Size really matters

My US trip has stopped ever since I started my Italian one, as you guys probably know why. It was a new experience for me to be in the US again after my European experience. I do see things in a different perspective.

Arriving at the US, I feel like it is the living proof of what I see in soap operas like ‘Friends’, or ‘Joey’. You keep hearing ‘whatcha guys doing here?’, ‘hey, what’s up, man?’, ‘how are you?’, etc..

What truly surprises or impresses me is everything has doubled, the drinks, the coffee, the cakes, the cookies, let alone the people! I realize size really matters in the US. No wonder USA has the highest number of obese.

A question just pops out of my mind, ’should I start doubling my size then?’ Soon I realize I am quite small over here even though I am quite big according to Hong Kong standard where girls are extremely skinny or even boney. No kidding! Everything doubles, be it size, sweetness or fatness. Worst than that, everything is sweeter. Even for Alejandro who has a sweet tooth, it is way too sweet. This makes me even cautious of what I eat and drink.

American food is all about hamburgers, steaks, ribs or fries. I wonder if Americans ever thought about quality food. Quality does matter more than quantity. The impact of globalization is being exemplified here in the US. Why are there only Starbucks, McDonald’s, Jack-in-the-box, not anything else? Big names are really dominant here. Interestingly, Americans talk about democracy, about freedom. Yet consumers are faced with no choice or restrained choice. Isn’t that fair to consumers who want to have alternatives?

In Europe, there are a lot of more choices, even restaurants offering home-made meals can survive or tiny life cafes located somewhere in the small little town. I really miss having a choice or the freedom to choice.

After all, you want to be in a place where quality is being valued. It simply tells you how grounded people are by caring about quality rather than quantity.

Written on 1 August 2005