我的爱情观

我从来都不觉得星座测试或是什么心理测试很准，只是闲来无聊时看看听听或是开开玩笑罢了。但是有一个心理测试却无意间猜的挺准，测的是什么是你人生中最重视的，我的选择代表的是爱情。

关于爱情，它之所以重要是因为对我而言它是家庭幸福的基础，从真正的意义上来说，家庭，对我来说是最重要的。我觉得相爱的两个人才会努力改变／迁就而只为博得对方一笑；一方付出多余一方的感情不容易维持很久，虽然大部分人都想要，或是欣然接受对方的多付出。

传统观念里，家长们还是很重视门当户对的，只是我更喜欢三毛对“门当户对”的新阐释。

“我认为年龄、经济、国籍，甚至于学识都不是择偶的条件，固然对一般人来说这些条件当然都是重要的，但是我认为最重要的，还是彼此的品格和心灵，这才是我们所要讲求的所谓‘门当户对’的东西。”

我 一直很相信缘分，也很相信感觉。如果对他有感觉，我才可能想要与他开始一段感情。也许是受到父母经历的影响，对我来说，感情一向不是儿戏，交往是彼此了解 的过程，更是让我清楚能否与他建立幸福家庭的过程。如果在了解的过程中，彼此越来越喜欢，甚至升华到爱，那我就不要放手，勇敢去爱，因为爱一次就够了，也 因为我找到了爱情的归宿。相反，如果在了解的过程中没有更加喜欢对方，甚至有些厌倦对方，那我就会像三毛说的那样，“不合意的东西，是应该舍弃的，不必留 恋它们，哪怕只是一件，也不必把他留下来。”

所以，当我说喜欢你，那是我当下对你的好感；当我说爱你，那你就是我全部的爱情。

对我亲爱的家人和一如既往关心我的朋友，我只想说：

我放开的是与你亲昵的时间，放不开的是对你的关心与思念。

我庆幸自己的选择，脱离家人的保护，我活的自在许多，在这里我学会自立，能追求我的梦想，纵使有千万般的思念，我依旧感到满足。所以，不用担心我的改变，因为我还是我，我的心一直都在你那边。。。

p.s. 之前说的心理测试如下

［假如你在森林里有五只动物，它们分别是马，牛，羊，虎，孔雀，你有一天必须离开而且只能带一个动物走，你会选择哪一个？］

马 代表自由

牛 代表事业

羊 代表爱情

虎 代表自尊

孔雀 代表金钱

what I like in America

I love my big warm Gardner Fam! 
I enjoy talking with Lori, Dave and Cristie, and I love hearing them laugh! 

I feel being loved when Joel and Heather cared about me. Little Spencer is gorgeous! 

I love to spend time in Josh and Melodie's amazing home. They both are good teachers and great cooks. 

I love to hear Matt's sweet voice on the phone, especially when he talked to his mom. 
I love to see Joseph, Caitie and Jeff's funny faces! 

I love to make friends from different countries. 

I love brothers and sisters in church. 
I love to share what I have with others. 

I love to be a babysitter and could help with Melodie. 

I love to hear Americans say "Hey" " Thank you" "Excuse me"...... 

And I love the love of my life--Steve Gardner

 

A LONG LONG TRIP

今天是我开学以来的第一个周末，虽然只上了两天课，课程也不多，但是作业还是蛮多的，需要我花时间精力去做，所以对于这个周末我是期待已久。

在uvu，我认识了很多来自不同国家，不同肤色的人，大家一起学英语是那么的有趣，好像所有人都变的爱说话了，因为想练习口语。这几天，和我的同学的相处，更让我强烈的感受到不同国家／文化背景对我的吸引。

