Abundance
It's impossible to make the transition from China to the U.S. (and back again) without making all kinds of observations about the differences.
One thing that has really struck me the past two or three trips home is the United States as the land of abundance. In the house, in the supermarket, driving down the road, I cannot help but feel that our country has a plentiful supply of everything.
For instance, in my sister's house, I was taking a shower. I took my time, in my jet lag haze and unable to rush. The water stayed at the same temperature the entire shower. I have little doubt that no matter how long I stayed in there I would never have run out of hot water. Unlike my last few apartments in China, I will probably never meet my limit of hot shower water, and especially never mid-shampoo.
At Giant Eagle, I push around an enormous grocery cart and I fill it with whatever I want. I am not limited by the grocery cart (whose capacity I cannot possibly exceed), nor my ability to ferry the groceries home (Volvo station wagon), nor my sister's ability to store groceries (big American kitchen). Not only can I do this today, but I can go back and do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. Giant Eagle will never run out of what I might want, it seems.
It isn't like my experience in China is that of even slight deprivation. However, I am very conscious of how limited everything is. I do not have a limitless supply of water, hot or otherwise. I know that any given resource or utility has a limit in China, and while I may not have directly experienced those limits while living in China, I have heard tell of water rationing in the recent past in South China, and Randy's previous employer for years has been on rationed electricity. I've never encountered completely empty shelves at any grocery store in China, but they usually aren't full either. Purchases are often severely limited to what I can carry myself while walking and store in my home. Both of these factors limit me on my usual shopping trip. One exception though is products I buy that are outside the normal Chinese purchases. My experience often tells me that if I find something I like, I need to buy as much of it as I can, even if that means buying every last one of them. Last week I saw that our local WalMart in Changping had some imported milk in stock. I had not seen this milk in stock there before. I bought every last one of those milk cartons, ten in all, because i wasn't sure if there would ever again be imported milk in stock at that WalMart again. So while I usually only buy as much as I need of whatever is available, there are some items I horde in case of near-future scarcity.
I know it isn't an original observation that the US is a land of abundance. But it is very startling to me every time I come home. It can't possibly be true that the U.S. uniquely has an endless supply of everything, but it is really hard not to live like it is when we did live here.
One thing that has really struck me the past two or three trips home is the United States as the land of abundance. In the house, in the supermarket, driving down the road, I cannot help but feel that our country has a plentiful supply of everything.
For instance, in my sister's house, I was taking a shower. I took my time, in my jet lag haze and unable to rush. The water stayed at the same temperature the entire shower. I have little doubt that no matter how long I stayed in there I would never have run out of hot water. Unlike my last few apartments in China, I will probably never meet my limit of hot shower water, and especially never mid-shampoo.
At Giant Eagle, I push around an enormous grocery cart and I fill it with whatever I want. I am not limited by the grocery cart (whose capacity I cannot possibly exceed), nor my ability to ferry the groceries home (Volvo station wagon), nor my sister's ability to store groceries (big American kitchen). Not only can I do this today, but I can go back and do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. Giant Eagle will never run out of what I might want, it seems.
It isn't like my experience in China is that of even slight deprivation. However, I am very conscious of how limited everything is. I do not have a limitless supply of water, hot or otherwise. I know that any given resource or utility has a limit in China, and while I may not have directly experienced those limits while living in China, I have heard tell of water rationing in the recent past in South China, and Randy's previous employer for years has been on rationed electricity. I've never encountered completely empty shelves at any grocery store in China, but they usually aren't full either. Purchases are often severely limited to what I can carry myself while walking and store in my home. Both of these factors limit me on my usual shopping trip. One exception though is products I buy that are outside the normal Chinese purchases. My experience often tells me that if I find something I like, I need to buy as much of it as I can, even if that means buying every last one of them. Last week I saw that our local WalMart in Changping had some imported milk in stock. I had not seen this milk in stock there before. I bought every last one of those milk cartons, ten in all, because i wasn't sure if there would ever again be imported milk in stock at that WalMart again. So while I usually only buy as much as I need of whatever is available, there are some items I horde in case of near-future scarcity.
I know it isn't an original observation that the US is a land of abundance. But it is very startling to me every time I come home. It can't possibly be true that the U.S. uniquely has an endless supply of everything, but it is really hard not to live like it is when we did live here.
Comments
We are American expats in the UK and even here we see the difference. It is not uncommon to go the grocery store and have a item typically stocked be all sold out. Again....it is not as if things are bad here or we are deprived, just less abundant. It is the little day to day things, experienced when living as a local, that allow you to see that the U.S. is a uniquely blessed country.
People who have visited me always remark on the quality of the drinking water. They're surprised to see me drinking tapwater until they try it. Have you had any similar experience?
Never in China. I will cook with it, though.