The United States is a dream and a longing for many Chinese people. However, neither what we know from books nor what we hear from others is what we truly see, which makes the American Dream even more colorful. With the rapid development of the domestic economy and fuller pockets, more and more Chinese people are beginning to step out, enter the United States, and appreciate everything it has to offer. I have traveled to the United States three times, visiting major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, as well as smaller cities like St. Louis in Missouri, Orlando in Florida, and Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, and Monroeville in Alabama. During my travels in the United States, I had the opportunity to witness various aspects of American life and often encountered stark contrasts between China and the United States. These very contrasts explain why the United States attracts Chinese immigrants.
1. The China-US Difference: Blue Skies and White Clouds Every Day in the US
In both large and small cities, except for rainy days, there are almost always patches of white clouds and a blue sky. Whether in large and medium-sized cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and St. Louis, or in smaller towns like Orlando, Montgomery, Monroeville, and Mobile, the sky I saw was blue almost every day, except for the rare rainy day. Compared to the rarity of blue skies and white clouds in Beijing and Shanghai, in the United States, they are a "daily sight," which is truly enviable.
2. The China-US Difference: No Dust in the Air in the US
Every night when I returned to my hotel or residence, there was almost no dust on my leather shoes, no black grime in my nostrils when washing, and the water used for washing my face remained clear. Looking around offices, residences, tourist attractions, and along highways, one rarely sees exposed soil, construction sites, or dust-kicking heavy trucks; all one sees are stretches of lawns and green forests.
3. The China-US Difference: Americans Are Extremely Polite
Whether in cities or rural areas in the United States, whenever I met hotel staff, supermarket clerks, school teachers, police officers, drivers, cleaners, or doormen, they would take the initiative to say "Hello," "Good morning/afternoon," or "Nice to meet you" whenever our eyes met. When I did what was expected, I almost always received affirmation like "Thank you" or "You are so kind." And after I said "Thank you," I always received a reply of "You're welcome" or "My pleasure." As a result, after a few times, I also became accustomed to taking the initiative to say "Hello" or "How are you doing" when my eyes met with strangers.
4. The China-US Difference: Drivers Always Yield in the US
During my many days of riding in cars in the United States, I never saw anyone cutting off others, squeezing into lanes, or running red lights. Friends in the US told me that there are two "always yield" principles: cars turning always yield to cars going straight, and cars always yield to pedestrians. Even if a pedestrian crosses the road in violation of traffic rules, the car must stop immediately and let the pedestrian cross first. Competing for the road with pedestrians is considered unthinkable by Americans. In addition, when riding in cars, even back-seat passengers consciously fasten their seat belts. The fact that the United States has the world's highest car ownership rate and over 90% of its highways are toll-free, yet still maintains low traffic accident and fatality rates, is inseparable from these behaviors of Americans.
5. The China-US Difference: Food and Clothing Are Very Cheap in the US
Whether in cities or rural areas in the US, community supporting services are very mature. There are well-known chain supermarkets such as Walmart, Walgreens, Sears, and Winn-Dixie everywhere. In these supermarkets that serve the vast majority of the US population, food prices are generally very cheap: a 2-liter bottle of cola is less than $1, an 8-inch pizza is only $2 (sometimes on sale for $1), a pound of bananas is no more than $0.7, a pound (about 0.9 jin) of high-quality lean pork is only $2.6, a pound of lobster is less than $10, a tub (400 ml) of Häagen-Dazs ice cream is only $3.5, and a bag of bread (enough for a family of four for one meal) is less than $2... Besides "food" being very cheap, "clothing" is also surprisingly cheap: a T-shirt is less than $10, a branded shirt is $20, a pair of international brand LEE jeans is no more than $30, and a pair of branded sports shoes generally does not exceed $40... Compared to the extremely low "food and clothing" expenses, the average monthly income of ordinary American residents exceeds $3,000. Spending a few dozen dollars can purchase a week's worth of food for a family, and spending a few hundred dollars can buy a year's worth of clothing.
6. The China-US Difference: Most Food Is "Organic"
Most food in American supermarkets is "Organic," with the eye-catching green circular "ORGANIC" logo from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) on the outer packaging, so consumers can buy and eat with confidence. Unlike in China, where labeling something as organic causes the price to skyrocket, making it "aristocratic food," organic food in the United States remains "high quality and low price," making it affordable food for ordinary people. Taking the 1.89-liter carton of Organic Soymilk I bought at Walmart as an example, such a large carton only costs $2.5, which is enough for the whole family to drink for several days.