虽然这个周末没有什么衣服要洗，自己坐公交去盐湖城也会很麻烦，但是还是非常想去，可能是因为一个人在宿舍会觉得孤单，无所事事，也可能是因为太想和孩子们一起玩，总之，我就拿着josh给我的乘车路线出发了。不幸的是，今天是周六，几乎所有的公交都一个小时一班，而我又偏偏起晚，错过了第一班车。于是，我决定改乘中午12点的班车。到了uvu以后，811路车刚走，所以我需要等一个小时，不过没关系，我带了作业也带了书可以看。只不过没想到的是，过了一小时后还是没有811的踪影，又是一大段等待的时间。。。。1：50，班车终于来了，司机也很不好意思让我们等那么久 ，（因为车坏了，修了很长时间）一路上挺悠闲的，由于我的换乘站就是811的终点站，所以我一点都不担心。1小时以后，我如愿的找到了需要换乘的车站，还算顺利。上了车，才想起来需要下车的站并不是终点站，而且美国的站台并不象中国的站还写上所有站的名字，标识得很清楚，我又从没坐过这车，想到这些 ，我顿时紧张起来，开始担心自己坐过站。于是，我开始睁大眼睛看路边的路标，找我要的路的名字，分清南北方向，大概十分钟后，我发现了一个简单的方法，其实只要看路边的房子又大又清楚的号码，就不会坐过站了。就这样我顺利的到达第二个换乘车站。等车的时候，突然想起，那个位置离josh家很近了，于是我就开始打电话问路了。通话之后，我觉得还是走路最省时间，虽然街上没什么人。别人不知道的，看见我一个人带着太阳帽，背着又大又重的书包，手里还拿着类似地图类的东西，一定会以为我在徒步旅行。磨磨蹭蹭的我，到了4点钟还没到josh家。在接近目的地时，好心的melodie开车找到了我。到了家才知道，可怜的josh生病了，孩子们都没有吃午饭，于是我就帮着melodie一起做下午饭（午饭＋晚饭）

其实今天有点遗憾，因为mat家要打里花园，我本想加入一起玩的，只可惜把时间都浪费在路上了。还好晚上mat带着aliya过来和我们一起玩了羽毛球，所以无论是大人还是孩子都玩得挺尽兴的。

晚上，melodie特意十分耐心地教我做我最喜欢的美国菜cream cheese chicken，这让我非常开心！因为我终于可以不在学校的餐厅吃饭了，那里又贵又不好吃，现在我自己可以做四种美国菜，哈哈，下个星期不用挨饿了！

我发自内心的感谢josh and melodie一家人，让我度过那么愉快的周末。明天是母亲节，不知我mom会为姥姥做什么呢？只可惜我现在也不能为我mom做什么，只能祝福全天下所有的母亲节日快乐，永远健康／幸福！

我在美国的家

4月28日早晨一大早，Cristie就风尘仆仆的赶到Dave and Lori家接我回SLC，准备搬进我的新家。告别Lori一家后，我们还光临了Cristie的妹妹Melanie的家，在那里，Cristie的妈妈和三个女儿欢聚一堂，而我也可以用中文跟Josh Law聊天。在我享用了两顿丰富的早餐后，我与Cristie又一路高歌向Josh and Melodie的家驶去。
临近家门时，我还想着孩子们都在不在家呢？伸头探了一下后，有点失望，没有人在家。可就在这时，我听见Jarom的声音“ALINA,ALINA!"看到他在车里向我挥手，我又开心起来。一下车，Jarom and Rachel就扑到我身上，Rachel还特别开心的向我展示她的芭蕾裙。Jarom最有趣，一直要我抱着他，反复的问我,"你这次来了就不走了吧？为什么你每天总是跑来跑去的？"在我告诉他，我今天只是回来拿行李准备搬家时，他显得非常失望。他沉默了很久，跑到我跟前跟我说了一句让我非常开心的话，他说：“我这几天一直很想你，我非常喜欢你！”就是这句简单的话让我开心了一整天！来到这里两个多星期了，无论是哪家的孩子，都特别可爱，我都非常乐意与他们玩。可能是由于中国的家庭没有那么多的孩子，我才那么期待与这些孩子们一起玩吧。

