Life in Another Continent: September 2012

Again, it has been a while, Ava's blog.
Days have been busy, such as making me chase all kinds of homework...
I thought it would be an easy semester for me compared to before...and obviously it is not..but it is enjoyable. I love studying at a coffee shop. Whenever I am sick of my homework, I can just stalk people. :P
Oh well. Is that better if I keep one theme of one blog every time? or just...like right now..write as my mind goes?...I don't know..just writing one topic seems boring..unless English class requires so.
So as I have been here for so long, I have known a lot of people..but I guess most of them think I am just a study-machine..So more and more people keep telling me, "go to have fun." I have realized this problem these days, which makes me want to keep away from school and homework.
However, I don't really think I study too much because I don't have perfect grade yet. In China, kids study all day long. So compared to that, I study way less than what I did in high school. If all my homework were in Chinese, I guess I would have way more fun than others did. :P I think English itself is the main reason make my homework harder than others. Am I trying to find an excuse??? :P

( Picture taken by ICC computer!)
Oh of course this is in library. Where else do you think it will be with study-machine? Also, more and more people keep telling me that I am more Americanized. So I learned sarcasm, other than eating like Americans.

         Have been living with the Ochoa's for a week. Pedro is from Honduras. Lisi is Cuban American. Their almost 2-year-old baby is mixed. :) so he is super cute. I always think mixed blood kids are cute and smart. I guess I am being laid-back now because there is pile of homework waiting for me and I am hitting my keyboard here.
        It is very interesting to live with them in the city. Oh well, Peoria. But compared to Washington where I used to live, it is a city. So I have culture shock here. Yes, culture shock.
        I don't like driving in the city at all. It is busier than little town, for sure. It IS convenient to get to anywhere in the city, all kinds of coffee shops, malls, friends, and cars (@.@) However, I am just used to country life. :P Quiet and peaceful. Not driving in the busy corners, not listening to screaming police car or ambulance, not afraid to go outside late night...and so on. If this city could be like big city, I guess I would be more familiar with. Maybe I can talk about Shenzhen since I mention big city?
        Okeydokey, Shenzhen.
        Shenzhen is not my hometown, but it is the place where I was born and grew up. Shenzhen is located at the southern tip of the mainland of China and neighbors Hong Kong.
        My parents are from another little town far away in the same province, Guangdong. They came to Shenzhen about 25 years ago to earn money and escape country life. Shenzhen is a 30 years old city. Compared to Beijing and Shanghai, it is very young. BUT, it has significant influence in China now. When many people hear I say I am from a big city, they always ask what the population is. I didn't check it until this summer. If you do think Chicago is a big city, Shenzhen is definitely a bigger city because it has as three times as many people there. There are more than 15 million people in this city where used to be a little fishing town. IT IS VERY VERY CROWDED! It is defnitely not exaggerated that we need to squeeze ourselves into the bus when it is rush hour. We can totally, if we are the one close to the windows, have our body against the windows! We will not have any personal space in the same bus, at all.  If you think there is ever traffic jam here, oh, my, you might never want to live in Shenzhen.

My family has never owned a car in Shenzhen. First of all, none of us can drive except my brother and I. For me, probably I can just drive in this wide and less car country. I will never never never ever drive when I go back. I don't want to kill others and myself. Second, it is absolutely unecessary to drive in Shenzhen. We walk a lot. Plus, the transportation is super convenient. Every 5 minute, there is a bus driving through in front of our door. Taxi is 24 hours. Subway is open till 11p.m. Most of the buses are available before 10p.m. This is the reason why I had never driven before even I was 21! My mom always walks to the fresh outdoor market to run errands, such as fresh fish, chicken, vegatble, and so on. Those who sell these are real farmer. They get up maybe around 3 or 4 a.m. to get everything ready and go to open.

OK..I stopped for couple of seconds just now...and my inspiration is gone..So...this random post is bye-bye. :P

Back to study now.

At least, I found another way to relax myself--writing.