So this weekend, I went again to Guangzhou. A large group of us had a going away shindig for one of the foreigners in our group, and needless to say, it was good times. Let me get into something I’ve avoided for a long time in Toronto. Yes, something I am ashamed to admit. You see, I do like to go for hangover tea...usually I am a die hard Second Cup fan. Second Cup is the Canadian equivalent of Starbucks, and I’m sorry to say, all you hipsters reading this…but I am a Cupper, not a Bucker (not a paid advertisement). Now, given my lack of options for hangover tea, I had to cave into a Starbucks, sadly. I decided to treat myself to a cup of tea. A cup of tea, you say? No problem, it’s, what, $1.50 CDN for one? I go into the Starbucks, and feel like I’ve stepped back into North America, momentarily. Ahh, the smell of coffee and cakes…and what the? Sesame seed lattes? I’ve tried some weird shit here. This week I think I’m gonna try fried bugs…but that’s besides the point. What I mean is that I am very adventurous, but today I just wanted a good old tea.

$24 RMB…what? That’s about $3.50, $4, here. Not a whole lot, and I’m no cheapskate, but let’s get into value. I’m not an economist here, but I know that for $24 RMB I can buy half a week of groceries, or take a cab across the city…or get a manicure, or buy a pretty decent dish at a seafood restaurant. What I’m getting at is that a little goes a long way here, so it’s not necessary to be decadent, yet apparently, a regular cup of tea is pretty decadent by Chinese living standards.

So then suddenly many things clicked in my mind. I now began to understand why my Chinese coworkers were so keen to offer me McDonald’s and Pizza Hut. It’s not because the food is good. It’s because it’s seen as a status symbol. Only the very well-to-do here can afford to eat at these big-name globalization joints. So, it costs money to be Westernized, and they’re proud to flaunt it. Which is hilarious, because when I think of McDonald’s, I think of an unwilling young mother trying to tame her three screaming children who want more French fries in their Happy Meals. I think Supersize Me. And I think obesity. So I think it’s interesting that in one area these super chains are considered a symbol of wealth, and another, a symbol of welfare. The disparity is really surprising..