Another Reason to Say Thank You

The gorgeous 旗袍 from my host mom.

During afternoon class today, we discussed the differences between America and China in Chinese of course. One of the first differences I noted was the hot water. Due to questionable water quality, the majority of the Chinese population consume either bottled water or hot water/tea. Since I’ve been here, I haven’t had any ice whatsoever. If you want ice, you have to buy ice cream. The water quality in America is generally better than in China. Another difference I’ve experienced is the whole changing shoes when you walk inside. The roads and sidewalks are usually very dirty and have thin layers of dust. Although the ground in America in most places is generally not quite as dirty, I definitely believe changing your shoes is a good decision. I also made note on the oiliness and healthiness of the food in China as I’ve made before. One obvious difference is the difference in population size, with China having quite a few more people than America. The large population is one of the reasons why China has such an intense education system. Lots of people plus a few universities equals cut throat competition. Another obvious difference is the systems of government. China is communist with a bit of a capital/market economy while America is a republic with a capital/market economy. My host parents asked me a bit about America. They asked me if going to see a doctor in America is expensive. Are there many forests? What is the weather like? How about the food? Do Americans sleep in? It’s like I’m there little portal into America. I don’t think I’m very representative of the general population quite honestly. I told them if you have insurance, seeing a doctor is usually not expensive. Of course, if you have a serious medical issue and repeatedly need to go to the hospital for treatment, that’s a different story. I told them my state has many forests, and the weather is actually as hot and humid, if not more than, Chengdu. I said that most Americans aren’t as addicted to fruits and vegetables as I am, and that some people like sleeping in, I’m just not one of them. After another test, my host dad took 吴璨 and I home for another delicious dinner. If you love a certain dish or type of food, I can 99% guarantee that your host family will keep giving that dish or food over and over and over again. Today, for the third time in a row, we had cabbage, eggs and tomatoes, and chicken. I’m not complaining because I love these dishes, but I would love to try something new. In addition, today my host mom gave me a gorgeous 旗袍 that is pink with white and pink flowers and has a green trim and green buttons on the top. Pink is not my favorite color, but this 旗袍’s pink is tasteful. I tried it on and it fits well. It’s not super tight throughout; the top fits well and the bottom has a slight flair. I wanted to get a 旗袍 in China, but my host parents beat me to it. Once again, another reason to say thank you.