Playful Woman

I am a playful woman. For me, weekends are the most expecting days in the week. I just can’t wait to go outside to relax after working for five days. On weekends, I love getting my friends together to have some fun. We usually ride the subway to a shopping mall. Then we do nothing but hang out and take a seat in a milk tea shop, and we usually end our day by having dinner together in a fantastic Chinese restaurant. However, since I moved to Chicago, I have lost the joy for the weekend.

My best friend and me

In China, when I had an appointment on the weekend, I used to ride the subway to meet my friends. It’s really convenient and comfortable to ride the subway anywhere in China. The indoor subways in China are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Moreover, the underground subways in China are not only still and fast but also cheap. The first time I rode the CTA in Chicago, I felt disappointed. I paid twenty dollars to obtain a three-dollar card because the machine didn’t give change. When I went upstairs, I found that the CTA was outdoors, so it was freezing cold. I ended up shaking with the CTA to attend classes listlessly.

Subway in Guangzhou

Besides the subway, I usually went to a milk tea shop with my friends on weekends. We chatted while drinking a cup of milk tea. In China, Milk tea shops are like KFC and MACDONALDS in the United States. They are on every corner. In addition, drinking a cup of milk tea has become a lifestyle in China. When my friends and I felt tired hanging out, we could buy a cup of milk tea in reachable milk tea shops. We felt relaxed with a mouthful milk tea. However, in Chicago, I can barely find a milk tea shop, or I have to drive a long time to get one. That is to say, I’ve lost the way to refresh myself with a cup of milk tea after an exhausted day of shopping. 

My favorite milk tea

Finally, my friends and I used to have dinner at the end of the weekend. Since China has eight different cuisines, we just chose one from diverse Chinese restaurants to enjoy our meal. However, there are many Chinese restaurants in Chicago, and most of them exist in Chinatown because there are more Chinese people that gather in Chinatown. Worst of all, the Chinese restaurants in Chinatown are horrible. I have tried about ten famous Chinese restaurants in Chinatown, but they are all too terrible to eat compared to the restaurants in China. For example, the Sichuan hotpot is not hot at all, and there are no traditional hot sauces in Chinatown. The dim sum lacks diverse spices and are not as delicate as they are in China. The Chinese food in Chicago has lost its attraction for me. 

Dinner with my friends

What looked common on weekends in China is nearly impossible in Chicago. I can no longer ride a still and warm subway to do some shopping. I can no longer pull myself together with a cup of milk tea. I can no longer enjoy traditional Chinese dishes with my friends. I am no longer a playful woman since the weekends is just as long but not enjoyable anymore. To live a better life, I think I should try local food and get used to the café scene in Chicago. Then maybe I will feel more enjoyable.

Sichuan food