McDonald's and the Cultural Womb

I thought this article was really interesting and insightful. I spend way too much time in my local Mickey D's here in Bucheon and after reading through the article I think I have a better understanding of why.

Indeed, despite its vaunted reputation as a juggernaut of American culture, McDonald's has come to function as an ecumenical refuge for travelers of all stripes. This is not because McDonald's creates an American sense of place and culture, but because it creates a smoothly standardized absence of place and culture — a neutral environment that allows travelers to take a psychic time-out from the din of their real surroundings. This phenomenon is roundly international: I've witnessed Japanese taking this psychic breather in the McDonald's of Santiago de Chile; Chileans seeking refuge in the McDonald's of Venice; and Italians lolling blissfully in the McDonald's of Tokyo.

Interestingly enough, the author mentions that he taught for 10 years in Busan, S Korea.

Speaking of Busan, I did a short trip down there this past weekend. There's nothing really interesting to report, but it was good to see the city, however briefly, and it sure as shit was nice to get away from Bucheon for a while. Every time I travel outside of the Seoul area in Korea I feel relieved...I dunno, there's just something about this area that doesn't really suit me. I'm not sure what it is yet. I guess I'll check back in when I get a better idea.