“Antigua is a small place. Antigua is a very small place. In Antigua, not only is the event turned into everyday, but the everyday is turned into an event” (P.56).
"Here I am in Bangalore-more than five hundred years after Columbus sailed over the horizon, using the rudimentary navigational technologies of his day, and returned safely to prove definitively that the world was round-and one of India's smartest engineers, trained at his country's top technical institute and backed by the most modern technologies of his day, was essentially telling me that the world was flat-as flat as that screen on which he can host a meeting of his whole global supply chain. Even more interesting, he was citing this development as a good thing, as a new milestone in human progress and a great opportunity for India and the world-the fact that we had made our world flat" (P. 7)!
Kincaid’s description of Antigua as a “small place” is a signifier of globalization. Kincaid uses this reference to emphasize that they are struggling to overcome the globalization and forces of the world. Antigua is struggling to fight for who they are as a community. Kincaid’s description of the everyday lifestyle is also a signifier of globalization. When Kincaid says that every day is an event it reinforces the idea that every day something out of the ordinary is occurring and changing the ordinary day. Globalization is taking over and recreating what is supposed to occur day to day.
Friedman’s description of his encounter in Bangalore is a signifier of globalization. His examples provide readers with the assumption that even people living in India have given in to globalization. In fact, they think it is good. The use of technology and education is surrounded by forces of globalization. He references to the past by talking about Columbus, and then explains how times have changed. People’s views on the world are very different because of the impact of globalization. He uses a positive example of globalization because globalization is not completely negative. It does cause great upheaval but at the same time provides opportunities to many people that may not ever experience cultural change. He also points out that it is the people that have indeed created the globalization among themselves.
These signifiers of globalization are expressing to readers how multiple cultures have integrated into these places, Antigua, Bangalore, the world. These markers are simply a further reassurance that the world is one large signifier of globalization. Globalization has taken over the world in many ways. Majority of cultures have been modified and taken over by globalization.
I like how you explained that there are some positive parts of globalization, such as the spread of knowledge and information. Normally we see globalization as completely negative, and although it does cause problems, there are a couple good aspects to it. Demonstrating that it provides people opportunities was a good point to make as well.
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