Here, combining my own experience, I will briefly talk about how the basic life in the United States is different from ours.
1。 clothes
Americans don't know what to wear, so they are very casual. Jeans are very popular. There are popular styles and colors every year, but Americans generally pay more attention to their own personality and love, and the pursuit of fashion is far less than that of the East.
Although Americans generally don't pay attention to dressing up, the working class still pays great attention to dressing up. Five days a week, it usually takes a day for a lady to change. I'm not sure about those people. I can't remember who wears different clothes every day, but important people who represent the image of the company should dress up well. Dressing is usually in some formal and important occasions (such as some jobs, job interviews, weddings, funerals or church parties, etc.). ). Some companies and stores will directly stipulate the dress code. Jeans are usually discarded when dressing up.
Fashion in the United States is generally "cheap": many famous brands are not expensive compared with the current prices in China, but the quality is absolutely up to standard. In the off-season like "Black Friday" and after Christmas, shops will offer discounts, and brand-name fashion can be as cheap as tens of yuan. There are more and more rich people in China now, and many mainland tourists are very surprised by the "cheap" brand-name goods.
It is particularly worth mentioning that in terms of sexy charm, the traditions of westerners and China are different. "Exposure" is basically a woman's right, while men pay attention to "closure". Exposing the shoulders and waist is a "common skill" for ladies to show themselves in summer, but men, no matter how hot, should at least put on shirts. I remember that in China, when people used to have a rest on summer nights, many men naturally went topless, which became very unsightly in the United States. Even at home, men rarely go topless. Not only will you not show your upper body casually, but even wearing a vest will be disrespectful to people. From this perspective, western culture encourages women to be naturally sexy and demands solemnity on men. If men expose their bodies too much, they are usually misunderstood as gay.
When it comes to dressing up, you have to mention American hair. Americans (especially women) pay great attention to make-up. I won't come out to see people without makeup (I rarely see women without makeup). In the whole makeup process, the head shape can be said to be the most important. American hair has various colors, but many women dye it according to their own preferences.
In a word, I personally appreciate what Americans wear: unfashionable, affordable and energetic.
2。 eat
The diet in the United States is very different from that in China. Sweet, raw, cold and high in protein, many people in China suffer from their patriotic stomachs. I just came to America. As soon as I entered the supermarket, I bought a lollipop similar to domestic peanut candy. I put it in my mouth twice, and then I vomited quickly. How sweet! Sweet to the breath! I have never eaten anything so sweet in my life! Since then, I have hardly touched sweets in America.
The goods in American supermarkets are dazzling. However, the varieties of vegetables still seem to be inferior to those in China, especially in my hometown of Sichuan. Vegetables in the United States are generally like tall westerners, and everything is one size bigger than that in China. The most popular vegetable is lettuce. There are several kinds of lettuce, with slightly different shapes and colors and similar tastes. Lettuce is the king of vegetables in the United States, and it is a "veritable" lettuce. It can never be processed and cooked: it must be eaten raw. I once recommended my "homemade" tofu fish soup to an American friend, and finally I threw the lettuce into the soup. The American shouted "No": You simply spoiled such fresh vegetables alive! Besides lettuce, tomatoes, celery and mushrooms are also popular vegetables. Because vegetables are eaten raw, they are inevitably "cold". Salads bought in restaurants are all taken directly from the refrigerator.
Meat is also rich, and Americans like to eat high-protein meat. Chicken is the cheapest, cheaper than vegetables, and can be seen everywhere. Steak, chicken and seafood are probably the most popular meat foods. Americans generally don't like pork, especially mutton. Never eat duck and rabbit, because these are among the pets. Of course, pets are different. Don't say "eat" or even mention it. It's like eating people.
Fruit is generally bigger and sweeter than domestic fruit. Apples, bananas, oranges, watermelons and grapes are basically the same as those in China, especially all kinds of "berries": strawberries, blackberries and blueberries, which are rich in nutrition and very healthy. What deserves "criticism" is pears, which are as soft as peaches after peeling. Can't eat. Peaches in America are not so good either.
Of course, in China supermarket, you can buy most local products from China. Therefore, China people in the United States can still "do it yourself and have plenty of food and clothing".
The price of food in America is very low. When I first came here, I really thought everything was cheap. A cooked whole chicken is only $3 after discount. Bananas are only about 50 cents a catty now. However, the economy has declined in the past two years. At first, oil prices soared, and then gradually affected the food industry. Now most of the prices are more than twice as expensive as before. Most of the food in the supermarket is cultivated artificially, and the price of organic food is much higher.
There is a government agency in the United States called the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is responsible for checking the safety and quality of food and drugs. All the food on the shelves must pass the inspection of this organization. So American food is generally safe and reliable.
Let's talk briefly about American restaurants first. Generally speaking, American restaurants are clean, quiet and have good service. Americans usually go through several procedures when eating: first, I will give you a menu to order, and at the same time I will give you water. There are several different procedures for ordering food: soup, appetizer, dinner and dessert. Dessert is served after dinner. It is estimated that this is how Americans get fat.
McDonald's and KFC are not strictly called "restaurants" in the United States, but fast food restaurants, which are notorious cheap "junk food", and people in the middle and lower classes eat the most (and most of them will get fat).
It may be related to religion and the characteristics of the automobile country. America is a country that restricts drinking. Every state has different regulations on alcohol. In some States, supermarkets can't sell alcohol, and in some States, alcohol is not sold after midnight. Wait a minute. Even so, there are many kinds of American (Western) wines, which are complicated in production and exquisite in preparation. The names of various cocktails are also complicated and the imagination is amazing. I'm not an expert, so I won't go into details.
