The town of Williamsburg where the school is located is not too far from the seaside, but you can never eat fresh fish in the cafeteria. The fish nuggets served in the canteen have a strong fishy smell, and you have to add lemon to make them taste better. There is no fresh shrimp, crab or shellfish. What you can eat is seafood cakes made with bread crumbs, butter and cheese, or cheese soup with seafood flavor. As a crazy cheese lover, I thought the school’s seafood pancakes and soup were pretty good.

Americans have the habit of eating lettuce, and school cafeterias have opened special vegetable salad bars. When eating with American classmates, they always jump to the salad bar first to grab a plate of green lettuce, and then eat it like rabbits. I think you can judge whether a person has a "Western stomach" by whether he or she likes to eat vegetable salads.

I don’t know whether it is because of the eating habits of Chinese international students or because Americans also like to eat Chinese food. The two large cafeterias in the school have dedicated Asian food stalls. However, the Chinese food cooked in the cafeteria is very American, and Chinese students do not like it very much. For example, the staff at the fried noodle stall often ask, "Do you want to add sweet and sour sauce?" I tried adding it, and it tasted like McDonald's chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce.

Here, the closest varieties to Chinese food are fried noodles and fried rice. It is impossible to eat authentic Chinese food such as white rice with stir-fry. There are two ways for Chinese international students to improve their lives. One is to go to the supermarket to buy ingredients and cook Chinese food in the dormitory, or occasionally go to a local Chinese restaurant to satisfy their cravings.

In fact, some American students are not satisfied with the food in school cafeterias, thinking that they mostly provide fried junk food. They sometimes go to the supermarket to buy high-quality bread, milk and fresh ingredients to make sandwiches. But as a student living on campus, cooking for yourself means wasting the canteen package you have already spent money on.

The school stipulates that all students living on campus must purchase a canteen set meal when registering and paying. There are two options: 14 or 19 times a week. You have to swipe your card every time you enter the canteen. No matter how much you eat, the deduction is the same. The price of a meal is about 13 US dollars. For someone like me who doesn't have a big appetite, the price is a bit expensive.

However, if you cook for yourself or eat out, the remaining money in the cafeteria meal card can be spent at the school convenience store to buy food such as biscuits.

School cafeterias also have a humane side. They provide special foods to special groups. For example, there are vegetarian stalls that serve foods such as beans, corn, and rice. There was also a stall with gluten-free food for students with celiac disease, a disease that causes Caucasians to be unable to absorb gluten-containing foods.

It is indeed a bit annoying to eat in the cafeteria every day. Fortunately, there are fresh fruits, juices, milk, drinks, desserts and ice cream every day, which makes me feel that the canteen is still attractive.

I would like to remind everyone that if you want to have a smooth meal abroad, you might as well learn to cook a few dishes at home to develop your independence. I hope everyone can eat well, study well overseas, and spend their study abroad life smoothly and safely!