@ Vivian @ FN @ Nascy Thanks for sharing your view points and your experiences. Regarding the taste of the pizzas, I would like to make a few observations:
1. MacDonalds, Wimpys, Dominos, Shakeys,etc have franchisees who are expected to keep up to a certain standard. I was told by people who work in the food industry that standards are maintained to the extent that things like the breading that is used in the pizzas are imported from places like Singapore because local supplies are not up to standard. Besides, these things are made to a standardized recipe. But as I have not been to Canada, USA or Australia or Brazil I accept fully that you are correct in maintaining that the Indian version of the pizzas does not come up to the standard of the ones abroad. I have eaten pizzas and burgers at places like TGI Fridays and Wimpys in Connaught Place in New Delhi (both being my favourites) and MacD's in Bombay and Dominos in Goa and I felt that they were ok. But obviously I wouldn't know the difference. 2. Another point worth noting is that I read a long while back that Indian agriculture and other ancillary food industries got a tremendous boost because of the entry of these foreign chains. For instance because of the demand for better vegetables like lettuce and tomatoes in the fast foods purveyed by these fast food chains, farmers around Pune were encouraged to grow these crops to the standards required by these chains. The same thing is supposed to have happened to the poultry industry with the advent of KFC in Bangalore. Brittania is supposed to have launched into the cheese business since they were supplying one of the chains and they used the technology and some spare capacity to market their own product. 3. Veering back to the topic of conspicuous consumption, isn't the modern lifestyle geared to this? We use ballpoint pens and throw them away after use. In my school days I remember that a ballpoint pen lasted for years with a series of new refills being used. There was a time when even the refills were refilled in a shop near Cafe Tato in Panjim. Plastic bags were a rarity and were treasured and saved for reuse. Coconut shells were preserved for use in hot irons. The husks were saved and would be used as in cooking (making bebinca or batica for instance) All the house hold waste like paper and any other combustible substance went under the "bhan" for making hot water. The other kitchen waste went to that greatest of recycling machines that was ever invented - the Goan pig. We were all so conscious of the waste of electricity and water. Our lives were frugal. These are but a few examples. What has happened to our lives today? Is it the influence of TV? -- Tony de Sa. tonydesa at gmail dot com M : +91 9975 162 897 Ph. : +91 832 2470 148 P.S. And Nascy, regarding the diahorrea on arrival in India, it is a common phenomenon with those visiting India from the advanced nations. Simply put, we have better immune systems than you guys. The runs are triggered on in you guys by the pungent food, the unfiltered water and add to it the fact that those visiting Goa after a long time gorge on all the spicy food that they have missed so long. The chorisam, the pickles. the parra, the mole, the sorpatel, the xacuti and yum, yum....... ^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v
