Translation essay -Linda

The Bright Night

America is a place that can make dreams come true. Miracles can be found everywhere. Nothing is impossible on this land. In order to achieve my goal to study and have a better life, I came to Chicago from China with my parents two years ago. We brought full of expectations and passion with us when we boarded the airplane and flew to Chicago. After a long flight about thirteen hours, we stepped into a city that is totally different than where we used to live. To my surprise, Chicago is a charming city. This is a place that has fresh air, reasonable market price and not too much water pollution. My parents and I love Chicago for many reasons. On the other hand, even though Chicago is one of the best places I have ever been, when night comes, I feel I’m alone. I really miss my hometown. Especially the Chinese style night life, night market, restaurants that open 24/7 and Karaoke.

                               

When I was in high school, the most exciting thing to do was strolling at the night market with friends after school. The night market is a street that contains a variety outdoor stores, and it only operates at night. There is a huge selection of stand, such as traditional snack food Xiao Chi，specialty drink called the Bubble Tea, and clothes. I can always find good thing with my full stomach at the night market. No wonder it was the best place for me to take a breath when I experienced high pressure of study from school. However, to my disappointment, I have find nothing like the night market in the land of the U.S. The atmosphere, crowds and specialty food have disappeared.

       Beside the night market, the 24/7 restaurants are very popular in China too. They are found in every corner of every city. Usually, most Chinese cuisine with decent taste can be found in these hidden places. There is nothing better than 24/7 Chinese hot pot restaurant in the cold winter. It is a place that can warm me up immediately and please my taste buds in every moment, no matter how late it is. In addition to the hot pot restaurants, there are many tasty restaurants that serve BBQ, snack food, and noodle dishes back home. It’s always hard to make a decision with all the choices. In the U.S, there are some restaurants open all night, but most of them are fast food, such as Denny’s, White Castle, Mcdonald’s. To be honest, I like American style fast food, but if I have heathier choices, I’m going to skip them.

In China, there is a popular place at night－Karaoke. It always is the most popular place for young people to hang out, hold a birthday party and family gathering. Karaoke opens at 7pm at night until the dawn of next day. People usually have beer while they sing in the Karaoke. Each room of Karaoke is very private, so my friends and I consider it as a small world that is just for us. It doesn’t matter how loud we sing. It is a very effective way for me to relax. On the other hand, except young people it seems like some Americans prefer go to sleep earlier than stay up late in order to have a healthy life. Karaoke is not popular in the U.S. The night in the U.S is always quiet and peaceful.

If it is hard for me to make changes to my environment, why don’t I just change myself? I know it is the time for me to do some translations. Instead of staying up late for night activities, why not just go to bed earlier and get up to attend early morning exercise? It is definitely a better way for me to have a healthy life. Even though I miss the night life I used to have in China, I would look forward to enjoy my life in the U.S. I believe it is also a wonderful land for the next part of my life. The bright nights in China are always lighting in my heart.