拿了行李之后，我更是激动万分的前往我在美国的家。在美国，那只是一个普通的房子，但是跟我在北京的宿舍比起来，真是大很多！我原来北京的家只有一个很小的床，很小的书桌，在加上两个柜子。根本没有浴室／洗手间在屋内，还要在加3个人跟我一起住，可以说非常拥挤与不方便。而这里的家，不仅有两个浴室，阳台，还有个大客厅和厨房。相比起来，这里更像是自己的家。而且我的两个室友,Caitie and Janea都是非常好的人。

刚搬来的时候，我基本上和Caitie形影不离，她总是开车送我去学校，带我去超市以及各种商店，纠正我错误的英语发音，总之，她给了我非常大的帮助，我很感激她为我做的一切！在我眼里，她是一个热情／开朗／美丽／独立／有趣的女孩，我非常喜欢她！

现在，我的美国的家，一切都准备完善了，我可以在这里重新开始我向往的生活，和可爱的Caitie一起欢度暑假，这让我更加期待今后的每一天。

Translation:

My American Family/Apartment (in Chinese the word "family" can also mean "house" and in this blog post both topics are discussed, so I've decided not to make a decision about which word was meant, but rather place both words in the title.)

Early in the morning on April 28th, Cristie rushed up to Dave and Lori’s house to take me back to SLC, and then on to my apartment in Orem. After saying goodbye to Lori, I went to Melanie Law’s house where Gammy and her three daughters were gathered. I was able to speak Chinese with Josh Law, and after my second hearty breakfast of the day, Cristie rushed me back to Josh and Melodie’s house. As we approached their house, I kept wondering if the kids were home or not. When I poked my head around and realized they weren’t home I was quite disappointed. All the sudden I heard Jarom’s little voice scream “ALINA, ALINA!” As I saw him waving to me from their car, my heart suddenly warmed with happiness. As soon as they got out the of the car, Rachel and Jarom jumped into my arms. Rachel was so excited to show me her ballet dress, and Jarom held tightly to me as he said “this time you’re not going to leave are you? Why do you always leave?” I told him that I was only planning to grab my luggage and head off, which disappointed him greatly. After holding tightly to me for a long time, he whispered something in my ear that totally made my whole day, he said “Alina, I’ve really missed you, I really like you!” As simple as these words were, after hearing him say them I really was happy throughout the whole day! After being here for a little more than two weeks, it just doesn’t matter whose children I get to play with, they are all so cute and fun! I just love being able to play with them. Maybe its because Chinese families never have so many kids that I get so excited to play with them like I do. After I got all of my luggage, I was excited to finally be moving into my new, American apartment. By American standards, this is a really normal apartment, but if you compare it to my apartment in Beijing, it is a mansion! In Beijing four girls shared a small room with double bunk beds, two small desks, and two small clothes cabinets. There was no running water, let alone a bathroom and shower inside the apartment. To put it mildly, it was cramped and inconvenient. But my apartment here not only has TWO bathrooms, but it also has a balcony, a kitchen, and a big living room. As I compare them, really this is the only place that feels like home. As an added bonus, my roommates, Caitie and Janea are both such wonderful people! Basically since the time I moved into my new apartment Caitie and I haven’t separated. She is constantly giving me rides to school or to the store. She corrects my English mistakes and pronunciation problems, and all in all has just been an incredible help. I am so grateful for everything she has done! In my eyes, she is a loving, kind, beautiful, independent, capable, and fun girl, I love her! Now that I have settled into my American apartment, I am ready to begin a whole new adventure! Because I get to spend my summer together with Caitie, I really look forward to each and every day!

