Feeling lost and hungry for home cooking, first-year PhD Anish Patel found happiness in a meal under the golden arches.”Man, I miss the good ol’ USA, its burgers and bottomless cups of coffee.
A month ago I moved to Delft and within a week I was homesick and craving big ‘n greasy American burgers and fries. Frantically I searched through Delft’s telephone directory for some good burger joints…and there it was: McDonalds % ‘We love to see you smile!’, its advertising slogan proclaims – and I could feel myself grinning from ear to ear. McDonalds may symbolize America, its infiltration and corruption of foreign markets with fatty foods, but I couldn’t have been happier: God bless McDonalds! They still make me smile.
McDonald’s has the best fries around, so salty, greasy, crispy, I think it’s because they hardly ever change their oil. They’re the only fries I don’t need to eat with ketchup, and thank God for that too, since ‘Dutch’ McDonalds charges ¢30 for a miniscule ketchup sachet!
What you get from McDonalds is consistency. Unlike other fast-food chains, which can be hit or miss depending on what restaurant you’re in, McDonald’s maintains its cleanliness, food quality and service with an iron fist. Their burgers and fries in Delft taste the same as they do back home in Nashville, Tennessee, or at a McDonalds in Peru. McDonalds’ burgers are so good, juicy and thick, and they taste like they’re made from real quality beef. A Big Mac not only tastes amazing, but you also feel intensely satisfied if you’re able to get down this mountain of beef and cheese, topped with crispy lettuce.
It was the first Sunday after my arrival in Delft and I just ‘HAD’ to go to McDonalds and have an exquisite dining experience. I woke up around 10 in the morning was very excited, feeling that finally God had answered my prayers for some real tasty food. As I walked towards the McDonald’s in Delft center, the ‘Golden Arches’ beckoned me in, and walking under them and into McDonalds instilled a sense of pride and satisfaction within me, which I cannot express in words. The smell of the old grease made my nostrils flare, but the restaurant was bustling with people, so I had to wait in line for 10 minutes, each passing minute fuelling my hunger for a big, juicy burger. Finally, I ordered, paid and was the proud owner of a Big Mac, super-sized fries, ‘Diet Coke’ and (yes) a 30¢ ketchup sachet. (Here and now I vow never to pay for this stupid ketchup sachet again!). But this small ketchup irritation wasn’t going to ruin my exquisite dining experience. Excitedly, I found a table, sat down, unwrapped my burger, took a deep breath and dug my teeth into it. That first bite was full of satisfaction and a powerful feeling of being ‘closer’ to something. Closer to what or where, I don’t know exactly. But after devouring my Big Mac and super-sized fries, I finally felt… home! I knew right then that for the next four years McDonalds will be the only link between Tennessee and me. And since then, McDonalds has been added to my weekly list of ‘to do things’.”
Feeling lost and hungry for home cooking, first-year PhD Anish Patel found happiness in a meal under the golden arches.
”Man, I miss the good ol’ USA, its burgers and bottomless cups of coffee. A month ago I moved to Delft and within a week I was homesick and craving big ‘n greasy American burgers and fries. Frantically I searched through Delft’s telephone directory for some good burger joints…and there it was: McDonalds % ‘We love to see you smile!’, its advertising slogan proclaims – and I could feel myself grinning from ear to ear. McDonalds may symbolize America, its infiltration and corruption of foreign markets with fatty foods, but I couldn’t have been happier: God bless McDonalds! They still make me smile.
McDonald’s has the best fries around, so salty, greasy, crispy, I think it’s because they hardly ever change their oil. They’re the only fries I don’t need to eat with ketchup, and thank God for that too, since ‘Dutch’ McDonalds charges ¢30 for a miniscule ketchup sachet!
What you get from McDonalds is consistency. Unlike other fast-food chains, which can be hit or miss depending on what restaurant you’re in, McDonald’s maintains its cleanliness, food quality and service with an iron fist. Their burgers and fries in Delft taste the same as they do back home in Nashville, Tennessee, or at a McDonalds in Peru. McDonalds’ burgers are so good, juicy and thick, and they taste like they’re made from real quality beef. A Big Mac not only tastes amazing, but you also feel intensely satisfied if you’re able to get down this mountain of beef and cheese, topped with crispy lettuce.
It was the first Sunday after my arrival in Delft and I just ‘HAD’ to go to McDonalds and have an exquisite dining experience. I woke up around 10 in the morning was very excited, feeling that finally God had answered my prayers for some real tasty food. As I walked towards the McDonald’s in Delft center, the ‘Golden Arches’ beckoned me in, and walking under them and into McDonalds instilled a sense of pride and satisfaction within me, which I cannot express in words. The smell of the old grease made my nostrils flare, but the restaurant was bustling with people, so I had to wait in line for 10 minutes, each passing minute fuelling my hunger for a big, juicy burger. Finally, I ordered, paid and was the proud owner of a Big Mac, super-sized fries, ‘Diet Coke’ and (yes) a 30¢ ketchup sachet. (Here and now I vow never to pay for this stupid ketchup sachet again!). But this small ketchup irritation wasn’t going to ruin my exquisite dining experience. Excitedly, I found a table, sat down, unwrapped my burger, took a deep breath and dug my teeth into it. That first bite was full of satisfaction and a powerful feeling of being ‘closer’ to something. Closer to what or where, I don’t know exactly. But after devouring my Big Mac and super-sized fries, I finally felt… home! I knew right then that for the next four years McDonalds will be the only link between Tennessee and me. And since then, McDonalds has been added to my weekly list of ‘to do things’.”
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