It's interesting how a thing's meaning can change from one place to the other.
McDonald's for example. In the US, McDonald's means cheap and fast food. It's not nutritious; it's for people who are busy and don't have time to go somewhere else. Or ok, yes for people who want some greasy fast-food.
In India, eating at McDonalds seems to be somewhat of a status symbol - such a different concept of what McDonalds is in the US - where McDonald's is just a fast, cheap place to eat when you're in a hurry. You only see upper-class people eating there in India because here it's not cheap like it is in the US. You can get really cheap street food for maybe Rs 10 or you can even go to an adequate sit-down restaurant for Rs 100 and be waited on and have a nice, full meal with roti, curry, rice, etc. Or you can go to McDonalds and pay Rs 100 for a value meal. So why do Indians go there when the food is not that great and the price is definitely not great? I think it's mostly this status symbol.
But I've been thinking a lot lately about things I'd like to do at home, for some reason. In the whole 5 months I haven't really thought much about it. Now I find myself thinking about Taco Bell. The other day I could have sworn I smelled the coffee smell from the shop in Eastland Mall. Just walking around the mall sounds really appealing. Or getting a bit wet on a cool, rainy day. So I've been going to McDonalds more often lately...
McDonald's was the same way in China. I couldn't comprehend the reasons why McDonald's attracted themselves to the "upper-class" (I guess you could say). I mean, its not like McDonald's was dirt cheap in England and Europe. They raised their prices to meet the local currency there. So why they don't do it where the currency is lower, I don't know.
ReplyDeleteBut it doesn't take me long to begin to want comfort food when I was out of the USA. I do remember that. Again, why? I dunno. I guess you need to eat your homeland cuisine every once and a while. Maybe McDonald's function off the inevitably of visitors needing comfort food. It doesn't seem like a good business plan, though.
well, it's been almost 5 months and until now I haven't been wanting american things too much until now...and still it's not soo much. I just find myself thinking about things at home a lot more often, and haven't been so interested in wearing my indian clothes either..
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ReplyDeleteSince the beginning of November, I've totally been in an India groove, but I haven't been feeling it this week either. I've been drinking hot chocolate and Tazo chai from home, and I've been starting to think about going back. Maybe some weeks are just like that.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if your need for American things and US comfort food stems from the turmoil that has been happening here in the family and the fact that you can't be here to help..... Everything is settling down now. We're all okay.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why I'm wanting things from home at all...I just had my second puke in India - both in the same month :( But I guess I can't complain with what Niyathi went through! Still, throwing up has to be the worst thing ever
ReplyDeleteLOL. Imagine if they got a McDonals diner there.. how crazy would that be?? McDonalds was a bit more expensive in Europe, but not too bad. Although I do remember Ray, Ben, and I getting breakfast there in Switzerland and it being the equivalent of something like $30 or $40. I wonder if it's considered a big luxury in Croatia? Marin's dad took me there, but I never really did figure out the currency, so I wasn't really sure how much it was. I would feel kind of bad to find out it's this big luxury and to me it was just another cheeseburger. Although at that point, it was really nice to have something familar.
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