Globalization. It's one of those words so frequently tossed around that at times it feels to have lost its meaning, or at least its evocative power. But on my visits to Bangkok, particularly in the afternoon when school lets out, the word roars to mind as children storm into 7-Elevens by the millions (or maybe it is just by the hundreds of thousands), quickly exiting the air-conditioned islands with Big Gulps and Slurpees--or, at times, with something more locally unique, like lychee-flavored yoghurt. With 1500 7-Elevens in Bangkok, the ritual is easy to find.
