By Tony Dennis
Yeqiu Zheng, or Chris, as he’s better known, felt many different emotions on the plane ride to the Chicago airport. Upon arrival Zheng would be making his way to his new home and life in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Zheng a senior at Loy Norrix High School, talks about how he had to take in the new feelings and atmosphere of Kalamazoo. He found many things to be different from what he was used to back in his home province of Chongqing, China. The first thing that he remembers finding different is the diversity in Kalamazoo.
“China is not as diverse as the United States,” said Zheng.
In the United States there are many different types of people of all different shapes, sizes, and backgrounds.
The Chinese do not pay much attention to other races because it is not as widely diverse as the United States. The Chinese mostly keep track of their country’s different ethnic groups and their percentages.
Another thing that Zheng found different is the food. If someone was asked “what’s American food?” they would probably list off some fast food items such as burgers, chicken, and apple pies. However, in reality there is no specific American food because food in the U.S. comes from all around the world, from South America to Asia.
“The food in the United States is more like fast food. The food in China is more prepared and has more effort and time put into it,” Chris said.
One of his favorite dishes from Chongqing is called “Hot Pot.” It is a dish that can be split into different parts and can contain almost anything the person who is making it wants to put in, such as fish, chicken, beef, onions, or peppers.
Being in Kalamazoo for only a few hours, Chris saw many cars. The cars were familiar to him because there are also many cars in China. However, he found that Americans do not use trains as much as the Chinese. To get around from province to province in China, Chris would take a bullet train. Bullet trains are trains that travel much faster than the traditional rail traffic. Bullet trains can reach speeds of 250 km.
“The high speed trains are very helpful for fast, easy, and safe travel,” Chris said.
Chris has now lived in the US for 5 years and has learned many different things about the states and how things are done. He still misses China and hopes to go visit his old friends and some of his family in the near future.
