Authenticity trumps cheap
By Alexandra Reid
Sometimes, a dash of painful irony is enough to provoke a serious discussion.
I flew to Vancouver this past week to reunite with my Dad and two brothers who have all moved to opposite areas of the planet over the last few years. My younger brother, Austin, who flew in from China, promised his Chinese girlfriend a Starbucks mug with “Canada” on it when he returned. We all went to Starbucks with Austin to purchase the mug, but when he checked its bottom for the price, we couldn’t help but stare at it, utterly flabbergasted.
The cringer: The mug cost $12.99.
The kicker: The stamp next to the price said that the mug was “Made in China.”
