Starbucks

Received a call from ex-colleague, asked me out for lunch. Why not, i told myself. Ended up having lunch at Starbucks. Third times to starbucks in two days. I was in 3 different city, meeting 3 different people, but had the same kind of coffee and foods. If Starbucks is all about selling a lifestyle, then i guess i've sold my lifestyle to the Texan

personally i was never a fan of starbucks, but in terms of their business model, i am full of admiration. The price is high, the coffee is seriously nothing to shout about, the decoration is just typical. You can find thousand of reasons that it may or it shoul fail, but not only it survived, but it is forming part of our life. Starbucks may be a sunset business in European countries, but it has no sign of wilting in the Asia counterpart.

now it has appeared to me that things that are popular in USA will make way to Japan, taiwan, HK or Singapore, then it will make way to Malaysia or maybe thailand/ indonesia. Eventually it will reach China as the popularity declined in European countries. Thanks to the technology, many trends no longer going through the cycle, but the theory still valid in many terms. Many traders or businessman have successfully ride on the bandwagon and make a big bucks out of it, Berjaya Group definitely is one of them.

My question is, why are we so willingly to be culturally conquered by the western counterparts? Theis grass just seems greener in every way. With small alternation, their popular items will definitely stormed into our life and accepted it as a cultural norm. I try to struggle and failed, but i am still holding my last breath. No idea what was i upholding with, but i just cant stop myself but feeling pity for the 90's babies. no doubt they apdoted well, living a better life, breaking through a lot of so call tradition that restricted social advancement, but i just felt the human touch and soul is missing somewhere. Individualism is rising to the mainstream, and social pride just seems a little bit far off...

my pessimsim may be due to the group of 90's babies i am observing are from higher income group, which have absolute no idea the actual value of RM10,000. but it is good enough to keep me shivering.