VI
EN
Every American supermarket has a wide selection of bread and pastries at affordable prices.
For just a few dollars, you can have a satisfying American-style meal.
There is no fresh fish in American supermarkets.
Americans like to eat pastries.
Asian spices and vegetables can only be found in the Chinese market in Chinatown.
1. Paper - multi-purpose cleaning wipes!
In American homes, paper is the most abundant commodity. Americans don't use cloth rags to wipe down kitchen counters or furniture; instead, they use paper as a versatile "cleaning cloth." Besides large rolls of paper, every American keeps several boxes of alcohol-based disinfectant wipes at home. These alcohol wipes clean everything: from tables and chairs to digital devices, stoves, and even toilets!
2. American food is both cheap and convenient.
American-style food is readily available everywhere and very cheap. From hamburgers and french fries to various kinds of pastries, you can get a satisfying meal for just a few dollars. Even the largest cup of McDonald's coffee is only $1.
However, if you want to eat Asian (or Vietnamese) food, you have to go to areas with a large Vietnamese population or, more commonly, to Chinatown. An Asian-style meal costs at least $10 per person (if you only order one dish) or over $20 per person (if you choose a family-style meal), not including tips (10%-15% of the bill, depending on the place).
American grocery stores are always near residential areas and offer cheap prices (especially chicken). Vietnamese grocery stores, on the other hand, are usually located far away (only convenient for those with cars), and food prices are high (a packet of herbs costs $1, a coconut $2, a bunch of water spinach $7-8).
To eat Vietnamese food, you have to travel far and pay more.
Eating a home-cooked Vietnamese meal is even more expensive, and it only helps to ease homesickness because it lacks the authentic flavors.
3. Americans don't take naps.
From Massachusetts to New York or Washington DC, I've noticed that Americans don't have a habit of taking a midday nap. Even Vietnamese people living here are the same. Whether working in an office or being self-employed, Americans spend very little time on their lunch break – eating at work or in a park near their workplace.
Whether to stay up late or wake up early depends on each family's habits, but Americans usually only sleep one night.
4. Always remember to be grateful.
"Thank you" is a common phrase used by Americans in all situations, and it's a cultural trait worth emulating. Particularly impressive is the American habit of thanking the bus driver every time they get off the bus.
When getting off the bus, as they pass the driver's seat, everyone looks at the driver and says thank you, sometimes even adding a greeting like "good day" (if it's daytime) or "good night" (if it's nighttime).
5. Queueing is normal.
People happily lined up, even if it meant waiting for an hour, in front of a cheap Italian seafood shop.
Whether shopping, returning goods, entering restaurants, or even using the restroom, Americans have a habit of queuing everywhere. At bus or subway stations, even without queuing, Americans follow the orderly procession, with those arriving first getting on and those arriving later boarding.
However, at bus terminals that are always crowded, such as Hay Market (in downtown Boston), sometimes those who patiently wait at the front (in the US, buses only open the front doors for passengers to board because each passenger has to swipe a card to buy a ticket) are at a disadvantage because latecomers often bang on the back door demanding it be opened, and the driver has to give in.
6. Lots of... trash cans!
To keep things clean, you need trash cans, and trash cans always need to be cleaned.
The design and display of the trash cans create a sense of cleanliness for the user.
Americans are very practical. To keep the streets clean, they always place large, lidless trash cans throughout the streets for people to dispose of their trash. The same is true in markets, malls, airports, etc., where large trash cans are readily available in many places, some even with separate compartments for organic waste, paper, and plastic bottles.
The practicality of Americans is also evident in public restrooms: after using the toilet, as soon as the user stands up, the toilet flushes automatically, eliminating the need for the user to find a flushing mechanism.
7. Clear and concise signage.
Clear, blue road signs are a characteristic feature of American roads.
On various roads across America, whether small roads or highways, directional signs are always clearly written in white lettering on a blue background and placed at a high vantage point for drivers to see. The information is always concise, accompanied by illustrations to help drivers identify the signs from a distance.
Upon entering the Boston Tunnel, the speed limit sign is also positioned overhead and briefly states: Speed limit 45.
The same applies to museums and public recreational areas: signage is always concise and includes easily recognizable illustrations.
Speed limit warning sign in the tunnel through downtown Boston
8. People with disabilities are given priority.
Americans prioritize people with disabilities through specific policies in their lives.
Without using slogans, Americans demonstrate their policy of prioritizing people with disabilities in daily life: parking spaces everywhere are reserved for people with disabilities closest to their destination, followed by parking spaces for mothers with young children.
Every public place in the US has dedicated walkways/elevators/toilets for people with disabilities, clearly marked with signs. Supermarkets also provide wheelchair accessible vehicles, making it easier for people to move between aisles. People with disabilities in the US can also easily use buses, as the front doors of buses are designed with ramps (which automatically lower and raise) to allow wheelchair users to enter.
Attending a university graduation ceremony, alongside the speeches by professors and students, I noticed a separate platform on the stage where a group of people took turns transmitting sign language signals, allowing deaf and mute individuals to follow the ceremony's proceedings.
9. Cars are a huge source of waste.
Every house in America has open land surrounding it, but cars have to be parked on the street all day and all night.
Most Americans own their own cars because traveling from place to place is often long and few states have public transportation. Car prices in the US are affordable; even poor people can buy used cars for a few thousand dollars, while those with over $10,000 can buy a brand new one. Therefore, buying a car in the US is similar to buying a motorbike in Vietnam.
Traveling through the northeastern United States, you might see rows of cars parked in open spaces… like toys. In many downtown areas of Chelsea and Washington D.C., people leave their cars parked in front of their houses day and night. Parking spaces in major American cities are often scarce or very expensive, and even in Boston – the capital of Massachusetts – people with cars have to travel to the city center by bus or subway.
With an annual consumption of 16-17 million cars, it's safe to say that the US is the world's largest source of automotive waste!
10. Housing reflects social status.
Although racial discrimination is taboo and enshrined in American law, Americans quietly arrange their lives in such a way that white Americans live only in middle- or upper-class neighborhoods, while Black Americans and immigrants from other continents often live in slums.
Therefore, every American city is divided into many districts, and simply mentioning where a house is located implicitly reveals a person's social status. House prices in the US don't depend on the land size or construction style, but rather on the location of the house within a particular district.
The value of an apartment in the US depends on its location and neighborhood.
Upscale neighborhoods for the wealthy are often located in the city center, but alongside them, there are always slums for the poor. For example, in Boston, houses in Beacon Hill (right in the city center) cost several million dollars, but renting or buying a house in Dorchester (a nearby area of Boston) is very cheap because that area is considered a "slum."
Similarly, West Buffalo (New York State) is considered a "slum" of the city, with some houses costing only $1,000. In New York City (New York State), Brooklyn is a slum – in contrast to Manhattan, which is an upscale area.
