God Bless America

I am late in posting this blog, but I wrote it during my summer in the US.

After three weeks of being in the US, I am in a bit of honeymoon stage. While I do have a few minor grievances, which will be discussed at the end of this blog, for the most part I love America right now, and I will tell you why.

1)   Wide Open Green Spaces

Even in the nation’s capital, there are beautiful open green spaces, and people are allowed to walk on them. People can play Frisbee. People can have picnics. At the same time, people are respectful of these green spaces. People used the sidewalks except for when they were using the grassy spaces for other purposes.

2)   General Friendliness and Kindness

I have found Americans to be very kind and courteous. For example, I was in a DC metro station just before a Nationals game (the DC baseball team). It was pure madness and yet organized and fun. Everyone was laughing and taking about how awkwardly packed it was. It was packed; it was as bad if not worse than I have experienced in Beijing. We were skin to skin with everyone around us, but it was kind of fun. There was a blind man who was trying to get on the subway at the same time we were there, and he was a little nervous trying to get onto the subway since it was so crowded. He had a guide dog, but with so many people, it was hard for him. Everyone was encouraging him and helping to get onto the subway. It filled my heart with hope. Looking at the news, it looks like most Americans are violent, angry people, but these people are in actuality the minority. When you look at your average Joe, I think most Americans are friendly people who care about their neighbors.

3)   Blue Skies

I can’t get over how beautiful the skies are. I keep on talking about it and taking pictures of it.

4)   Clean Water

This is still a little bit weird for me, but the water in my bathroom is just as clean as the water in my kitchen. I don’t have to waste money on bottled water; I can just turn on the faucet. I was at a hotel on my road trip, and I was looking around for the complementary bottled water, and then I realized that I could just drink water from the sink. Wow!

5)   Customer Service

I went to a store to buy something, and the tag was ripped, so it could not be scanned. It was the only one, so the cashier had no way of figuring out how much the item was supposed to cost. Instead of saying there’s no solution, the cashier apologized for the trouble and gave me the item for the price of a similar item. Also, at stores, the workers make small talk with customers and offer to help. At the same time when you say you don’t need anything, they leave you alone and just let you look.

My Minor Grievances

1)   Ice in Already Cold Water

The water comes out of the faucet cold, and then you make it colder with ice. It is painfully cold.

2)   Fear of Being Sued

I forgot to bring extra contacts back to the US with me. While I was planning on going to the eye doctor, I did not have time to go to the eye doctor before going on my road trip. I went to two different Walmarts asking if I could buy just one pair of contacts and I was told that I could not. Contacts are considered a medicine, so I can’t buy just one for me to get through my two week trip. This is ridiculous.

3)   Too Much Meat, Not Enough Vegetables

One day on my travels, I realized that I went one whole day without any vegetables. My body can’t handle that. I can’t handle the amount of meat that Americans eat. One day on my travels, I was so in need of vegetables that I went to McDonalds for a salad, and while it was enjoyable, it was the opposite of what I actually wanted – some lettuce with my chicken as opposed to some chicken with my lettuce.

4)   Consumerism (This grievance was add after coming back to China)

It is so easy to get caught up in the “I want,” “I need,” or “I have to have” that comes from living in a country that has so much wealth. When I was in the US this summer, I saw how appealing it is to live in the US. I wanted the convenience of an American life. I wanted the “American Dream.” I came back to China, and I saw how much stuff I have and how much stuff I brought back with me, and I was both frustrated with myself for my excessive waste and also justifying myself. I don’t have any conclusions or solutions, but I recently read this blog post, and I think it is very relevant to these thoughts: http://www.alifeoverseas.com/when-you-realize-you-are-privileged/