Sunday, March 5, 2017

Whatever Happens in China Stays in China


Whatever Happens in China Stays in China
            When I first came to the United States, I was like a baby bird trying to fly for the first time. Living in America, I felt like I was reborn in a new world. Many Chinese parents want to move to the United States because they want their child to have a better life, but I must disagree with these parents on this point. They have given their children sadness in the United States. As new immigrants, children would have to start a new lifestyle and learn a new language. Going to a new environment may cause them to be afraid. As a young person, my life did change when my parents decided to move our family to Chicago. Since coming to the United States from China, I have lost morning school exercise, friends, and nightlife food.

            In China where I grew up, high school morning routine was different from the United States.  Every morning, when Chinese students arrive in school, they put down their book bag on the table and go to the playground for morning exercise. Students and teachers must arrive in the playground at seven o` clock in the morning and finish fifteen minutes of exercises. The process is very long and tiring, but it helps students get healthy. When I arrived in Chicago years ago, every morning American and Chinese student show up at the same time but do different routines. When American students arrive at school, they just need to put their personal things in the locker and get books to prepare for class. For instance, most high school in the United States have a gym class, but they do not have gym class every day which means they do not get exercise daily. I never adopted to American high school routine which makes students so lazy. I have lost the physical energy does morning exercise in China.   
            The saddest part of moving to Chicago was leaving my friends behind in China. They grew up with me, and we went to the same elementary and high school like penguins that always stick together. In addition, my friends and I lived very to each other. We went out every weekend when we had time. The most memorable movement happened during my childhood was when my friends and I were trying to sneak into the swimming pool without paying money. Meanwhile, we were already wearing our swimming trunks, so if we could sneak in we could succeed just jump in the pool. My friends looked around the place to check if there was anyone around us. We would go in one by one because we could get caught if the security saw us. I felt excited and my heartbeat pounded as fast as a roller coaster. My friends and I went into the pool and starting splashing each other. While we were swimming, I went under the water and pulled one of my friend's trucks off and he started chasing after me. Now, the friends that I make in the Untied States was different from China. They do not play crazy as my old friends do. The people who do not know us and hear about this story might think we are stupid, but for me this the deepest memory to remember my Chinese friends.
            Lastly, street food is the most popular food in China yet it disappeared from my new life. People will never hear a word “hungry” coming out from a Chinese mouth. In every city across the country, there are hundreds of stalls that line the streets like traffic on the highway. The streets have different kinds of food in different stalls. If people do not like steamed chicken, do not worry there are more than five or other cooking styles to make the chicken. For instance, I have an American friend who traveled with me to China last year. My friend and I went to the night food street to grab some food. He loves to eat fried chicken, and almost every meal that he eats was related to fried chicken. We were passing by the street name call “wangjie” when we saw the chicken stall. He was disappointed because the stall only sold steamed chicken. I told him not to be upset and look around. His eyes shined like diamonds. He did not realize there were five other choices for him. In the same way, if Chinese people try to found stalls for late night food in Chicago, they will not find it because some cities in the U.S. it is illegal for people to sell food on the street. It has been impossible to find a night stalls food in the United States. I only can taste the chicken in my dreams.         
            When I think about morning school exercise, my friends, and nightlife food, I know that I should keep it in my memory and start a new life in the United States. I am not a baby bird anymore and I have learned how to fly already. I know I should change my lifestyle to be more American by speaking their language, but it takes time. Moving across the world to a completely foreign country is not an easy thing, I cannot complain about anything to my parents. No one can control my life, I must keep moving on.
           


1 comment:

  1. Cheuk, I am totally agree with you! We have to learn a new language and style in United States. I understood we cannot changed any decisions that our parents assigned. Therefore, we have to keep move on and adapt our new life.

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