I can’t believe we are only one month away from the end of the semester! While time is flying, my third semester abroad is also approaching an end. Honestly, I really enjoy my time here, and I’m glad that I still have two more years to go. My dad travels a lot around the world because of his work and he has taken me to many places and teaches me to explore and understand every different culture. So far I’ve been to Europe, Australia, East and Southeast Asia and the Middle East, but coming to Wake Forest for college is the first time I have to live in another country for a long period of time. So I think it would be fun to share with you guys how life in the States is like for someone who was born and spent most of her time outside the U.S.
I’ll begin with four very American things that I turn out to love very much.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich!
Surely I had peanut butter and jelly before coming to the U.S., but I’ve never eaten them together in a sandwich until this summer. I actually remained skeptical to this combination for a long time because what would you get by putting two already sweet and flavorful things together? Ultra-sweet and flavorful. This past summer I worked in an archeology program and every day during dinner they provided peanut butter, jelly and toasts so people can make some snacks for the next morning, and I decided to give it a try. Turns out, I LOVE it and kept on eating it on a daily basis for the rest of the month. Because we needed to get up very early and do a lot of physical labor in the field, the sweetness of pb&j sandwiches was totally satisfying. And the slightly salty peanut butter and sour strawberry jelly do come together surprisingly well.
People Being Super Friendly
Of course people in other countries are friendly too but here, strangers would smile and say “morning” to me when I’m walking down the quad on a weekday, and the staff at the Pit and Starbucks call me “sweetie” and greet me as if I’m a part of one of their families. I myself being an introvert found it kind of odd at the beginning, but I gradually come to enjoy these random kindnesses. American people can be so energetic and positive that they are able to light up my day and make me feel a little happier.
Big hug to all staff people on campus. They are the best.
Hoodie and Leggings
Hoodies and leggings are probably the most common outfit combo for American college girls. Generally speaking, students here pay somewhat less attention to what they are wearing than those in my home country. But so what! They are super warm and comfy and you can simply put them on without spending precious sleeping time every morning thinking about what to wear. Sometimes I would try to dress up a bit during the week when I’m going to classes, but when it comes to weekends or final week or whenever I’m cramming for homework and test, I would just throw on my hoodie and whatever pair of paints I can reach first in my closet.
Tell you a secret, I’m actually wearing them right now. Yes, both of them.
Old Fashioned Oatmeal
Oatmeal may not be as typically American as others mentioned above, but it is something I fell in love with in the U.S. We have oatmeal at home but it’s usually thin and very watery (like one cup of oatmeal to a whole pot of water). I used to dislike it because it’s nothing more than a bowl of hot water with something in it. But the old fashioned oatmeal served at the Pit really changed my mind. It is thick and warm, and truly maximized the chewy texture of oatmeal. A bowl of oatmeal with some raisins and brown sugar becomes a satisfying way to start a morning for me. Not to mention it is also a good source for dietary fiber and is really good for my digestive system when I have much junk food during stress eating.
But of course there are still moments of “what?” and here’s three of them.
American “Football”?
It is not the sport itself that I find weird but the name. I’ve been to several games, and I enjoy the school spirit there. But I still don’t understand why is it called “football” in the first place. While “football” means something else, what Americans call “soccer,” in the rest of the world. Perhaps it’s just because my feelings are hurt when I need to give the name I called my favorite sport for 18 years to another one. But I mean you don’t use your feet to kick the ball for most of the time and it’s not technically a “ball” right…
Icing On Every Dessert?
I knew I would hate icing for my entire life when I had the first bite of it. It is so sweet, too sweet, and why is there always a huge amount of icing on every piece of cake or cupcake? It’s neither fluffy nor smooth so when it is put outside for a while the surface turns really dry and sometimes hard. Why not using whipped cream instead of icing on cakes? It’s light and has just the right amount of sweetness…
Huge Gap Between Toilet Door and Frame?
This is definitely one of the top mentioned things in all the Buzzfeed “xx weird things about America” kind of posts. First I noticed the gaps but didn’t think they were to cause any problem until one day I walked into a restroom in one of the academic buildings on campus and the gap on the toilet stall between the door and the frame was so large that I literally looked right into the person who was using it. I got really embarrassed and walked away immediately. Why is this happening in a place where people value their privacy a lot?
So there you have it! Every country has its upsides and its downsides; I’m thrilled that I am here to experience them all!