First Impressions on Visiting America

After five days, I’ve already got some funny America stories, but I’m afraid to tell them. You might not find them amusing or you might be offended. It’s harder to write about America because I’m afraid people will take me serious, and that’s scary.

When the plane wheels first hit the ground in San Francisco, I felt a little thrill go through me. Living in China has made me more patriotic in some ways because I realize that homeland is important. The first thing I noticed when I walked through the airport was how different people looked. So much blond hair, but also red and brown and black hair. Even a girl with blue hair sitting by the window. She looked scary. I also noticed families. People had children, several children not just one. There were people who were tall and athletic and petite and overweight. They all wore matching clothes. It was weird because it was normal.

This week I went to the doctor, the grocery store, a restaurant, and a bookstore. The doctor’s office was clean and efficient. He didn’t tell me to wear more layers. The grocery store was big and clean and brightly lit. I bought a bunch of stuff to ship back slow boat - baking mixes and granola bars and shortening. I talked to two little blond girls at the deli counter who had cute southern accents. The restaurant (Applebees) was clean and the menus were big and colorful and English. The food was covered with cheese and they had real salad and free refills. The plates were big enough to be platters, but everyone got their own instead of sharing. The bookstore was beautiful even though I was only there for a few minutes. It was clean too.

I’ve eaten sharp cheddar cheese, homemade bread, Cherry Coke, salad, and white sauce pizza. My stomach is re-learning to accommodate American size portions. I am really surprised though, to realize how many people are overweight here! I appreciate not being surrounded by two-dimensional people, and I’m glad for different body shapes, but Americans really are large.

I enjoy hearing country music on the radio, good southern accents, chirping crickets, and silence. I like listening to other people’s conversations but they tend to be boring. I like sitting on the floor looking up at our extensive book collection. I enjoy driving again, but I miss walking and biking.

I’ve never visited America before. It’s turning out to be a pretty interesting country.