Homesick

            

            When I came to the United States, food was a challenge for me because eating was a different experience. People living in the US like to eat raw vegetables, and a lot of Americans like to eat salads. Growing up in China, however, I was used to eating cooked vegetables. As a result, there are very differences both in terms of the type of food and the way we prepare food between China and the United States. When I arrived in the United States, I felt like I had lost my connection with China, and this made me feel homesick. For example, Chinese breakfast is very different from the United States breakfast. In addition, Chinese dumplings are also different from breakfast in the United States. Moreover, Chinese street food is different from United States street food. Therefore, moving to the United States made me feel like I was living in two different worlds. 

             One of the first aspects that made me feel homesick was the cooking methods such as the flavor, texture, and seasoning. For example, Chinese breakfast always includes steamed food or boiled food like steamed bao and tofu soup, and people always drink tea in the morning. On the other hand, the breakfast in this country usually includes cereal, eggs, and cheese, and people living in the United States like to drink coffee to start a day. Therefore, eating breakfast in this country is a different experience for me because it is two different worlds for me. When I ate cheese for the first time, I thought it smelled bad. In addition, after the first time I drank coffee, I felt my heartbeat faster and it made me very uncomfortable. Therefore, it took me a while to get used to eating breakfast in Chicago.

            Additionally, the way Chinese food is offered in the United States is not the same as it is offered in my homeland which is Liaoning province in northern China. For example, dumplings are different between my homeland and the United States. There are many kinds of dumplings especially from northern China like pork with green onion, beef with mushroom, chicken with shrimp, and leek with egg. Moreover, people always boil dumplings or steam or fry dumplings in China. However, the way these dumplings are offered in Chicago is limited. There are only a few dumplings in the United States like chicken and pork. I believe they are made by a machine not a human, so they obviously taste different for me. When I go to the Asian market to buy dumplings, I always feel it is so disappointed that I cannot make dumplings and I should learn how to make them from my mother. Therefore, I even started to forget the taste of Chinese dumplings which had made me feel like I had lost connection with China.

            Furthermore, what I also miss from China is the street food because there is almost no street food in Chicago. It is a totally different experience getting street food in the United States compared to back home in China. It is not all processed food like in the United States, but they feel that someone has made them and put work and effort into making these delicious meals. In addition, I miss the experience of going out with my friends. For example, my favorite Chinese street food is grilled chicken wings, and they taste so good it is something that I cannot get in the United States. In addition, I live in Chicago where there is almost no Asian street food even though I can see some Mexican street food. In addition, when I walk down the street after school in Chicago, I can’t smell anything of the food which made me feel very different because I can smell the food on every street in China. Lastly, I miss the experience of street food in China because it is a very special experience knowing that someone has cooked these foods. In addition, I also miss the experience that hanging out with my friends every time we went out for these street foods. 

            In sum, there are many foods that are challenging for me now. In addition, it has taken me a long time to get used to eating food in Chicago. Usually, I crave to eat bao, tofu, tea, and some other Chinese breakfast. Additionally, dumplings are offered in many ways in China where they are very limited. Moreover, I really miss the experience of street food in China. Especially, I miss the experience of socializing with my friends every time we went out for these street foods. All these experiences make me feel homesick.