We in China are generally proud of our food culture and think that westerners don't pay attention to "eating" like us. In fact, I personally think this is a misunderstanding. Americans may not be as tasteful as China, but they also pay attention to some other factors: cleanliness, nutrition and science. Wait a minute.
Speaking of cleanliness, this is the content worthy of a masterpiece. American kitchens are as clean as bedrooms. I remember an American friend of mine who always kept her house tidy. What surprised me most was that she wanted to buy her kitchen, stove and tableware. Because she is single, there are probably not many tableware, and there are books on the stove and in the cupboard! Of course, such cleanliness has a lot to do with American cooking methods. They usually don't use very hot oil for cooking. Cooking methods are mostly boiled and raw mixed. Even if you want to fry, it is less oil or cold oil.
By the way, although our cooking in China is world-famous, its dirty side is almost as famous. From time to time, I heard that the hygiene inspection of Chinese restaurants failed. In life, the kitchen hygiene in China's family also makes Americans "stunned".
Americans not only pay attention to neatness, but also pay great attention to tableware. They don't "conquer the world" with a knife and a pair of chopsticks like China people. The variety, complexity and accuracy of tableware sometimes make the kitchen look like a science laboratory. There are some specialty tableware shops in the shopping mall, which are also dizzy.
American slightly educated families attach great importance to scientific diet. This is probably because they attach great importance to appearance and never allow themselves to get fat. It may be exaggerated to say that the class of Americans can be seen from their appearance and figure, but it is mostly true.
In a word, the American food culture is still very developed, but it is not to our taste in China. There are still many authentic Chinese restaurants in big cities, but in out-of-state areas, you have to rely on yourself to eat a veritable Chinese meal.
life
Many people from China come to the United States for two reasons: houses and cars. These are two real benefits. People who make a name for themselves in the United States will eventually find that although they don't have much social activities and spiritual life, they are still a little "glad you came" by taking some photos of their houses and cars and sending them home or sharing them online.
Speaking of "housing", it should be a project that Americans are very proud of. The land is vast and sparsely populated, and there is enough space to build a house. I remember several people from China came to the company where I used to work from the mainland. They felt very strange that they didn't see the imaginary tall buildings here. Not surprisingly, there are not many tall buildings in America. Except in Chicago, new york and other big cities. The natural landscape is the most common: the eastern part is mainly trees, endless trees, many central and western regions and wilderness areas. In these places, residential and commercial buildings are mostly bungalows or shorter buildings, and high-rise buildings are very rare.
There are generally three types of houses in the United States: single-family houses; Townhouses; An apartment. Single-family houses are the most common and have the largest space. Generally, there are 3 to 5 bedrooms, bungalows and buildings with a total area of about 200 to 3,400 square meters. It is the first choice for home buyers. A conjoined room is relatively small in space, but it usually has at least two bedrooms. People with small families or single people prefer this kind of housing. Conjoined rooms are generally two floors, and each unit has the layout of upstairs and downstairs: the living room and kitchen are generally downstairs, and the bedroom is built upstairs. Apartments are usually buildings, ranging from one to three bedrooms.
Single houses are generally sold, conjoined houses can be bought and rented, and apartments are generally rented, which provides convenience for the floating population.
The housing facilities in the United States are generally complete and the structure is reasonable, and the area of bathrooms and kitchens is larger than that of China. A two-bedroom house is usually 1 half to two bathrooms (the so-called half bathroom means no bathtub).
It is worth mentioning that although Americans don't drink hot water, there are two outlets in the water pipes, one is hot water and the other is cold water. Edible water is in cold water pipes (however, even so, in many states, it is not recommended to drink water directly from cold water pipes because of pollution, and filters should be used).
Buying a house in the United States generally does not require decoration. The builder will sell it in one step after renovation (at most, the basement needs renovation). Usually high quality, reasonable layout and generous and beautiful decoration. Nowadays, building materials are all synthetic, and it is said that the materials of old houses are better. Personally, I am not an expert, so I can't say.
Although the reputation in the United States is generally good, a friend of mine recently encountered an unsatisfactory thing when buying a house. They bought the house first, and then built it. As a result, the construction party cut corners, as if friends and couples had not passed strict inspection when they moved in. Later, the quality problem was so serious that the couple couldn't eat or sleep.
? From my personal aesthetic point of view, all buildings in the United States, civil and commercial, are the same as those worn by Americans: affordable. I remember that many of my friends in China used to be engaged in decoration and paid great attention to appearance. But American architecture, on the whole, is simple in appearance, but practical inside. Not only practical, but also comfortable and tasteful. Many houses with simple appearance make you have no idea that they are so "rich in connotation". I remember a friend who just came to China, USA, walking in the street, accidentally strolling into a coffee shop and finding the decoration elegant. We were all poor students at that time, and after the waitress came over, everyone was inevitably a little embarrassed. As a result, I looked at the menu and found that the drinks were very cheap, so I ordered a drink for one or two yuan and enjoyed the "high-end taste" for a long time.
In the decoration taste of houses, the United States also shows the characteristics of the middle class: no vanity. Americans seldom hang masterpieces at home. This is also the reason why many artists can't survive in the United States: others don't like your paintings, and no matter how much critics brag about them, they can't sell them (however, the law is that among most middle classes, a few popular "masters" have been bought by a few elegant capitalists). Many artists in the United States paint portraits, mainly because Americans are "narcissistic" and like to hang portraits of themselves or their loved ones to entertain themselves.
Although the house prices in the United States have declined in recent years, they should be more stable than those in China. There is no big difference between house prices and per capita income in China. In short, in the United States, in the words of some compatriots, the house is "full."
to be continued
Note: I generally mean the welfare that Americans wear. People who pursue fashion and vanity can be seen everywhere.
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