Last week I mentioned to my mom that I was on the way to KMART. “What!”, she exclaimed. “They have KMART there?” I guess I kind of forget sometimes about the massive influence American culture has on other countries. At times it doesn’t really even feel like I am thousands of miles away. These American companies in Australia have become commonplace. Of course my attitude towards these companies is completely different while I am here. For the most part I can proudly say that I had very rarely stepped into a KMART and had never stepped into a KFC but both of these claims reversed within a month of landing in Australia. KMART has become my go-to shop for most essentials like notebooks, bedding, photo printing etc and I have discovered a grilled chicken wrap at KFC that I am actually quite fond of… shocking, I know :)
Of course McDonalds is big here as always as well as Burger King which is called Hungry Jacks because when Burger King expanded to Australia there was already another company here with the Burger King title. Starbucks is Starbucks although it is not a place I frequent because of the huge cost that would incur! Wendy’s is kinda like a Dairy Queen (and not associated with the American chain in the slightest) and the biggest disappointment is the Australian Target. Yah no, don’t get excited. It is NOTHING like the Target at home. Ok maybe I didn’t need to make that all uppercase but still… nothing like it… Picture a Marshalls or T.J.Maxx that you are super excited to scour for good bargains and come up with didely… that is the Australian Target. It is funny because when I think of places I would like to bring my Australian friends Target and Costco immediately pop into my head… sick? Yah probably… corporate America brainwashing? Sure looks like it!
Ps. Here is a birds eye view of my apartment. It is the long apartments running off the left side of the picture and parallel to the top and bottom of the picture. Got it? :)
Pps. Anna and Steph come in 11 Days!!!!
I love that you wrote about this! I'm always thinking about this too :). What companies are owned by other companies, where products are produced (in this case, in the sense that m&ms and diet Cole taste different here than at home), and where they actually come from. We see claire's everywhere- it's totally bizarre. And we've only seen two supermarkets that even begin to compare to home. And I miss old navy like nobody's business. Why they don't come here blows my mind! We must compare globalization notes :)
ReplyDelete