Ah, I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was about 7 years old when my mom took me to a McDonald’s restaurant in Tehran, Iran. She bought me a Big Mac and it was love at first bite. Unfortunately, the 1979 revolution started shortly after and my beloved McDonald's was gone.
So I had to wait few more years until I had my next Big Mac, in Turkey. The news hit the local papers like a storm: First McDonald's to open in Istanbul. However, I was devastated for not being able to taste another Big Mac for several weeks as the line-up to the restaurant was crazy long. But my moment came... it was a cold winter night in mid 80’s and that meant the tourists were gone and not that many people ventured the streets. So me, my parents and my young brother walked in and placed our orders. And I got my Big Mac. What a treat!
Sadly though, I had to wait a little while longer for my next wonderful bite of a Big Mac. This time it was in Vancouver, Canada. It was a cold February day in 1988. Snow covered Robson Street, however, did not deter me from walking 4 blocks to McDonald's to buy my Big Mac. There I was, 15 years old, a new immigrant, and dressed like an immigrant, walking the streets proudly. Home at last!
Making Vancouver home meant no longer living in fear of wars that tend to haunt the Middle East. It meant that we didn't have to worry about a bomb being dropped less than a kilometre from where we lived. It meant my parents didn't have to worry about me serving in the army. It meant not having to worry about whether or not our actions can land us in prison. It meant that we now lived in a place with unlimited opportunities. It meant that I could find at least one McDonald's in every neighbourhood or at a highway stop. It meant that I could taste a Big Mac whenever I wanted!
McDonald's ~ thank you for my first Big Mac. I still remember my first bite!
Thank you for reading,
Armin
and it means you have a safe place to raise your beautiful child.
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