn't have the privilege of a high rank that he could return to after the childhood trauma that he also experienced.

Instead, he's a quick witted survivor who was able to kick ass on the test due to the current struggles he has had to face.  I may be going out on a limb here, but for him, the challenges on the test were maybe a tiny bit more difficult than a cake walk.

When it comes to the test that these men had to take in order to be Fu Zi's new student, I think of it as something that applies in my own life.  I started a business two years ago involving 사극 fan art.  I have not had the immediate success that my peers selling BTS and other related K-Pop merch have had.  I have never sold out of anything.  None of my friends who I had prior to opening my business have ever bought anything from me.  I don't have videos of myself boxing up and delivering massive numbers of orders simply because I've never gotten that many orders in one sitting.  And the friends I had prior to opening my business, are no longer there.  But, not having all of this handed to me is making me a stronger business woman, as I have to really apply myself.  I am not surrounded by friends enabling the wall of illusion.  I'm not popular, so I don't have people rushing to buy things from me simply to be associated with me, without really caring about the product.  (Instead, I have had to learn how to break past people not wanting to buy things from me because it is associated with me, who is so not popular, and often regarded as weird.  But not in a creepy way).  Unfortunately, in small business, people are going to initially gravitate towards those who have some degree of popularity.  Social validation and hierarchy are paramount. Yes, even in the psuedo Utopian United States.  I will go as far to say ESPECIALLY in the psuedo Utopian United States.  What makes it worse is we pretend that we don't have a social hierarchy, and that we're highly individualistic, but the truth is, most Americans won't buy something unique unless if their "bestie" approves.  Because of this, I have had to go down a much more difficult path.  I have had to learn how to be more social, which is not my strong point, and largely why I am so very very unpopular. (I require a lot of reading time/study time, and that kind of nerdiness is not popular in the United States, especially among women.  Theoretically, I'm supposed to be about yoga pants and Starbucks coffee.  Yuck)!  For instance, when I am doing in-person events (which works best for a relative newbie like me, as online stores get lost in the search), I don't have prices on my items.  I do this because it makes me talk to the potential customer.  I also have available a bunch of photocards  featuring many shirtless male K-Drama actors because it's an ice breaker.  It gets people laughing, and it breaks down a barrier on both sides of the counter.  We start talking, I don't feel reserved and awkward, and it helps them remember me in a positive way.  Otherwise, I have to be careful not to give off a grouchy librarian vibe.  In that way, I feel that makes me similar to Ning Que.

While the rest of his classmates stick to each other, Ning Que is still out and about in the real world taking care of Sang Sang.  He is in the library making friends with Chen Pi Pi, the 12th student of Fu Zi's, who not only saved his life, but gave him cultivation abilities, and a foot in the door.  Which makes me think about the merch I have to offer.  Because of its versatility, it's not limited to 한류 wave events, such as cupsleeve, fan gatherings, etc.  My merch has actually sold best at Renaissance Faires, not only because of the historical aspect, but also due to its uniqueness. People do get rather enthusiastic over 사극 warriors and Empowered Women because it's a break from the usual Eurocentric knight and princess, or the warrior woman dressed in a chainmail bikkini.  Or worse yet, the very scantily clad woman warrior who only has heavy duty armour on her breasts.  (Seriously)???

What makes my peers in the cupsleeve and Ren Faire scene like Long Qing is that they know their peer groups very well, which by default translates as target market.  They're very popular, and they may even have admiration on tangential fringes.  But, it gets really dicey if they venture too far away from their predictable circle simply because the challenges I face daily, the convincing I need to do, the relationship building I have to work, the seeds I have to plant, isn't something that has had to be on their radar.  So, it's a bit of a shock.

I'm similar to Ning Que in that it is my job to convince so many people that what I have to offer is worth investing in.  The products I sell do not sell themselves.  They aren't variants of products that are already popular.  They are products I have come up with on my own.  Ning Que has to convince the powers that be that he is a worthwhile investment as a student.  I have to convince so many Americans, who whether they like it or not, believe so deeply in American exceptionalism, that the 사극 and the culture surrounding it, is relevant to them.  (And it is.  It gives a peek into the cultural back story of the Korean peninsula which remains grossly misunderstood by so many American K-Pop fans).  

Long Qing, like my peers, hasn't yet had to do much as Ning Que because he has a built in support system.  My peers have groups of like minded friends who like the exact same thing, so they are already dialed in to what they want.  Because of this, there were some crucial points of development missed simply because he didn't have the practice.  And that's precisely why I don't believe in "Work Smart, not Hard." When you work "smart," it's basically glorified cutting corners, and you're missing crucial steps to strengthen your business.  It's like in Kendo where you don't get a Dan Ranking within the first month.  It takes years, and a lot of time is spent working on stuff that seems basic, repetitive, and boring; just like with working hard, but it's crucial because you're handling swords, and it's not one of those sports where you can afford to go at it half way.  

So, I really like how it emphasizes in "Ever Night" how crucial the struggle and obstacles were in order for Ning Que to succeed and to be coveted by not just one teacher, but two.  The Talisman master, Yan Se, also wants to work with him.  In my culture, there is so much emphasis on the latest "hack," but it always feels like cheating to me.  It feels like information that seems irrelevant now that you skipped in order to complete the "hack" will haunt you in the future.  Just like how Long Qing took longer with the illusions because it wasn't something he had to frequently deal with.

 

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