美国的教会

昨天周末上午，我第一次拜访美国的教会。
我与DAVE和他的四个孩子（除了EMILIE生病在家休息）到达时已经晚了五分钟，所以我们静静的找座位坐下。这个教堂不是很大，只有一层，但是非常干净，而且有很多房间。对于第一部分的演讲，我没什么兴趣，因为不容易听懂，而且JACOB又在旁边捣蛋，所以基本上我陪他玩了一个小时。在那一小时中，还有一家人来晚了，他们刚好坐我们前面。有一个差不多一岁左右的小男孩，从坐下后一直盯着我看，我笑他也笑，我又笑他又跟着笑，弄得他爸爸都不知怎么了。在教会，多小的孩子都可以带进去，他们大多有自己的小西服、小皮鞋，特别可爱！在第一部分结束后，他们都会有人带着玩，或者学习一些道理。但是实际上，他们得等到八岁以后才能洗礼，进而成为教会的一员。
而后，随着年龄的不同，教会的人会到不同的地方学习。而我也就跟着两个小的凑热闹去了。那是一个有很多小孩在一起的课堂，有三个老师：一个教唱歌，一个带着玩游戏讲道理，一个弹琴。其实，讲课的内容就是经文里简单的故事，歌曲都是非常好听抒情的教会歌，游戏就是教孩子学会懂事，做正确的事。在我看来，对于很多没有信仰的人来说，教会里的人所做的事情是很难理解的。但是每一次我遇见教会的人，都能感受到他们说话的真诚，他们对上帝的感谢发自肺腑。
最后一部分是几个家庭孩子在一起，由一个家长讲课。我被DAVE当作嘉宾介绍给7到8个孩子，他们都觉得非常好奇，一个接一个的问题，还有的小家伙老冲我出怪相。在我们结束的时候，更有一个小男孩在学会说“再见”后，总是来回跑过来跟我说，异常兴奋。于是我的第一次美国教会经历就被孩子团团包围着，怎么说那也是一种别样的快乐啊！
在我眼里，这个教会里的人都是善良的、真诚的、友好的。教会就像是一个大家庭，充满和谐与温暖。

Translation:
Church in America
Yesterday afternoon I went to church in America for the first time.
When Dave and I and four of his kids (Emily stayed home sick) arrived at church we were already about five minutes late, so we quietly entered and found our seats. This church isn’t very big- only one story- but it is extremely clean, and has lots of little rooms in it. I wasn’t really interested in the first speaker, mostly because I didn’t really understand him, and Jacob was wiggling and playing with me. Basically I just played with him for the first hour. After we had arrived, another family sat in front of us in Sacrament meeting. They had a one-year-old child. From the time he sat down until the end of the meeting, he just stared right at me. If I smiled, he would smile, if I laughed, he laughed, his dad knew something was happening, but I don’t know if he ever figured out why his son was acting so strange. At church, even the smallest children are invited to participate, and they all wear their tiny little suits and dresses, it is so cute! After the first hour, the kids will be separated into classes to play or to learn church teachings, but they have to wait until they are 8 years old before they can be baptized and become official members of the church. After sacrament meeting, people go to different classes based on their age. I went with to class with the little kids. There were three teachers there, one lead the music, one lead the games, and one played the piano. Actually, the lessons are simplified bible stories, the songs are beautiful church songs, and the games are meant to teach the kids important life lessons like how to be a good person. For non-religious people, church is such a strange thing, so hard to understand. But without exception, I’ve felt that each person I’ve met who is religious has a deep and sincere appreciation for God. For the last hour of church the kids separate again into classes with one teacher. Dave introduced me to his class of 7 or 8 children as a special guest. They were all so curious, each child bombarding me with questions, while one little guy made funny faces at me. When we were ready to finish, I taught one of the boys how to say “goodbye” in Chinese. He was so funny, he would run up to me again and again to shout out “goodbye” to me. So my first experience at church was consumed by playing with small children, it was such a fun experience!
In my opinion, every member of this church is so kind, sincere, and friendly. Church here is like a big family, full of harmony and warmth.

