this entry will be a departure from the usual emo financial or the china related entries. just some quick thoughts at the moment that will scurry away if i don't put them into words.
things i miss most about the united states:
1) chipotle chicken fajita burritos
it makes sense. the united states borders mexico and any sane mexican will have illegally crossed the border to live in the us (except the recent financial crisis, where many mexicans have gone back to their country, a sign that speaks volumes of the state of america). and its not just because america is 'the land of opportunity' but because mexico is a shit place to be. to see the extent of how much mexicans are trying to escape their own country, there are mexicans in the northernmost parts of canada.
when mexicans go to north america, there are a few jobs that they are suited for. construction, preparing the ingredients at restuarants, forming gangs/organized crime. and with many mexicans bringing their culture and heritage with them, there will inevitably be a few tacos and burritos here and there.
china, unfortunately, is not blessed to be neighbors with a country like mexico. the mexican food here, as few as they are, cannot match the standards of the likes of chipotle (which i even doubt the true authenticity of, but its delicious nonetheless). i will just have spoonfuls of msg (abundant in all corners of china) until i get back to the states to satisfy my chipotle craving.
and not just chipotle chicken fajita burritos with sour cream and red hot sauce, stuffed so huge and bursting at its seams that the first bite into its lime onion goodness is an explosion of flavor in your mouth. i miss new york style pizza, american burgers, new york's chicken and rice.
2) black people
all of the youtube videos of 'lean wit it rock wit it' could have helped with my black people withdrawal my first weeks in beijing. everyone in china is chinese and they all look the same. chinese people's idea of 'diversity' is 'oh there are northern chinese people here as well as southern chinese people'. there would be an occasional white person that everyone stares at and points to and says ‘老外’. next time i see a white person, i'm going to point and stare and scream 'harry potter' (credits go to paul rau).
3) new york 24 hour delis on every street corner
for all those late night cravings that aren't mcdonalds, i wish there were delis. delis with all the usual beverages, all the junk food, all the sandwiches, indian or asian clerks, drunken customers, that you can ask for. the only 24 hour food joints near my home in beijing is the mcdonalds and the very occasional old asian dude making 煎饼 (which is a godsend because mcdonalds can only be so good the first 50 times in terms of cheap delicious drunken food).
and not just eating establishments. i miss the 24 hour bus system and subway system. when i go out in beijing and get really trashed, i know that the cab back will be at least 60 kuai (around $8.79). in new york, it is only $2 (around 13.64 kuai) to go anywhere at anytime on the subway. i was not able to fully appreciate new york city's mass transit system until using another that of another city.
there is no other place in the world like new york, that can match its constant pace (however fast and unforgiving it is) and convenience and ability to offer something for everyone. no matter what you are looking for, any kind of food/culture in the world (queens is the most diverse place on the planet), any kind of lifestyle, any kind of form of entertainment, new york has it.
of course, it would not be fair to glorify the states and new york without an equally set of positive remarks about my experiences in china.
things i will miss most about china:
1) cheap everything
everything in china is so absurdly cheap compared to the states. but the longer you stay here, the more you realize you can buy for less RMB. for instance, the first month i was here, i was taking cabs everywhere, going out to clubs every night, eating the most lavish dishes i could get my hands on. the longer i stayed, the more cheap things i found. and the opportunity cost of everything increased, so i would start taking the subway and then the bus. i would find the cheapest bar with the best happy hour (so far la bamba at 10 kuai a pint of beer, but that still couldn't beat the price at the hostel in 西安 haha, good times). i would eat on campus to save money.
the shopping markets in china are also absurdly cheap, especially the fake ones. had i not shopped with a local, i would've been absurdly ripped off and i would have no idea. fake nike shoes? around 70 kuai (around $10). of course they would fit awkwardly but for appearances, i would say they are quite similar. tshirts--40 kuai ($5.86). tailored suits--600 kuai ($87.95). some things are so retardedly cheap that it is beyond me how much it actually costs to make them.
the subway is 2 kuai to go anywhere. and buses more cheap--as low as 4 mao. needlesstosay, prices here cannot be found in the states and will be sorely missed (that being said, if you want anything let me know and i will get it for you).
2) being an ABC (american born chinese)
i actually am not a real ABC, because i was born in china and moved to the states when i was 1. but since i was raised in america with american values and american way of thinking, i am a total abc.
but chinese people in our generation totally love the west. i say a few words of english and they treat you differently, as if you are one social class above the locals. i get a sense of american elitism when in china and i derive a perverse inward pleasure in speaking on the phone loudly in english and seeing everyones reaction. because i'm so vain and self centered, like the american i am.
i'm going to miss being treated like that. back in the states, i'm just some average asian kid studying finance. and as america, which encourages self identity and self expression, i lose that edge amongst all other americans fighting for that same attention from everyone else. in china, everyone is trying to blend into the crowd that my wild arm flailing gait and exaggerated laugh and gesticulations, whilst common in the states, draws more attention than i realize. and as an american, full of myself and thinking that i'm so cool that i am from the states where the burgers are juicy and the burritos are stuffed, i don't mind the attention.
3) 煎饼 (jian1 bing3)
how could i write things i will miss most about china without mentioning one of the most delicious food item in the entire world: the 煎饼. these are salty crepes folded around thin fried dough with green onions, cilantro, an egg and special 煎饼 sauce (i actually have no idea what the sauce is, the best things in china of course have their own special sauces) made in little carts wheeled around by old chinese dudes. these are considered a breakfast item and most carts are around during breakfast time (6am-9am or something absurdly early that i never get them during actual breakfast hours). but i go to the usual 煎饼 stand that sits across the street from my building.
there is nothing else more satisfying than biting into a hot, crisp, chewy, spicy, folded egg pancake in the cold winter air. especially if you add a chinese sausage into the already amazing 煎饼. the smell of 煎饼 can awaken someone in the deepest coma and can stir the hunger of someone who has already eaten a seven course meal. i have not lived until i had my first bite of 煎饼.
to add to 煎饼, there are several other chinese food items that i will miss: 串儿 (anything on sticks, typically lamb meat, a beijing specialty) and 酸奶 (drinkable yogurt--why don't the states have this??). here are some other chinese food that i will miss, but not as much because they have them in the states: 川菜, 湘菜, 点心, 小笼包, 贵州菜. anything spicy, absolutely.
and thus ends my procrastination on internship applications.
enjoy,
andy
