10 items about U.S.A.:My first impression - Zhiye Yang
Dearest friends:
It’s been such an honor to get in contact with all of you by online blogs.Several years ago, I was still struggling with my English, hoping to have a high proficiency(which concerns me still to this moment of my life). However, it always seems to me that the best way for learning a language is to start from its origin：the culture, as language plays the role of the symbol of any civilization. Therefore, I was utterly amazed by the idea of communicating with U.S. Students. This essay is a mere glimpse of my own perception and impression for U.S. Culture, etc. I sincerely hope it will lead our delving into related issues later on.
Yours faithfully
Candice/ Zhiye Yang
Here is a list of ten items/categories that popped out in my mind as I brainstormed with the word “USA”. In addition,I would like to make it explicit in details about each item or category I wrote. In fact, many of it are related to my hobbies and the previous experience in America I had earlier this year when traveling in cities like New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago before my participation in the Model United Nations of the University of Chicago.
√Sitcom <friends>
I know this is quite old but still popular with people throughout the world. This is one of my favorite TV series because I got to enjoy the American style of humor and learned a lot of expressions only natives have a good command of. My mentor and adviser recommended this for me in 2011, and that’s why I fell in love with NYC. And speaking of TV programs, Oprah Winfrey Show really helped me seeing the society of the U.S. more vividly.
√ Time square and the statue of liberty
It was snowing heavily that day when I got to New York for the first time in my life. I was really thrilled because that was a dream-come-true moment.Though I missed the chance to visit the symbol of ‘American Dream’,I still took my chance to visit time square. I saw a man wearing only his underwear while carrying a guitar. He was taking pictures with some passers-by. Though it might be common for New Yorkers or Americans, it was quite unfamiliar to me. I guess that’s what they call passion, and it really was bravo.
√ Marilyn Monroe, pop art and Andy Warhol
Hollywood is one of the greatest impact America has on the earth. I might say those coca cola cans and soup cans marked the begging of pop art treated as a widely-accepted and novel way of ‘art’ back in that time.
√ Large areas of farmland, high fructose corn syrup
√ Twizzlers and candies
√ Coffee makers in Inns
These two are associated with the prosperity of products in America. I myself quite enjoy those Twizzlers, and the ad on TV about the small-bites new packet is so adorable.
√ Long, loose jeans which fit me perfectly well
This is why I love America and why I spent 4 hours in woodbury.Sometimes a shopping spree is awesome even when you just do window shopping most of the time, especially since I couldn’t find many jeans that fit in China.
√ Cowboys in the western towns
This is strongly affected by movies with cool cowboy armed with a gun. Too captivating to resist.
√Chicago bulls, 23, Michael Jordan
23 is my favorite number because it belongs to the greatest basketball player ever and I was born on 23rd Feb in Chinese lunar calender. When we traveled in Chicago, I was exhilarated to see one statue of him. Of course, all the boys and me took photos like crazy. I wish I could see him one day.
√Ivy league, UChicago, Liberal Arts College
We all know how college matters to life, though this isn’t the only way. Studying in one of the Liberal Arts College is also perfect, which I hope I could make it.
PS. The post date and time is Chinese time.
