Forgive me, you salvage-the-rainforests, save-the-sperm-whale, defeat-the-beef-industry former classmates of mine (Libby, I'm looking at you). McDonald's has been a reluctant staple of my existence since I was, as they say in Wild Oats, knee high to a corn muffin. Not to mention that Happy Meals were the progenitors of most of my toys when I was small. And how better to compare life in Türkiye to life in the USA than by sampling common cuisine?
Not that I'm feeling an overwhelming need to self-justify here, or anything...
I mentioned in a prior post that McDonald's does this nifty thing here where they deliver. I don't know if this is common in other cities, but in Hometown, you would be more likely to see a giraffe tapdance than a Vespa with a Mickey-D's delivery box strapped to the back. And so of course I had to try it, and my anne was kind enough to call in an order for a cheeseburger with fries and a Coke today at lunch.
The meal arrived probably fifteen minutes after she placed the call. I managed to get a picture of the back end of the delivery guy's bike by hanging halfway out an upstairs window. Just sort of imagine a Vespa where the bush is:
The meal itself is pictured here, along with a copy of Under the Tuscan Sun (my preferred literature of the moment):
And I would just like to point out for the record that ketchup packets are infinitely easier to open here than they are there. In the US, it's taken as a given that those silly little ketchup packets are either a) for strictly decorative purposes, or b) intended as the playthings of small children who would like nothing better than to stomp on them until they give way. Not here! Even with fingers greasy from fries, the packet opened with absolutely no fuss or dramatics.
The meal itself tasted remarkably similar to a USA McDonald's meal. The food was a little on the cool side, presumably from the transit over, but that was the only discernable difference, as taste goes. And I'm pretty sure they gave me more fries than I'd have gotten in a USA McDonald's - no complaints there!
And to think! Burger King delivers! Arby's delivers! Subway delivers! Pizza Hut, Dominoes, and Little Caeser's deliver! So much to try, and so little time! But now you'll have to excuse me, as we break fast shortly and we're having dolma, with pilav and güllaç, and I'll take those over fast food any day of the week.
9 comments:
Carly,
we stopped at a McDonalds in the Czech republic and got the best happy meal toys ever. We also got a coffee mug that says something in Czech. I am sure it says "wonderful hot coffee" or "Crazy americans will buy anything."
That reminds me of the story of my cousin's husband years ago he got a chinese tattoo that was supposed to say Peace. He recently went to Hong Kong and after quite few drinks asked his host if his tattoo really said Peace. After the host finally quit laughing hysterically he said no, it was the equivalent of Chinese graffiti, permanently a part of his skin. I have always thought tattoos were a bad idea, after all, who likes the same wallpaper after 20 years?
Keep blogging, I love the stories.
Carla
a) i have a family friend who has lived in 8 different countries and travels a lot, and always prefers to judge exchange rates by Big Mac prices.
b) you have no soul.
and those are my thoughts on mcdonald's in istanbul.
"I don't know if this is common in other cities, but in Hometown, you would be more likely to see a giraffe tapdance than a Vespa with a Mickey-D's delivery box strapped to the back."
I loved this line! Made me smile. Great writing, Carly, and a great story. While I share your concerns about McDonald's, nothing wrong with a little taste of home once in awhile...
Have fun!
Shannon
Carla: thanks for the anecdote, and all the support. I can feel the good vibes from here.
Brooke: you are not actually not the first person, nor the second, to tell me that I have no soul.
Shannon: thanks for the comments. And congrats on Ranier - I'm in the process of responding to that email. I look up to you in so many ways.
Look what I found.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94391119
hee hee.
Lexie: IT'S A CHAIN!
Oh, there's a book to be written here...
this has been way too long. you are slacking on updating.
also i don't know if i ever mentioned but I LOVE MY SHOUTOUT :) heehee.
and you!
Carly, I found your blog amusing. I hope this finds you doing well. Glad some unnamed person gave me your blog address. Best wishes and hoping for a new post soon, Dee Dee at you know where. :) All my unnamed friends say hello too!
That's a fun one, Carly! Brings back memories for me. Finding familiar fast food in a foreign place has several times given me a real boost, usually after weeks of being away and getting weary of dealing with alien everything.
I like to brag that the first Big Mac I ever ate was in Paris. Kind of ironic, I guess, that I chose to try an offering I hadn't had before while going there to find something familiar.
Hope you're having fun!
Bill
Seattle
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