McDonald's, French style

One of the interesting aspects of moving to another country, especially a highly developed Western country, is how things that you expect to be familiar can turn out to be quite different from the country which you left.

Today I needed to do some shopping, but as I needed clothes as well as groceries, I went to Carrefour (big European chain of stores much like Walmart in the States) instead of the small grocery store I usually use.  It's a huge store and I don't really know my way around it yet, so by the time I was finished, it was already past my usual lunchtime.  As it is a longish trip home by tram, I crossed the street to get something from McDonald's.  Strangely, it was my first time entering a McDonald's here in France.  After all the traveling and eating out I did on deputation, it was hard to get excited about a McDonald's burger, especially with tasty French baguettes and sandwiches available from the bakery next door, and potluck dinners at church every Sunday.  But I'd heard a bit about how different McDonald's is in France, enough to make me curious ... and my rumbling stomach seemed like a good enough excuse to see it for myself.

Anyway, certainly some things were familiar - the yellow arches, the "Big Mac" on the menu, the long line of people waiting to put in their order.  My meal included fries and a coke along with my sandwich.  But I ordered my meal from a touch-screen computer instead of at the cash register.  Actually there was the option of a cash register with a real person to take your order, but one look at the long line in front of the registers and short lines by the computers made my choice for me - less personal to be sure, but quicker and more convenient.  And my sandwich?  A McBaguette: hamburger, cheese, and lettuce, but on a small French baguette.  Interesting combination, but in my opinion, it was much better than a flat hamburger bun. :-)

Well, this little incident might never be listed as one of the most significant differences between France and the USA or Australia, but it does illustrate a point about learning to live in another culture.  While in many ways we may be similar (after all we are all human beings), cultures can be very different - sometimes in ways you didn't expect.  Thanks for praying for me as I continue to learn not only a different language, but also a very different culture.