Palace Intrigue — Forbidden Starbucks
Posted on August 19th, 2007 by august
This (from Seattle PI) makes me very sad.
When I worked in the archives, there was a secret path to get a cup of coffee. Let me tell you, nothing makes Qing documents sing like a dopio espresso. I understand why the Chinese would not want it there — indeed, it’s exactly the sort of non-place I complain about below. But this one did not displace local residents, and, dammit, the argument for moving it is about political symbolism, not about making Beijing nicer.
Still, I’m glad to hear the news anchors enjoy a good cup of coffee.
UPDATE 8/20: Mickey Kaus makes a useful proposal:
If we pay Starbucks a surcharge–say $1 on a grande latte–will they stop playing Paul McCartney?
3 Responses to “Palace Intrigue — Forbidden Starbucks”
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A secret passage to coffee–an inspiring idea. What are Qing documents? They sound exotic…
As corporate creep goes, I find Starbuck’s less offensive than most… maybe because, during a five year period of extreme poverty while living in roach infested hole, I would pony up a buck for a cup of tea and spend a couple of hours reading newspapers in a comfy armchair, cool in the summer and warm in the winter (the very reverse of my abode). I’ve never really liked the coffee, as I find it tastes a little burnt, but I did appreciate the democratic comforts it offered.
Qing documents — the Qing dynasty was the family of emperors who ruled China from 1644-1911. Documents are copies of the various missives emperors and bureaucrats sent out as they ran the joing (as a friend said, “You know that stuff that’s left over when you do your taxes? That’s what’s in the archives.”). Not exotic.
Cool though, in that the documents are held in a wing of the Forbidden City (itself a fancy word for the old palace).
You have described the marketing plan for all fast food in Asia. McDonald’s is basically a place to study for thousands of Taiwanese kids.
I’m not crazy about the coffee, either. But it is strong, and I like that. And at times when culture shock hits (as it can in China, very hard), there’s nothing quite like sinking into some english language paperback in one of their chairs and going someplace else. Like, for example, Hell (I read Inferno one winter, mostly because I was cold).
merci for the clarifications. Tax documents do seem to be the great survivors of vanished regimes (witness Babylon).