Ok but that's not my point. The movie presented certain ideas/ideals/ideologies that we as Americans tend to associate with Europe --- that they are way more progressive in their thinking, and stuff. Which might be true -- in a lot of ways does seem true, on the surface at least. But one thing I kept thinking about in Spain was "WOW am I like the only Asian person here, or what?" OK there was a small Filipino community there. But besides them, the only other Asians I ever saw were these Chinese people who would appear on street corners after midnight to sell soda, beer, bottled water, and sometimes even sandwiches from cardboard or plastic boxes. It was so weird. Where were these people during the day time? And how did this thing start, where they would stand on street corners selling sandwiches to clubbers and other late-night partyers?
Another phenomenon -- though I only saw a handful of serious Asian food restaurants, there were, in both Madrid and Barcelona, these fast-food-type franchises that had the word "wok" in their name. Like Take a Wok, Wok and Walk, Wok and Roll. I guess they were marketed as quick and healthy stir-fry joints.
I just thought this was kind of weird too.
3 comments:
Yeah, we think of Europeans as "progressive" but there are certainly parts that can be a little backward. In recent years both Italy and especially Spain have had problems with racist comments at soccer matches, bad abuse being directed at black players in their major leagues. Don't know exactly how they feel about Asians but there's clearly some overall xenophobia/animus towards "non-whites," if you will. And I say all this as someone who really loves Spain and the great times I have had there. -Jy
Hey haven't been to your blog in some time but I wanted to ADD to this!! Omg there was this place in Geneva called Mike Wongs that used both the McDonald's M AND had a Nike swoosh under it. But basically Europeans like shit asian food?? I mean only know about shitty asian food. Except Parisians, haha.
Hi Jy -- thanks for writing! Yes, for all it's fucked-up-ness, I do appreciate the U.S. because things are out in the open -- like xenophobia/racism is right at the surface and clear problems, whereas I feel like in Europe (at least where I've been in Spain, Austria & Germany) it was like, "of course there is no racism, except we don't really like foreigners" kind of attitude.
Sonja -- Mike Wong? O god that sounds like a nightmare. it's true though, how many people all over the world think that Chinese food is that kind of horrible greasy crap you get at the neighborhood Chinese joint that also sells fried chicken wings and hamburgers?
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