Hailey Huang

ESL 100

Final Draft

February 26, 2015

Losing Feeling

       I like shopping, and I think most women are like me. In my dictionary, shopping doesn’t only mean buying things, but it is a good way to relieve stress. When I feel unhappy or bewildered, I go shopping. Shopping helps me a lot, even just walking around. For me, shopping in China also was a good way for gathering with my friends. When I was unable to get over something, I used to go shopping with my friends. After that, things seems to come around. I have been in the U.S. for five years, and there are great stores. However, every time I go shopping, I could find what I want and like, but feeling of shopping that I had in China still missing.

       The shopping environment in China is unique. I liked to shop at Shang Xia Jiu and BeiJing Road in Guangzhou. They both are vehicle-free promenade street. They are bright, capacious and beautiful with many different styles of stores. Private clothing stores, megastore, restaurant, and desert store are all gathered together. In the middle of the road, people can also enjoy some historical heritage. I can walk wherever you want even if I am daydreaming, and I won’t be woken up by the suddenly vehicle sounds. The first day I arrived in Chicago, I went through a small tunnel before I got to Chinatown. I was totally shocked by what I saw. There was a rusty pier and bridge girder. It was dark and old, like it was abandoned for years. I was afraid some pieces of its skin would fall off while I walked under it. Stores in Chinatown were narrow and dirty. There were lots of commodities and the boutiques were old, and clothes were outdated. I would never shop in a place like this in China. Later, I went to another store and shopping mall, which were bright and cozy, but every time we needed to be hurried because the stores closed early. I didn’t like that rushed and tired feeling.

       In addition, stores business hour is flexible in China. Stores business time is more adaptive for people who like hanging out with friends. In America, most stores opened from ten to eight and close at six-thirty on Sundays. People can’t even go in half hour before the closing time. I used to go out with my friends after three o’clock in China. If I went after three o’clock here, it means I would only have four hours left because I needed to drive forty-five minutes or one hour to get to the shopping mall. If I want to look around at more stores, I had to rush. I still remember the first time I went to an outlet mall to shop. Similar to when I was in China, IO left home at three o’clock. After the traffic, I arrived there around five o’clock. At first, I just walked around one store and enjoyed the pretty stuff. When I Went to another store, the seller told me that they are going to close. Gosh, it took two hours to get here to shop in just one store!

       Furthermore, outdoor shopping has a special trait in China I enjoyed outdoor shopping with my friends in the evening when in summer time in GuangZhou. My friend and I used to watch the sunset. As darkness fell, there were gentle breezes, and walking around in the night fair made me feel relaxed and comfortable. When the night falls in China, more and more sellers come to the sidewalk and sell their items. People can buy clothes and accessories at a lower price than the regular stores. My favor part of the night market is different kinds of yummy food, especially, the barbecue chicken wings, beef mutton, fish and eggplants. I couldn’t stop feet from going into these stalls. After this, I would have a bowl of cool and refreshing desert. Gratification would come through the whole body. Most people enjoyed eating while they were walking and laughing. In American, people might think it is discourteous behavior, but Chinese people think it as free. In Chicago, I haven’t seen many people eating ate the street, but it’s common in China.

       Since I moved to Chicago, I have forgotten the feeling of eating on the sidewalk and laughing while I was shopping. I haven’t found a shopping place like BeiJing Road and Shang Xia Jiu. Now, I prefer to shop online more than going out, but I am still looking for a place that I can relax and relieve my stress.