in paris, you can buy a beer in mcdonalds
so spake john travolta, and a generation of americans nodded their heads as they digested this small insight into the minds of their quixotic gallic cousins. it may have been an amusing line, but there is actually something to it: despite the ubiquity of their imagery, mcds always adapt their menus to suit a location. think mutton maharajas in delhi and mcsamurais in bangkok. in indonesia however, when i stepped under the golden arches for an ac blast and some coke, one item on the tray of the lady in front of me stared out as the triumph of eastern culinary sensibility over the western food behemoth. wrapped in a simple bit of white paper was rice. with mcchickens, with big macs, even with fries, the indonesians refuse to do without their rice. it's not even mcrice, or mcnasi. legends. i was marvelling at the adaptability of ronald and co when the woman who'd ordered the rice gave me a funny look: i was going to explain that i was fascinated by how the mcdonalds menu was the new primary marker of cultural syncretisation in the culinary matrix but i'd forgotten the bahasi for new, and she'd called security, so i grabbed my coke and scarpered.i'm really feeling this place. the western stores are here, but it is still uncomplicatedly asian in identity, a relief after singapore. people are really friendly, especially when i say i'm a hindu... i was a bit concerned about being in the most populous muslim nation in the world, but these guys are much more into peace and different religions coexisting: they all love the ramayana, it's bizarre. everyone's fasting, but no one's in burquas, and even head scarves are pretty rare. it's the happy medium that all religions should be striving for, and it's really pleasant to see it in the ascendance. no one has much time for the fuckers who bombed bali, although the scarcity of other travellers is noticeable, even though java itself is perfectly safe.
unless you make your own danger. despite all the warnings, i found myself on my unplanned wander around yogyakarta striding through a poultry market. damn! held my breath and got out of there pretty sharpish, but still: i truly am a prize gimp.
off to borobodur tomorrow, and i can't wait.
posted by bicrom @ 11:53 am
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