Old McDonald

by Leung Man tao

About a dozen years ago， some of my friends participated in a global boycott of McDonalds and launched a campaign in Hong Kong against the worlds largest hamburger chain. Their primary complaint was that McDonalds was not environmentally-friendly because everything involved in its operation – from paper packaging to the grazing pastures – consumed the limited resources of the planet. Also， McDonalds labor practices have long been suspect. They often hire temps instead of contracting full-time employees， offer rock bottom wages without benefits， yet build a warm family-friendly image to conceal its exploitation of the working class. Also， McDonalds food is less than healthy. Although most of these criticisms are common knowledge today， when the American brand first arrived in Far Eastern nations such as Japan and China， it claimed that its food was prepared in line with strict nutritional calculations， providing comprehensive daily nutritional needs. Furthermore， its iconic “M” logo and smiling clown spokesman， known as “Uncle McDonald” to many Chinese people， were nothing more than endorsements of American capitalist culture in the eyes of nationalist youth.

A decade later， one of the campaigners， who was then teaching sociology in the United States， was surprised to find me still boycotting McDonalds – alone. “I know its a shame， but we gave up long ago，” he sighed. “I didnt expect you to stick with it so long， especially since you werent very enthusiastic at the beginning.” For those living far from home， familiar flavors inspire nostalgia， but ironically， while living in the U.S.， my friend patronizes Mc- Donalds because its fries and Filet-O-Fish remind him of home.

Indeed， McDonalds remains a delicious childhood memory in the minds of my generation. When I was a child， if I was obedient， my mother would reward me with milkshake and apple pie at McDonalds. During a summer break， I swam at YMCA Hotel in Hong Kongs Tsim Sha Tsui every day， and to encourage my hard work， my mother allowed me to eat at McDonalds after swimming. I loved the cool water and craved the tasty Filet-O-Fish. Gradually， and subconsciously， swimming became tied to McDonalds， making me a happy dolphin.

Its fitting that The Economist launched the Big Mac Index， a burger-based evaluation of consumer prices in various countries. An icon of globalization， McDonalds can be found in almost every country around the world， all with identical tastes. For tourists， expats， and international students， McDonalds serves as a dependable constant in an otherwise strange environment. At McDonalds， patrons dont have to worry about understanding the menu or following local dining etiquette. Just like in their hometown， people are familiar with queuing at the counter， ordering food in simple English words or even by pointing， and eating the standardized food. This explains why the brand has been so successful over the past half century. Food is at the core of culture， closely associated with family， lifestyle， and nationality. Even in places that were initially exotic， McDonalds presence has made such an impact over the years that several generations of people around the globe now associate it with pleasant childhood memories.

Eventually， I began to patronize Mc- Donalds again. For the sake of my conscience， I convinced myself that although McDonalds was likely the source of many questionable employment practices， such a mode is just an inevitable characteristic of capitalism. Are many employers other than McDonalds willing to take a chance on hiring youngsters who lack education and experience？ I also told myself that with anti-globalization on the rise， McDonalds has made improvements with environmen-tally-friendly packaging and more healthy ingredients. Still， observation was my primary excuse for returning. Rather than remaining angry and alienated， I returned often to watch how the restaurant continues attracting consumers.

I frequently saw students studying at McDonalds， which， compared to strictness of libraries， provides a more comfortable ambiance， as well as a wide selection of food and drinks. Rather than aimlessly wandering dangerous streets or struggling against pressure from parents at home， many youngsters prefer to spend evenings in the peaceful and open surroundings of McDonalds. Also， to my surprise， in the morning， I often saw seniors sitting quietly in a corner of McDonalds， flipping through a free newspaper with a cup of coffee. Perhaps， for them， the noise and bustle is a welcome respite from the lonely silence of sitting at home.

No wonder Hong Kong residents affectionately nicknamed McDonalds “Old Mac，” a distinctive honor compared to other fast food chains. If “Old Mac” is really a symbol of capitalist globalization， we should accept that everything it symbolizes has become an inescapable characteristic of modern daily life. But if it feels like home， its an illusory home constructed by state-of-the-art marketing.