Aussie Wrap up....

so I'm "home" from Australia.  (the quotes denoting the fact that I have carried right on to detroit after being home for one day...) but I wanted to share a few quick stories of Australia over the coming days....

 

1. my obsession with international McDonalds.

in the movie pulp fiction Sam Jackson asks some person he was about to kill if they knew what a quarter pounder with cheese is called in france... when they shook their heads no he said "Royale with cheese... now ain't that some shit!"  fast forward awhile... I was traveling for work and in shipyards in western france. I happened upon a McDonalds and decided I wanted to see if that's really what is was called.. "welli'llbegoddamned it IS!!!" i think was my precise thought... Royale avec fromage. so i ordered one sans fromage and a glass of mcwine, and a hobby was born. I eat at McDonalds in every country I travel to. So far the list includes:

Mexico (acapulco, mexico city)

France (Saint Nazairre, Nantes)

UK (London)

China (Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau)

Brazil (sao paolo, rio de janeiro)

Canada (toronto area, Vancouver)

Australia (Sydney, Manly)

The things i have noticed (in no particular order) about foreign McDonalds

• there are always local specialities (china had golden squash soup, france mcwine, london mcbeer, australia had kangaroo burgers.... just kidding but they did have a mcvegemite sandwich...)
• the food is always fresh and hot
• the food is always tastier than american (i think this has more to do with things like still using salt and lard.... just guessing)
• the clientele are just as varied.... in China i sat with 2 japanese girls who knew all the words to the bravery song on the PA perfectly but spoke ZERO english. In france I saw a guy dressed like a mime.... black striped shirt and beret etc. In Hong Kong there were a table of businessmen working on their Quanxi (business relationships) but i have also seen heroin addicts, guys smoking pot, cops, US army etc.... all walks of life.
• the people working the counter ALWAYS speak perfect flawless english.
• it is always a GOOD value... never overpriced.
• no one ever gives me grief for ordering something without cheese.

I know its a weird habit and I often get shit from my traveling companions. However I have come to really enjoy my short sojourns into the true nature of a place by stopping at the arches for a double burger (no cheese) fries and a coke.

 

Check out pics from australia:

(the government sanctioned smack addicts are in the middle... white hat across from gray sleeves)

 

 

Double ham (no cheese) coke and fries.... oh so delicious fries!

 

 

-c