I’m Lovin’ It!
A McDonald’s lunch! A sure favourite for our younger fast-food generation. Our trip down to McDonald’s@Ridout Tea Garden located along Queensway plans to show participants how a daily meal in one of Singapore’s most frequented restaurant is in fact, closely related to the topic of nature.
Firstly, participants will be served a typical McDonald’s vaue meal, in addition, salad servings will be provided. Amidst the Japanese Garden landscape, participants can enjoy their meal while looking at terrapins sunbasking in the Koi-filled pond. A question to ponder is how natural is such a landscape in the middle of a busy Singapore neighbourhood? Is eating fast-food like McDonald’s in a “natural” setting bring them closer to the very essence of nature?
The second part of our trip to McDonald’s is an open kitchen tour in the McDonald’s kitchen itself. We look at the ingredients used in servings and its global network of suppliers. Past tours have been guided by managers of the kitchen who claim that McDonald’s only serves ingredients that are permitted by AVA. In fact, they go one step further to provide “healthier” choices for their consumers, such as using 100% vegetable oil with no trans fat used. Our participants an think about how credible McDonald’s is in responsibly sourcing for ingredient and whether the stict animal welfare standards are adhered to. Lastly, its advertisements of environmental conservation is put into questioning as participants look through the fast-food restaurant itself and judge its policies and practices.
(photo courtesy of Project Green Dot)
Environmentally conscious decals can be found all over within McDonald outlets all over Singapore, and probably the world!
What to do there:
Participants will have their McDonald lunch and are allowed to explore the vicinity. They will be given the task of looking for native Singaporean plant or animal species within the Garden. After lunch, there will be a guided tour organised by McDonald’s called the Open Kitchens Tour for approximately half an hour.
