Everyone has heard of "The American Dream" or at least heard of the idea behind it. Someone comes to America with nothing, works hard and becomes a big star or owns their own business or becomes president, perish the thought.
As I was queuing in McDonald's tonight (it was a hamburger emergency) I noticed that every one of the staff on the other side of the counter was Chinese.
Amazing.
It got me wondering about whether there is an equivalent in China to the American dream, maybe even called "The Chinese Dream". I wonder if it involves moving to rainy Ireland and taking a job in McDonald's.
Don't get me wrong. McDonald's pays well and it's as good a place as any to work because you'll learn all about serving customers, maintaining high standards of hygiene, efficiency in service operations and all the rest.
I'm just wondering if this is important in "The Chinese Dream" because McDonald's is a well known US company. Experience in a company like this would have currency back in China, as opposed to a Chinese person going to work in Beshoff's for example. Beshoff's is an Irish-owned fish and chips restaurant.
Anyone care to share their own view on this thought of mine?
4 comments:
The ability to speak English and have work experience in a Fortune 500 like McDonald's will be an excellent addition to any job applicant.
Your post reminded me of this story: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/38690
that's a great story! Thanks
Anyone read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser? Seriously informative and disturbing at the same time - he focuses on McDonald's as the source of a lot that is evil in our culture, including everything from the poor meatpacking industry standards to actively discouraging employees to form unions...
The "training" that employees get is a bit suspect. While it is true that they are learning customer relations, their equipment training is quite poor. English is a second language for a lot of McDonald's employees, so McDonald's has opted for the most "user-friendly" equipment it can find. Instead of written instructions, there are pictures on the buttons - no reading required. Also, McDonald's receives government money for job-training programs, where they are supposed to be training their employees for the Real World, yet use this dumbed down equipment where there really is no training at all.
To be honest, after reading that book I couldn't eat fast food for a year. But I guess time really does heal all wounds, because dammit if McDonald's doesn't have the best fries around. I can't stay away!
(And while they claim they are vegetarian, they used to be fried in beef fat, so be careful, vegetarians!)
beef fat. Yuk! I know a load of people who read that book m. and most did like you did, they wouldn't eat there again. But for some it faded and now most are back munching away under the golden arches.
Just browsing the archives over at the Onion they have quite a few "stories" about McD's. Some are really quite bizarre.
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