美国奇怪的雪！

今天真是不寻常的一天！早晨一起床，就觉得天很阴，没有一点阳光，不同于往日。报纸也说今天可能会下雨。但是出人意料的是，早上9点多开始就飘起了雪花，更令人咋舌的是，雪越下越大！没一会，外面就成了银装素裹的世界。
本来我是非常喜欢雪景的，已经拿了相机拍了不少。但是今天有三场足球赛，分别是Lori and Dave的孩子Joseph、Jacob、Sarah的比赛。因为雪太大，很多人都不能玩了。而我们也白跑了一趟，因为比赛被取消了。但是也有一些比较开心的事。那就是我跟Lori学了不少美国儿童歌，更有趣的是我学的慢，所有的孩子都跟着我一起慢慢的唱，非常可爱！而且今天我和每个孩子都有时间好好相处。


对了，之前还没有介绍Lori and Dave的家。他们家住的海拔比较高，在几座山之间，他们家附近有一些农场，所以很容易看见奶牛、马，当然也容易闻到一些动物的气味，尤其是我刚来的时候。他们一共有5个孩子。算是比较大的家庭了，但是Lori总觉得房子小，要换更大的房子。总的来说，这个家庭非常开心、非常友好也非常有趣。妈妈Lori非常大方和蔼，她非常爱笑，非常会理解你，她不用工作，基本每天都在家，但是她非常会照顾孩子，也非常会装饰屋子。她喜欢油漆自己的房子，画一些好看的花在墙上。爸爸Dave非常爱运动，以至于他的孩子都像他，很喜欢各种各样的运动。他是足球教练，有时候会晚回家，回来后有时间看球赛一定会看，当然他也会陪孩子一起玩，哪怕是很幼稚的游戏。他们的孩子有很多优点。我最喜欢的是他们非常友好，不粘人，而且口齿非常清楚。他们的眼睛非常好看，因为没有丝毫对陌生人的敌意与陌生。
Joseph 今年11岁了，很有大哥哥的风范。非常喜欢足球，喜欢新鲜的事物，也喜欢出怪相。记得我第一次到他家，他就给我看他画的游戏说明，说有空我可以和他们玩。那时就让我感觉他非常友善，不像看起来的那样不容易亲近。

Sarah 9岁，是一个非常美丽又可爱的女孩！我很难想象一个漂亮的女孩会喜欢踢足球，把自己弄得脏脏的也不在乎，可是Sarah就是这样一个小女孩。她基本上很好说话，但是当妹妹做了些不合时宜的事情，她会明确告诉她不能那么做。她喜欢静静地看着你，听你的一言一语。我刚来的时候，她非常开心的给我看她的小车，写出她的中文名字。我并不认为她喜欢中文，她只是写出来让我开心，算是欢迎我的到来。还有一点非常重要，那就是她有一副好嗓子！她可以唱很多儿童歌，非常好听、sweet。

Jacob 5岁了，他长的像个小猴子，很瘦但很精神。他喜欢别人陪他玩，但是没有人陪他，他一个人也能玩好一阵子。他喜欢你抱着他，随便做什么他就会很开心。虽然才5岁，但是他已经可以踢足球了，非常了不起！
Becka 一个四岁的小女孩。平时挺懂事的，但是有时候喜欢抢小妹妹的玩具。在她看电影的时候，很喜欢被别人抱着，如果你不抱她，她就硬往你身上蹭，反正一定要坐上去。

Emilie 这是最小的孩子，快两岁了。能跑，也能说一些简单的单词。一开始，她不容易接受陌生人，她非常粘她的妈妈，找不到妈妈就哭。如果碰到哪了，也会哭。这点不像baby Josh那样勇敢。她不喜欢你跟她出怪相，她喜欢你表扬她，陪她一起开心。当她一直哭的时候，你不用抱她，你只要站在她旁边，把她的头轻轻靠在你的腿上，她就会好很多，当然很多时候这一招也不管用，最好还是别让她哭。。。。

总之，这一家人都非常容易相处，都很可爱。希望可爱的人都幸福！
Translation:

Crazy Snow!




