Over the weekend an eighth-grade English teacher at the Suzhou International School named Eric MacKnight dropped me an e-mail. Eric wanted to let me know that he had used an article I wrote a couple of weeks ago, suggesting that Starbucks' was not the Forbidden City's most pressing problem, as part of the inspiration for an essay excercise. Eric asked his students to write their own essays about what they thought of the controversial coffee shop.

Imagethief is flattered to be a pedagogical tool, as opposed to the plain old tool he feels like most of the time. But what is really interesting is the students' own take on the situation. Eric, clearly a progressive sort of teacher, maintains a class blog where his students essays are posted. The students are a mix of Asian and Western foreigners, and they have a range of opinions. Here is one from a student named Na Hee more or less directly rebutting my own post:

As Mr. Rui said, the Forbidden city is one of the most important and precius monument in China. It’s a place where Chinese history and culture is breathing alive. It’s a place where Chinese people feel proud and their spirit is refreshed. And as a matter of fact, I do not even have to be bothered to tell how important the Forbidden city is to China and Chinese people.

Therefore, what people should be doing is prevent the Forbidden city from being damaged and being developed. However, if the chinese government keep abringing in more and more foreign restaurants and coffee shops, the Forbidden City won’t look like a symbol of Chinese culture. Even though the world is now changing and is globalizing every minute, there will be no point of going to the Forbidden city that is prospered with foreign frenchisees.

The other person said that not all the tourists would like green tea and Chinese food. It is true, being a person who doesn’t prefer grean tea rather than starbucks myself. Also, it is true that the Forbidden City is huge and the tourists are very likely to be tired, hungry or thirsty. Thus, i agree that there is some restaurant or coffee shops needed. However, why does it have to be starbucks which is a foreign brand? Chinese people can sell coffees and burgers and other things that foreign toursits will enjoy. In addition, I feel that many foreign toursits will be delighted to try some chinese food and teas. They are the people do not live in China and do not have many chances to experience those things.

Also he said that starbucks in the Forbidden City is only a tiny portion of the whole place. I do not think that this is matter of the size, but its presence in the Forbidden City. It is a palace where the most powerful people and most royal people lived their glorious lives. Even though the Starbucks may only take a tiny bit of place, being a foreign coffee shop, it shouldn’t be allowed.

Good stuff. Imagethief is always happy to debate, even with eigth-graders. When I was in eight grade the only thing I could have a literate debate about was whether Underdog could kick Hong Kong Phooey's ass or not (my money was on Underdog). Go see what the kids have to say.


 As a student of Asian culture, what would
 Hong Kong Phooey think of Starbucks in
 the Forbidden City?