SHOPS, STOPS AND SHOCKS

Today we are setting off back West to get our return flight back to the UK on Monday. A long drive ahead and, looking at the weather forecast this morning, heading towards extreme heat and storms. The US seems to be suffering from a wide variety of weather at the moment. Floods, 100 degree heat, violent storms and damaging tornadoes.

Watching a little TV and annoying Kerry a lot by changing channels too frequently, it seems as if the airwaves are full of adverts. They come on more often and seem to be on every channel at the same time, I guess that's why football (soccer) hasn't taken off on TV - 45 minutes without an advert is far too long! In fact, I'm watching Tottenham v Man City live right now on TV (7.45am), just to avoid the adverts).

Consumerism has quite a hold in the UK but here it does seem to have an even greater hold. Wherever you drive within a short distance you arrive at another shopping and eating area and the car parks are full. At first it amazes you, but after a while it frustrates and confuses you.

Here in Niagara Falls, near to Canada, the major coffee shop is 'Tim Hortons' easily replacing Starbucks as the main outlet. We stopped at one yesterday and enjoyed their new offering, 'Timbits'. For $1.69 you get 10 mini doughnuts all with different tastes, coatings and fillings. The coffee was good and cheap as well! But more than that, I wondered whether to rename my blog, 'Timbits'.

Now it is always the case that once you have seen one shop, car etc. you start seeing them all over the place. We counted six Tim Hortons outlets in the next 10 miles, most of them 24 hour. I love coffee but....

Is this consumerism a response to people's wants or does the provision of so many shops drive consumeris?. Born to shop, born to drink coffee, is an easy motto to live under, all too easy to be one nation under Starbucks (or Tim Horton or Walmart...) rather than under God.

Still, no stopping today - well maybe for a coffee or two - and no shopping today - unless Kerry finds a Marks and Spencer! Oh to be in England!