Did someone say globalization?

This happened a few weeks ago now and I kept forgetting to put it down on "paper". One evening, I decided to stop at McDonald's for a quick bite (I didn't have much time and wanted to sit somewhere warm on my way to the theatre). I got my Big Mac and sat down at a corner table. A few minutes into my burger, I overheard a conversation about the environment, the effects of global warming, and the negative impact of globalization. I turned around and saw five old men (over 70) sitting at the table next to mine. I was surprised at first. What were five retirees--who generally don't have money to spend on McDonald's food--doing here? Then I noticed that they didn't have anything on the table in front of them. They had simply found a warm place to sit and debate the current state (or perhaps deterioration) of the environment and to highlight the negative effects of globalization. On the one hand, it was very refreshing to see people engaged in such a discussion. On the other, it struck me as interesting (and also paradoxical) that the place they had chosen for their discussion was McDonald's--a symbol of globalization.

Now I know that I am reading too much into this situation, but just found it interesting. It was as though these men were sitting at the corner pub, but the pub had turned into McDonald's. By the way, there aren't many of the small hole-in-the-wall type of pubs left in Sofia... at least not in the city center. So in a way, it was no wonder they were sitting at McDonald's.

Globalization?