Thursday, May 19, 2011

Where have all the watches gone?

For so much of my life one of the first things I did was to put my watch on my left wrist. I can remember wanting a watch - all adults had them. It meant you were REALLY grown up if you wore a watch.

For my 21st birthday my mother gave me a watch. But I was so disappointed when I unwrapped it - it was Marcasite watch. I was SO upset - to me it was an 'old ladies' watch'. I returned it and swapped it for a more sleek, modern design.

No long after I was dating my husband-to-be he gave me a watch for no special reason. I really felt grown up and special. I was 25.

But now - I use my cell (mobile) phone as a watch, as my morning alarm, and other times I just look at the corner of my computer for the time.

Watches were handed down through families. My son has a pocket watch that was my uncle's. I have my Dad's watch. My Mother gave it to me, telling me it was the one he wore through WWII. That meant a lot to me, but I'll never know if that is accurate information or not, or even if it was his watch as I have found out that much of what she said was not based on facts. She wore the watch for some years, even though it was a chunky man's style. It's a wind-up watch, and works for about 24 hours.


A watch was once given at retirements and other special awards. To get an engraved watch was really special. I guess it's something I never saw as having an ending.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées and McDonald's 1973

I remember my first "Big Mac".

It was 1973 - we had ridden from our home in mid-Germany, to Paris. (900 Kawasaki motorcycle riding!).

The American's I worked with at the Air Force Base all talked about "McDonald's". I was clueless, as I had never seen a McDonald's in Australia, and the closest I'd come to it was 'Wimpy's' in London. Many of the guys said they were dying for a Big Mac.

Well, just so happens there is/was a McDonalds on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, not far from the Arch. And my husband insisted that I have my first Big Mac.

Obviously it was long ago. Nearly 40 years. But I still remember. I think it had just newly opened. I remember it being slickly clean - I was used to family run food little shops that were a mish-mash of all kinds of things. But mostly I remember the crowds. It was SO crowded, SO noisy. People everywhere.

I think in line we were about 10th or so, in line. And there were about 8 lines.

Yup. I got a Big Mac.

There was nowhere to sit to eat it.

So I can brag ... I ate my first Big Mac sitting in the gutter on the side of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées!

I can remember it as being pretty good! I liked it a lot.

McDonald's finally came to Australia. I'm not sure when. The signs used to be in the millions sold, but now in the billions, of course.