Today was crazy! As I awoke this morning I noticed that the sky was dark, even though the sun was coming up with the morning, there was no sunshine. The newspapers said today might rain. Imagine my surprise when at about 9:00 O’clock this morning snowflakes began to fall. Incredibly the snow continued to fall harder and harder, until after a very short period of time the whole world around me was blanketed in snow.
Usually I love the snow, it is so beautiful and I have already taken many pictures. But today Joseph, Jacob, and Sarah all had soccer matches scheduled. Because of the snow the matches were all cancelled, but we didn’t know that until we actually drove all the way to the field. Of course every snowcloud has a silver lining, and this was no exception. With our extra time today Lori and her kids spent the day teaching many different childrens’ songs. It was so cute, because this was the first time I had ever heard these songs, and I learned them very slowly, but the kids started singing with me at my pace! Oh it was so cute! I was so happy that we could spend our extra time playing together.
That’s right, I still haven’t introduced Dave and Lori’s family. Their home is situated in the midst of farms and pastures surrounded by mountains. It is normal to see (and smell) all kinds of horses and cows. When I first arrived the scent was especially obvious. They have five kids, a pretty big family. Lori thinks they have outgrown their home and need a bigger one. As a quick summary, this is an extremely happy, friendly, and fun family. The mom, Lori, is so kind and generous, and loves to laugh. She has a way of understanding exactly how you feel. She doesn’t work outside of the home, and spends all her time and energy and does an incredible job taking care of her kids, and decorating the home. For example she enjoys painting beautiful flowers on the walls. Dave is the dad. He loves athletics, and his children have really taken after him. He is a soccer coach, which sometimes makes it so he gets home late. If there is time at night he loves to watch sports, and also loves to play with the kids—even if the kids only want to play really childish games. The kids have so many great qualities, but my favorite thing about them is how friendly they are. They love to play with each other, and also with me, and they enunciate their words very clearly! They have such beautiful eyes, and don’t waste even on second deciding if you are a good or a bad person, they just want to be your friend!
Joseph is 11 years old, and is a great older brother. He loves soccer, anything new, and making extremely expressive funny faces. I remember when I first arrived at his house he showed me the instructions for the game he made, and said I could play with them when I had time. That really made me feel how kind he is, and I truly felt warmly welcomed.
Sarah, 9, is really a beautiful little girl! It is so hard for me to believe that such a beautiful little girl would love to play soccer play or get dirty playing outside, but that is how Sarah is. She has a sweet voice and generally is very kind, but will also be firm and clear if her siblings do something they shouldn’t. She enjoys quietly observing me, and carefully listening to my every word. When I first arrived, she was so excited to show me her little car, and also to show off that she can write her name in Chinese. I don’t think she is really interested in Chinese as a second language, when she wrote her name for me I felt like it was her way of making me feel welcome. It truly made me so happy! I love when she sings too. Her voice is sooooo sooo sweet.
Jacob is 5 years old, and like a little monkey, is both skinny and full of life. He loves it when others play with him, but is perfectly content to play by himself also. He also loves to snuggle. Really he is happy playing anything with you. Although he is only 5 years old, he can already play soccer, amazing!
Becka is a four-year-old girl. She generally is very good, but sometimes likes to steal her little sister’s toys. She loves to snuggle while watching movies. If you don’t hold her, she will wiggle her way into your lap… she loves that!
Emile is the youngest, she is almost two. She can run well, and say a few simple words. When she first meets a stranger she will cling to her mom rather than play with someone new. If she can’t find her mom she will cry. Unlike baby Joshua, if she bumps her head she will easily cry, and she doesn’t like to be chased around like he does. She prefers that you compliment her, and make her happy. If she is really crying, it doesn’t do any good to hold her, the best thing you can do for her is to stand next to her and softly hold her head against your leg… before long she’ll be okay. Of course sometimes this doesn’t work either, so the best method is simply not to make her cry!
Simply put, this is a cute family that oh so easily accepts you into their circle. I really hope they will always continue to be this happy！

