What is

Globalization?
 A Story: Erin, Ahmad and the Nasi Rawon
(Not a Love Story)

When pretty Erin was a third-year international

affairs student in a University in Naga City, she
obtained funding to join the school team
participating in an international Model UN
Competition in Vancouver, Canada. At the middle
of the competition, Erin made plenty of new
friends and became particularly close to Ahmad, a
handsome boy from the Indonesian team. The
two first started talking when Ahmad asked Erin
where she was from. Upon discovering that Erin Kristine Hermosa & Jericho Rosales
was from the Philippines, Ahmad lit up and
declared that he was a big fan of Filipino actors
Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa.
 Erin was pleasantly surprised to learn that
Ahmad had seen every episode of the ABS CBN
telenovela Pangako sa ‘Yo (“The Promise’). The
Show had aired on Indonesian TV a few years
back, and its two stars had developed a modest
following.
Ashamed that she did not know as much
about Indonesia as Ahmad knew about the
Philippines, Erin asked Ahmad what his country
was like. Ahmad, she discovered, was from a Pangako Sa’Yo
Muslim University in Indonesia . Erin asked him
what he liked best about living in “Indo”, and
Ahmad immediately mentioned the food.
Ahmad explained that in Indonesia, one can
find Chinese, Indian and Indonesian cuisines.
 He told Erin that this assortment of foodways was the result of how the
British reorganized Indonesian society during the colonial times. The British
did little to change the way of life of the Indonesians who were the original
residents, but brought in Chinese laborers to work in the rubber plantations
and in tin mines, and Indians to help manage the bureaucracy and serve as
the initial professional core of a potential middle class. One of the ways that
these ethnic groups were identified was through their foodways.
According to Ahmad, Indonesia eventually became famous for these
cuisines which can be found in the various centers across the nation’s cities
and towns. These food stands are located in outdoor food parks where locals
and tourists taste the best of Indonesia, the nasi rawon.
Erin interrupted Ahmad and asked, “What is nasi rawon?” She felt more
ashamed at her lack of knowledge. “Ahh…Let me show you what it is and
how it is prepared!” replied Ahmad
 The next day, Ahmad took Erin to Indonesian
restaurant a few blocks away from the university. Erin
was surprised to discover that Indonesian food was
readily available in Canada. Having noticed this,
Ahmad explained to his Filipino friend that, over the
years, as more and more Indonesian students moved
to Canada to study. Indonesian restaurants followed
suit. Soon after, they were catering not only to these
students but to Canada-born, whose culinary tastes
were becoming more and more diverse.
Erin finally had her first taste of nasi rawon—a dish Nasi Rawon
made of beef stew. Erin found herself enjoying the
dish.
 After the meal, Erin and Ahmad went to a nearby café and ordered “flat
whites”- an espresso drink similar to latte, which is usually served in cafés in
Canada and Australia. Both knew what flat whites were since there were
Canadian-inspired cafés in both Indonesia and Naga.
The new friends promised to stay in touch after the competition, and
added each other on facebook and Instagram. Over the next two years. They
exchanged e-mails and posts, congratulated each other for their
achievements, and commented on and liked each other’s photos. Ahmad sent
his mother’s recipe to Erin and the latter began cooking Indonesian food in
her home.
A few years after graduation, Erin moved to Singapore, joining many other
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the city-state. The culture was new to
her, but one thing was familiar: the food served in Singapore was no different
from the Indonesian food she had discovered through Ahmad.
After she settled down in her apartment, Erin sought out and found a
favorite nasi rawon stall in Newton Hawker Center. She would spend her
weekends there with friends eating nasi rawon and other dishes.

Singapore Newton Hawker Center

 One Saturday, while Erin was checking her facebook feed along the very
busy Orchard road—Singapore’s main commercial road—she noticed that
Ahmad had just posted something 5 minutes earlier. It was a picture from
Orchard Road. Surprised but also excited, Erin sent Ahmad a private
message. Ahmad replied immediately saying that he too had moved to
Singapore and was, at that moment, standing in front a department store
just a few blocks away from where Erin was. The two friends met up, and
after a long hug and quick questions as to what each was up to, they
ducked into a café and renewed their international friendship…by ordering
a pair of flat whites.

End
What hints of globalization did you find in the story
Globalization: A Working Definition

- Economic process

Integration of national markets wider global market free trade

Globalization: A Working
Definition

“The expansion and

intensification of social relations
and consciousness across world-
time and across world-space
Manfred Steger
Expansion refers to “both the creation of new social networks and the
multiplication of existing connections that cut across traditional political,
economic, cultural, and geographic boundaries

Intensifications refers to the expansion, stretching and acceleration of these

networks.
For anthropologists Arjun Appadurai, there are different kinds of globalization
that occur on multiple and intersecting dimensions of integration that he calls
“scapes”.

- Ethnoscape refers to the global movement of people.

- Mediascape is about the flow of culture.
- Technoscape refers to the circulation of mechanical
goods and software
- Financescape denotes the global circulation of money.
- Ideoscape is the realm where political ideas move around.
How does globalism differ?

Is a widespread belief among powerful people that the global

integration of economic markets is beneficial for everyone, since it
spreads freedom and democracy across the world.
Assessment:

1. How have you experienced globalization?

Is globalization beneficial or detrimental?
THE GLOBALIZATION OF WORLD ECONOMICS