I'll take a cheeseburger.

After reading my friends blog, I suddenly recall a conversation I had while teaching a new Japanese immigrant how to drive.
I was a driving instructor.
I had taken her out to some local country roads in hopes that she would feel more at ease or maybe that was me. The roads were for the most part long and we seldom passed other cars and, should any other drivers feel the discomfort of a much slower driver they could easily pass on by us.
In other words, it felt much like a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive.
We passed by farms and farm houses.
We passed by fields filled with dairy cows or hay bales.
One such field was filled with the vibrant yellow of thousands of dandelions.
My driver let out a small ooh and told me that she loved the flowers.
"What are they called", she asked?
I smiled and said, "dandelions". "We call them weeds", I pointed out.

A little further down the road in our driving journey I began a line of questioning that I often used when trying to chat with new immigrants who spoke little if any English.
"Since coming to Canada", I asked. "What is your favorite food to eat"?
I would have to say that at least 9 out of 10 times the answer was always the same.
"McDonald's Hamburgers".
Recalling how pleased she was with the yellow dandelions, I didn't have the heart to share with her my opinion of fast food.
I also recall another time and another story about the infamous fast food restaurant.
I was in Thailand for the first time and was not all that keen on Thai food.
The day before leaving the country I spotted the world famous golden arches and made my way over to the door. The place was packed and people were lined up out the door.
I joined the line.
I can't quite remember what I ordered but I am pretty sure it was a cheeseburger.
It might have even been two cheeseburgers. Heck, I hadn't seen a McDonald's the entire time I was in Thailand. It looked like heaven to me.

Now I love Thai food and the only time you might catch me inside a McDonald's is when I really have a craving...for something greasy.
And, I have been known to pick a dandelion or two.