美国印象

2009年4月15日下午5点左右，我顺利抵达美国盐湖城。当我看到四周全是外国人时，不知心里是激动还是不知所措。美国机场跟中国有所不同。我能看到很多推车放在一旁，但没有人使用。尝试后，才发现使用推车是要收费的。正当我踌躇着是否用那个小型推车时，Caitie发现了我，我这才舒了一口气。
我接到行李出门后，才发现外面非常冷，虽然Caitie and Cristie都穿的不多，但是我们上了车就没问题了。在车上，她们和我打招呼的方式，是问我旅途怎么样啊，她们有多开心我能来犹他啊，而不会问我，你在飞机上吃的怎么样啊，冷不冷啊。。。美国人很少握手，取而代之的是拥抱，这一点让我觉得非常友好与贴心。
一路上，我发现有很多山，但又不同于中国的山。中国的山，高且陡；犹他的山，宽且大，连成一片，给人以十分壮丽的景象。美国的道路也非常直，岔路很少，路标也不多，弄清东南西北，就很容易认路了。其实美国的公路像中国的高速，没有人，车多且快。道路旁边是一些低矮的平房，一般是各种商店，它们的广告大概都在中国高速公路路牌的位置。当你进入美国任何一家小商店时，基本上销售员都会说：“Hello! How are you?"
听起来像是你的好朋友一样，但其实这就是他们打招呼的基本方式，就像我们说“欢迎光临”一样。
在这里，你别想看到很多高楼大厦，因为基本上都是2到3层高，我见过唯一的高楼是跟教会有关的。当我们的车开进住宅小区，我发现每个家庭都有自己的停车库，每一个家庭都有自己的花园（基本有前院和后院），每个家庭的房子都3层左右。一层是客厅、厨房；二层是卧室、洗手间；地下一层是卧室或储藏室、洗衣房，等等。这里的房子都非常大，但有些有4、5个孩子的家庭，还想要更大的房子。
现在再来说说屋里的新鲜东西。Dishes Washer(洗碗碟的机器），这个机器可以给妈妈省下大量的时间，很多孩子或者客人吃完饭了，就可以把碗碟刀叉放进水池，简单冲洗一下，然后可以把要洗的所有东西（包括锅），按大小顺序放入机器，然后把一个小方块的洗涤灵放入机器，合上就可清洗了。而且这个机器一点也不占地方，就在水池下面，不会露出来，看起来像洗衣机，非常神奇！还有一个非常好的机器，就是洗衣机和甩干机，这个机器，就像两个洗衣机。什么样的衣服放进去都能洗，因为你可以选择手洗或棉衣洗或者其他。你可以放洗衣液和清香液到洗衣机里。等洗完后，把衣服全都放入甩干机，并放入一张香纸，选择甩干的程度，然后就完成了。所以美国洗过的衣服出来都是干的、热的，不需要放到阳台晾干，那样会影响美观。
美国人的普通家庭有一个特色，那就是他们的冰箱总是塞满了东西，储藏室也放满了各种食品，他们总是一次开车出去购物很多，买材料回家里做菜，这样会非常省钱。在美国，一般早晨都固定吃cereal，因为营养、健康又方便。中午和晚上吃的都比较丰富。而且每顿饭都有一杯喝的东西，像橘子汁之类。如果你在美国人的家庭用餐，你最好不要张开嘴咀嚼，因为让他们看见你嘴里的食物是非常不礼貌的。我想，在中国不容易做到那样，因为中国人喜欢吃热食，趁热吃，如果很烫，不容易做到不张嘴。。。
犹他大部分时间天气都非常好，万里晴空、风和日丽的，但是春天就已经很像中国的初夏，据说夏天会更热。相信在这边待上一阵子，我会了解更多，希望在这里的每一天都是快乐的！
Translation：
Impressions of America
April 15, 2009, at about 5 PM, I touched down, for the first time, in America (in Salt Lake City.) As I looked around and realized there were no Chinese anywhere to be found, I don’t know if what I felt was excitement or just bewilderment. There are some differences between airports in America and airports in China. I saw so many unused carts, and only when I tried to take one did I realize that you have to pay to use them! Just as I was debating whether or not to pay for that little cart, Caitie saw me, and I finally was able to breeth a sigh of relief.
After we got our luggage and walked out of the airport I realized that it was freezing outside, but Caitie and Cristie appeared as if they were dressed for summertime! However, after I got in the car I didn’t feel cold anymore. After I got in the car they began our conversation by asking me how my trip went, and telling me how excited they were that I made it to Utah. They didn’t ask me how the airplane food was, or whether I was cold or not…(typical Chinese way of starting a conversation). Americans rarely shake hands, it seems they always hug me, which makes me feel very loved.
While on the road I noticed there were many mountains, but they weren’t like the mountains in China. Chinese mountains are so tall and steep, but these “Utah” mountains were wide and long, and appeared linked together, it is such a beautiful site to see. American roads are both straight and wide, and forks in the road are few and far between. Road signs are rare, but as long as you can tell North from South, it is very easy to figure out where you are. It seems like normal American roads are like highways in China; no pedestrians, and the cars drive very fast. On the side of the road there are many one and two-story buildings, usually stores. The billboards along the road are basically done the same way they are done in China. When you go into a store, pretty much what everyone says is “Hello! How are you?” When they say that it sounds like we are old friends, but actually that is just how you say hello here, just like in China how they would say “welcome”.
