McRomania
It’s always been a little funny to me when I meet so many young europeans who rag on America, claiming to detest the lifestyle and culture. These are typically the same people who watch Survivor and MTV, bop their heads to Eminem and Britney Spears, smoke Marlboros, read Cosmopolitan and Maxim magazines, and get excited about the latest fastfood offerings from KFC or McDonalds. Their consumerism is highly American. And then they choose American products on top of that.
Have you ever tried to convince a Romanian that Romanian products might be just as good or better? Most respondents generally balk. The rest snort.
There seems to be McDonald’s everywhere. The unadventurous American traveller can embarrass himself by chowing down upon arrival at the Bucureşti train station. In Ramnicu Valcea, you can take your younger sister to play on the slide that ends in a pool plastic balls. But the crown jewel, my friends, is in Braşov. Not only are there more than one Mickey D’s here; the largest store on Highway 1, as you enter the city limits coming from Bucureşti into Braşov, is open 24 ore.
But, wait! There’s more! This particular cubicle of Ron’s Steakhouse features what I believe was Romania’s first McDrive (followed later by others in the capital, I think).
It’s impressive. It’s not merely a drive-thru, but an official McDrive.
And when you order your McFries with a very costly side of McKetchup, you may consider the delicious raspberry McPie afterwhich you’ll need to wipe with a McNapkin and wash down with a McDrink. Would I lie to you?
May 8th, 2006 at 9:31 pm
We used to laugh at the “McDrives” in Romania- we didn’t even call them that in Canada but it’s such a perfect name don’t you think? We only had drive-throughs! There is not even one foreign fast food place here in Albania, but we are waiting for the day- it surely can’t be that far off. (OH but we have funny rip-offs of MacDonalds etc!)
May 8th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
Ha-ha, you’re so painfully mcright. The mayor in my hometown won the elections by promising to bring a McDonalds in town. How pathetic is that?
May 9th, 2006 at 12:14 am
Trav – To me, it’s not so much an extension of branding but just plain audacity! I’m surprised to hear Albania is still virgin. Surely, it’s only a matter of months. McDonald’s and KFC are one thing, but can you imagine the radical cultural change that would occur with the introduction of Taco Bell addiction?
Raluca – You must be joshing me! What kind of nutball would do that? And, more curious, did he win?!
May 9th, 2006 at 1:34 am
We have a couple dozen McDonald’s in Bucharest and hundreds of fast-food joints. The only things which prevent more McDonald’s are the Shaorma/Şaorma/(one million other spellings) stands. The şaorma here in “Dristor” is probably the best in Romania — I saw in Vama Veche one Şaormărie called “Şaormărie à la Dristor”. :-)
Anyway, some time ago, when I used to work for a big and blue American corporation, I used to eat fast food every day. I don’t know how the Americans live on that. Eventually, I switched to the most healthy things KFC has: rice, salads and natural fruit juice.
I gained one or two kilos during those months eating there, but that’s no problem, as I’m still “below the normal weight” (European standards) or “starving” (American standards).
Anyway, it’s really funny that McDonald’s may be identical throughout the world: The McDonald’s in Dristor (Bucharest) has the same layout with one in Bacău and one in Paris!
–Bogdan :-)
May 9th, 2006 at 3:14 pm
Thankfully we don’t have one. Yet. Sadly everytime we go to visit my in-laws in Targu Mures, Bogi has to go the McD’s there. I despise the place with a passion. For pretty much every reason there is to despise anything.
May 9th, 2006 at 4:05 pm
My town doesn’t have one either .. the guys came here and wanted to put a McDrive right in the middle of the city, where the lovers’meeting park is ..the mayor said it wasn’t worth destroying the park, proposed them a few other locations but they only wanted that park’s spot.So they left, and aren’t very missed around here.
July 14th, 2006 at 2:27 am
Recently on American tv when a Russian journalist was interviewed, he was asked the question did Russian people like Americans. His reply was that they liked American products but not American policy. I suspect this is true in many countries who find our cowboy president insulting. As for the foods, yes, many Euro peoples love the American fast (fat) foods. Whether to be trendy or whether they actually enjoy the fat taste, hopefully they will look at obese America and ultimately turn it down for something “real and tasteful”.