When I went to China with my good friend Michael a few years ago I saw some amazing things. One of the first things they told us at an informational meeting was that we were going to be staying in business hotels similar to what we were used to in America. I was relieved to hear this at the time since I had been told that I would need to wipe myself with my own socks (a joke, I later learned).
Upon our arrival, all of our senses were stimulated—there were new smells we'd never smelled before, familiar but different sounds and buildings and landscapes we'd never conceptualized. We got to taste later when we had our first delicious meal. We were giddy but overwhelmed—there was so much to take in at once.
When we retired back to the hotel on that first night, I remember remarking at how much of a likeness the hotel had to most of the hotels that I had stayed in back in America. A strong likeness. It definitely made the transition to a completely new place easier for us, and I'm sure that is the point.
There was so much going on during our days in China that I didn't have energy to do much else once we got back to the hotel but collapse. Around the second or third night, I remember brushing my teeth in the mirror and observing the sink in front of me. I thought it was odd that it was marked "American Standard" when we we on the other side of the world, but it got lost in the shuffle of my thoughts during that time period.
Two years later I saw the same label in the bathroom of my college dorm, only this time, it seemed fitting. It makes sense that in America we would use the brand "American Standard," but I don't like the idea of that philosophy being spread to other countries. America as a country is known for having power and high standards of living, and China is, too. Yet branding products "American Standard" in a foreign country is an act of pretentiousness by the United States.
When traveling to another country, it is expected that the traveler immerses his/herself in the culture of the new nation. It seems that America holds itself to such a high standard that other countries feel that they need to adjust to the quality of life that America expects. While "American Standard" is a brand, it's a brand that offers a certain lifestyle that advises other countries to adapt to. No other country is pretentious enough to request that its high quality of life be accommodated to. There are no appliances marked "French Standard" or "Italian Standard" and that's probably because the standard in those countries is to adapt to the culture that they are in. A traveler should appreciate what a foreign country has to offer without forcing his or her expectations upon it.
