I’m not one of those who have an inner dilemma of loyalty between McDonald’s and Jollibee (or any other competing fast food chain for that matter). I just eat whatever I have a craving for. So when I heard the news about a newly opened Jollibee (the only one there is in Riyadh so far) in Batha, I automatically made a mental note to pay it a visit. I was in it for getting a taste of home; I imagined myself biting into a Chickenjoy that would transport me via Nostalgia Express into a familiar place that I had known since childhood.
We decided to go on the 2nd day after the opening. The 20-minute drive to the place was the easy part. When we reached Jollibee, the ground floor of the building housing the store was packed with Filipinos waiting to enter the restaurant. There were families with their kids excited to see the happy bee in red, white and yellow. And since all establishments here in Saudi Arabia are divided into the bachelors and family sections, we all had to wait as the guard alternately called for people from both sections to come in.
When we finally managed to squeeze ourselves in to the dining area, I thought I was just minutes away from munching on Pinoy-style crispy chicken. Boy, was I wrong! I stood in line for almost 2 hours.
I was doing OK when I took my pick from one of the 2 queues to the cashier at around 8pm, but by time it was finally my turn to order at the counter by 10pm (I’m not kidding), I heaved a big sigh of relief and just blurted out what my grumbling stomach commanded me to.
Some Riyals and 20 minutes of homeward driving later, this is what we feasted on at the dinner table. What we stood 2 hours in line for was gone in less than 10 minutes. It was definitely all worth it.
This really isn’t about patronizing a particular brand. It is more about getting the feel of home in a foreign land. And wow, it rhymes, too! 
