americanization

as i was coming back from work today, i realized something. american culture is everywhere here. yeah, it's sort of american culture, pirated, but hey, what in asia is not pirated?

the car i was riding in was playing this american cd. however, a few songs into it, i realized it was a cd of american songs sung by vietnamese singers. that's when i realized that the song, "sealed with a kiss" was being pronounced as "shield with a kiss." i'd like to see that.

then, there was a clothing store called "inches." i look closer and it was a clothing store for larger women. isn't it funny and so fitting that a plus-sized store is named after a measurement used only in the united states?! talk about obesity epidemic getting out of hand, even the developing world knows about it.

oh, but the last one beats them all. here, when you're outside in the city, lots of people wear masks that cover their noses and mouths. let's just say that the words "pollution control" do not exist in the vietnamese language. but, the fabric that one uses seems rather arbitrary because i've seen a few with this fabric that's stars and stripes plus the word "TEXAS" (in caps) emblazoned on it. there are so many things wrong with that on so many levels. maybe it's my hatred of president bush and maybe it's just because texas is this big barren state.

so, those are my three main points. as everyone who took high school english knows, the proper structure of a 5-paragraph essay is intro, 3 points, then conclusion. so, the americanization of vietnam materializes itself in rather odd ways - in songs, fashion, and face protectors. what's next? president bush being leader of the free world? wait,...oops.