In our globalised societies, you can wake up just about anywhere in the world and use the same toothbrush (Oral-B), toothpaste (Colgate), shower gel (Lux) and facial wash (Clinique). Slap on the same body moisturiser (Nivea) with a spray of your favourite international-brand eau de toilette (Gucci, Polo, Chanel, Versace, Christian Dior) available at any departmental store worldwide. When you dress, you can wear the same Levi’s jeans and Nike shoes. Then, have the same breakfast (Kellogg’s) and drink the same coffee (Nescafe).

If you ever have to move anywhere in the world, you can furnish your home with the exact same furniture from IKEA, shop in the almost identical atmosphere of generic modern shopping malls (where you’ll almost inevitably find a Body Shop), and buy clothes all made in China. When you’re tired of shopping, sit down in very familiar surroundings while sipping the familiar coffee of Starbucks. If you want something local, go to a cafe but when you sit down, you’ll realise that the cafe culture is almost the same all over the world - you can always order a cafe latte from the same busy and brusque waiters and they’ll know what you mean.

While you watch the world go by, plug into your locally bought but globally popular white iPod and listen to what everyone else is listening to - a mixture of mostly American and British popular music with some local idiosyncratic selections thrown in. If you prefer to distract yourself with some light reading, grab a copy of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code (translated into the local language of course) or any other popular fiction by similarly global authors. If you want to know what’s going on in the world, turn on the TV and watch CNN - if you’re lucky, you might get BBC World and if you’re really, really lucky, you might even get Al-Jazeera these days. Fancy watching a film/movie? I’m certain you’ll find a selection of Hollywood’s most popular films being screened in your local theatre, wherever in the world.

Hungry? There will almost always be a McDonald’s. Thirsty? Try Coke or Pepsi. Peckish? Stuff your face with Snickers or Mars bars. Don’t care for junk? Prefer something healthier? Well… there’s Nestle yoghurt, Campbell’s canned soups, and Lipton and Twining’s teas.

At the end of the day, before you turn off your bedside lamp fitted with Philips light-globes/bulbs, you may find occassion to use Durex condoms and Johnson’s KY Jelly. However, if your partner is suffering from a headache, Panadol, like Durex, is available from your friendly local chemist.

It’s amazing how living in a foreign country can feel so much like home.

Posted on September 26th, 2005 by jl
Filed under: blah blah