discounts or good grades? what the asian really wants

New Jersey just legalized the use of medical marijuana. Malaysia overturned a ban on the use of "Allah" in non-Islamic settings. President Obama has ordered a surge of troops into Afghanistan for next month. Controversial decisions are being made everyday, decisions affecting the hundreds of thousands of lives. My parents are currently torn between making my sister watch Avatar for free or allowing her to study for midterms.

Last Sunday, my sister got another lecture, which evolved into a full-on WWF match culminating in everyone giving everyone the silent treatment for two days. My parents yelled at her about studying, and she yelled back about how she does study and they just don't notice. Then, my mother got emotional because she is a working mom and couldn't always be there to notice us studying. And then, since my father couldn't hear everything my sister was saying and thought she was ignoring them, he banned her from watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Reality TV always manages to make its way into family discussions.

After a few episodes of Family Guy and some vanilla ice cream inevitably shattered the angry silence of the household, we returned to our normal routines. I wrote my senior thesis and stalked people I didn't care about on Facebook. My sister went to school and wore cute outfits. My father looked for lost documents and ate dark chocolate. My mother studied for her SAP certification and yelled at me to wear socks.

Every Tuesday, the mundane, the ordinary, the expected surrender to the exciting, the new, the mysterious. Optimum awards my parents with two free movie tickets every week, with all other tickets at half-price. My parents have gone to see their free film in blizzards, hailstorms, and even went during the Nor'Easter. If one or both of them cannot go, they make sure that someone can. It is a societal loss to pass up on a free movie, and my parents have made it a moral responsibility to ensure that someone in the world takes advantage of the Optimum deal.

Unfortunately, my parents will not be seeing any movie tomorrow. Though my sister had already politely declined to watch Avatar tomorrow, on account of her history exam, my father bought tickets in advance, as the free seats on Tuesdays tend to fill up with the other wild, fiscally conservative movie-goers. When my sister saw the tickets on the dining table, she ran into the family room, where my mom and I were commenting on Jessica Alba's hot bod in Blue Crush, and where my father was sending out emails.

"Guys, I told you not to buy Avatar tickets!" She sounded exasperated. My father looked dumbfounded. She sighed, and explained that she had too much work. My parents exchanged blank looks. It was incomprehensible that anyone would want to give up this social good, whose main function was to spread happiness and goodwill among the community.

"Why can't you just finish your work early?" My sister was so confused she was almost in tears. She just didn't know what they expected from her. Instead of being pleased that their daughter actually listened to their tirade on Sunday, and was sacrificing free fun for homework, my parents were disappointed in her distorted priorities.

However, once my sister tried to defend herself, (and clarify whatever incomprehension and confusion caused) my parents understood the dilemma. It was the ultimate Asian question: what came first, grades or discounts?

My father's blood pressure rose slightly, and my mother curled into a tighter ball under her yellow blanket, as each tried to figure out how to reconcile the founding principles. My sister rolled her eyes and got back to making her history study guide. She made her decision, chose her own path to Asian salvation, leaving behind the prospect of watching Avatar for free.

I think my parents are going to ground her tomorrow. It's for her own good, of course.