Wind In My Head: McDonald's
Wind In My Head
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
McDonald's
The kids in school have been revisiting globalization and using it synonymously with modernization, westernization, democratization and capitalization (capitalism, actually, but then they're kids and Tym's point about them thinking or rather not, is not just isolated to her school). One symbol of globalisation they all know is McDonald's. Sometime back, I taught them the idea of McWorld. But how if you looked beneath the veneer of the yellow plastic seats, you would find differences, that it wasn't a blanket experience to be at McD's.And today, I found living proof of it. My friend K has been back from Hanoi for a week trying to organise her wedding in September. She said that for the entire week that she's been back, breakfast every morning's been at McD's.
My natural reaction was "Why in the name of all things good and holy???"
Apparently, there is no McD's in Hanoi. She tried convincing her mother to Fedex her a hamburger once. Her mother refused. So, coming back to Singapore for her means eating as much McD's as possible to tide her over till her next home leave.
Her fiance, on the other hand is American- the land of McD's. And yet, every morning, he hankers for the Big Breakfast. He is thrilled that the auntie at the counter remembers him, says good morning to him and knows automatically that his order will be a Big Breakfast, all in the short span of a week. He also loves the National Day song Reach out for the Skies that Dan dissed last week.
So, why does a guy whose lived almost his entire life in the land of McDonald's love the McD's in Singapore so much? Turns out, where he lived, you NEVER sit at a McD's unless you're a hobo, a druggie or insert favourite American minority group. And you don't buy take away. You drive through. With your car, in your car. No two ways. So he's never had the chance to have a lazy breakfast on the plastic yellow seats, where the auntie will bring up to you your hash brown that wasn't ready when you ordered your food, where it's clean and bright and cheery with kids running around. Where there's free wireless!
So, it really is true. It does symbolise different things to different people. To me, it's a place where I can get my near daily fix of iced lemon tea. To K, her going to McD's is like a chipmunk storing accorns for the winter and to L, her fiance, it's just way cool. Plus he thought iReach For the Skies was McD's way of celebrating Singapore's 40th birthday.
I guess, at least someone does. Both like McD's and that awful song.
Ondine tossed this thought in at 15:38
3 thoughts...
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At 9:39 am
Threez said... Ehhhh, why y'all lidat? McD is an INSTITUTION here. It is clean, it is fun, it has free wireless, and it even has McCafe for decent coffee. As long as you do not eat the fries, hash browns, FishOFilet, Big Mac, Big Breakfast, and fried chicken, it is quite okay what.
And what's wrong with the National Day song? (says the girl who hasn't heard it yet, only seen the soundless MTV at the MRT screens every day)
Anyway I am very proud that Americans like our nationalistic sentiments (even if it's the gahmen that creates those sentiments, because often I also am sentimental). I think Singaporeans are not proud enough of their country!
Hmm, mefeels a blog brewing ...-
At 12:36 pm
Tym said...
But threez, Mickey D's is evil! (cf: SuperSize Me, Fast Food Nation, and any number of critiques of globalization)
I agree that in Singapore McD's safe and clean and still relatively cheap. Doesn't mean we need so many outlets, though? Of course the reason there are so many outlets is because people patronise them and they're extremely profitable. And that's what bugs me, even though it's not like I'm leading a campaign to boycott McD's or anything. If all we have are replicated McD's on the corner of every HDB block, how does that affect the colour and variety of the local coffeeshop and other eateries?
Er ... okay, didn't mean to get so philosophical about it.
Anyways, I think the problem with the new National Day song is that it's damn insipid. It's not catchy or memorable or inspiring people to stand up for Singapore (which, incidentally, is my favourite national song ever).
Plus whether one approves of the national song or flies the national flag doesn't have anything to do with one's love of the country --- just like I love my family, even though I may not like the idea of buying them an expensive meal and huge bouquet just because it's Mother's/Father's Day or something.
Argh. Sorry to hijack your blog, Ondine! Will shut up now :)-
At 12:36 am
nausheen said...
McD's is absolutely horrible in the US. The quality and the feeling of it is disgusting.
Singapore's McD's is a hella lot better. Weird really.
Oh and that includes Burger King as well. Actually, all fast food in Singapore feels better than in the US.
Urgh, just thinking about it gives me the shivers.