7. The China-US Difference: Tap Water in the US Is Drinkable
In the United States, tap water is drinkable! This rule applies to all hotels, restaurants, offices, homes, and even public restrooms across the country. Unlike domestic tap water, which usually has a strong smell of bleaching powder, American tap water is colorless and odorless, no different from ordinary mineral water. Every morning when I wake up, I can drink a large glass of tap water before washing my face and brushing my teeth, saving the trouble of boiling water every day.
8. The China-US Difference: Small Towns Also Have Walmart and McDonald's
Monroeville, Alabama (a state in the southern US on the Gulf of Mexico, whose economic strength ranks in the lower tier among the 50 states, and is the hometown of Forrest Gump, the protagonist of the movie "Forrest Gump"), where I lived during my time in the US, is a small town with a population of only over 6,000. In the center of the town, there is a Walmart supermarket covering over 100 mu, with an interior area of tens of thousands of square meters. The variety of goods and the cleanliness of the environment are no different from a Walmart in a big city. Along both sides of South Alabama Ave, which runs through the town, there is a branded restaurant every few dozen meters, with international fast-food brands familiar to Chinese people, such as McDonald's and Burger King, lined up on both sides. Residents here, like those in big cities, enjoy high-quality products and services from international brand suppliers. There is almost no difference in infrastructure and service facilities between big cities and small cities, or between cities and rural areas. Many things that big cities have (except for large theaters, cinemas, etc.) many small cities also have, and many things that small cities have (such as forests behind and in front of houses) big cities do not. Many Americans prefer to live in the suburbs of big cities and in small and medium-sized cities.
9. The China-US Difference: City Weekends Are Quiet and Desolate in the US
In China, cities are the busiest on weekends, with people out shopping, dining, and seeking leisure and entertainment, flocking to malls, shopping centers, and entertainment venues in the city center, where the commercial areas are most popular and traffic jams are the worst. Following the Chinese habit, I drove to Birmingham on a Saturday and found that there were fewer pedestrians on the streets in the city center than on weekdays. After dinner, I walked to the main local commercial street, only to find that it was just past 8 o'clock, and clothing stores, shoe stores, accessory stores, stationery stores... almost all shops were closed. On the glass doors of the shops were signs saying "Business Hours: Monday to Friday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Closed on Sunday." The next morning at 10 o'clock, when I came to the main commercial street again, the whole street was empty, and indeed not a single shop was open for business. Later, I drove to Montgomery, which is 2 hours away from downtown Birmingham, and found that at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, downtown Montgomery was a true "empty city." Standing in the circular fountain square in the city center and looking at the radiating streets, I could hardly see a person within a few kilometers of vision. The whole city was so quiet that it was a bit "terrifying," which made me involuntarily think of the scenes in "I Am Legend" starring Will Smith. After finally meeting a pedestrian, I learned after asking that weekends are the time for Americans to see God (go to church), reunite with family, and watch baseball. In the minds of many Americans, "Seeing God is more important than making money. Family reunion is more important than going out on weekends."
10. The China-US Difference: Ice Water Is Always Free in the US
In the United States, ice is everywhere. Supermarkets sell bags of ice cubes, and American families keep ice cubes in their refrigerators. Whether eating at home or dining out at restaurants, Americans are accustomed to adding ice cubes to various drinks, such as iced cola, iced coffee, iced tea, iced lemonade... and of course, iced water. In the United States, whether it is a fast-food restaurant like McDonald's, KFC, or Burger King, or a formal restaurant like a Chinese, Italian, or French restaurant, drinks are charged, but iced water is always free. According to my observations many times, some "thrifty" Americans order "free" iced water after ordering a main course, and the waiters are used to it and never give "stingy" customers "a hard time."
The clear differences are in these aspects, which are exactly the most prominent aspects I encountered during my travels in the United States. After a few days, I slowly adapted to this American way of life. However, once I adapted to this lifestyle in the United States, when I returned to China a few days later, I would inevitably encounter the "unaccustomed" feeling of returning to "China."