Don’t expect to find any tall sky-scrapers here, pretty much every building is either 2 or three stories. The only tall building I’ve seen was the Church Office Building. When we drove through residential areas I realized that pretty much every home has its own garage, each family has their own yard (usually both a front and a back yard),and each home is about three stories tall. On one floor you’ll find the living room and kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms are on the second floor, the basement usually has bedrooms or storage rooms, or laundry rooms, etc. Here the homes are huge, but some of these families have four or five kids, and want an even bigger house.
I’d like to talk about a cool little gadget they use here. The dish washer. This thing can really save a lot of time for mothers. When children or guests finish eating everyone can simply organize all their pots, pans, and silverware into the dishwasher, add some soap, close the door, and voilà! This machine doesn’t even take up space, it fits nicely under the counter next to the sink, and it looks like a washing machine. Amazing! Another wonderful contraption is the clothes dryer, which looks like a second washing machine. You can wash any clothes in American washing machines, because they have different settings, including hand-wash. After the clothes are washed, just put all the wet clothes directly into the dryer, put a nice-smelling dryer sheet in, and turn it on. Thus when clothes are washed in America, they come out dry and hot, you don’t even need to hang them up outside!
Most American families have a few things in common, their fridges are always stuffed with food, and they even fill entire storage rooms with excess foods. Generally they save a lot of money by buying bulk, and then making all their meals at home. Generally everyone here eats cereal for breakfast, because it is both nutritious and convenient. Lunch and dinner have a ton of variety. Also each meal is accompanied by a drink, like orange juice. If you eat in an America home, be careful not to chew with your mouth open, because it is really impolite. I think this is really difficult for Chinese, because we love to eat hot foods, while they are hot… if the food is really hot, it’s not easy to close your mouth while eating…
The weather in Utah has been incredible, clear skies, warm, and accompanied by a pleasant breeze. Springtime here feels like the beginning of Fall in China, I worry that it is only going to get hotter. I’m sure I’ll know more about America after I have been here for a little while longer, I hope each day here will be a happy one!