My American Afternoon

I hope you didn't think I was kidding.

Finding a Starbucks, much like in the States, is just a matter of finding a large office building. Remember our friend who waved his arms around and said "This isn't China, this is globalization." Well, if where we were at the time wasn't globalization, this is:



One thing the Starbucks corporation didn't do was adjust its menu or its prices. If anything, the coffee is actually a little bit more expensive here. I saw very little traffic as I sat there studying and sipping my tall vanilla latte, but a classmate insists that this place is usually hopping.



My next stop was a short bus ride away. I'm getting pretty good with the buses--as long as I know the name (in characters) of where I'm going. The Wal Mart, unlike the Starbucks, has completely transformed itself to local tastes and practices. They have a huge live seafood section. (Yes friends, those are turtles. And yes they'll clean them for you.)



There's lots of free samples from the prepared food cases, a big book section (make sure to see the slide show), and an 'import' section that is mostly Australian brands.

Despite the localization, there was a steady stream of white folk in the place. This might have something to do with the store's location kiddy-corner from a Microsoft facility. Or it just might be because it's Wal Mart. One thing I noticed though: the prices were not cheap.



Finally I completed my day by paying a visit to KFC. No English signage for the Colonel. Just corn burger sandwiches, dark meat pieces, and plenty of popcorn chicken. I would have killed for a breast, but I didn't learn the word until today.



I finished up the day stopping at yet another coffee shop. So even with my three stops yesterday, quite a bit of studying was completed. Being here is not quite so different from being in school at home--just as little free time, just as hard to finish what needs to get done, but no L to come home to at the end of the day.

America