McDonalds - More than hamburgers
"Thank you," said a tiny Phillipino girl at a cash register of Muscat (Oman) McDonald's outlet in Al Qurm area, when I said, "I love being at McDonald's." The kids all over the world get excited on seeing the most recognizable golden arches of McDonald's. My kids were 1 and 4 when they came to the USA. For years, son loved every visit before McDonald's adopted the ad line 'Loving it.' But his son did not continue this tradition.
My 'Loving it' is for entirely different reasons. Being nearly 30, when I came to the US, my taste buds were reasonably conditioned to go crazy about any US food. However, I could not escape the cumulative effect of visits to McDonald's for the kids. Now Big Mac is the first food I eat in the US, as soon as I walk out of the plane into an arrival hall.
Trying different things in every aspect of life is deeply ingrained in my nature. However, over the last few years, McDonald's is the only stop for breaks during driving trips. The restrooms are clean and (senior) coffee for 54 cents tastes better, against $1.50 in Muscat!
Talking of the restrooms/toilets, at times, McDonald's has saved my bladder from bursting out. It doesn't happen frequently, as I don't hesitate to release the hydrodynamical pressure in a corner or under a bush, of course, taking discreet precautions. This comes from my semi urban upbringing in Bathinda. Today, Muscat was a different scenario. After riding a taxi for two hours from Nizwa, I got off at 11 AM at Al Qurm Nature Park, one of the three sites of 2009 Muscat Festival, and discovering to my dismay, that the gates open at 4 PM. It is like most establishments in Gulf Region. A thought of spending 5 hours naturally accelerated the kidney function.
After getting some roadside directions, as I was taking my mind off the pressure building up by watching Omani life speed by, I recognized the golden arches far under a flyover off an exit of the only highway in Muscat. It really brought a joy and Thank you, McDonald's. I settled down for a while. Even during siesta period, it was drawing a good number of Omani customers in their flashy vehicles beside the westerners.
The staff is 'imported' from the Philippines by the Omani owner. They are paid $200 PM for 10-12 hour shifts and provided bunk-bed accommodation within walking distance. Its manager of 4 years of experience hardly gets $300 PM. Call it exploitation of the Phillipinos, but it is win-win-win situation for the McDonald's, the Arab owner and the Phillipino poor. Empires, whether political, corporate, or spiritual, are always built on sheer exploitation of human and natural resources alike.
During three solid hours spent in McDonald's, I wrote this Reflection on a sheet brought over by the manager, read an English daily, the Omani Tribune, placed for the customers while listening to the popular American music 'missed' for three months. You don't know what you miss in your routine until you are gone away from the habitat.
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