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Zachary Shepard 赞（115）
I walk down the street, crowds pressing in on me from all sides. As I stroll along, my ears pick up a hacking-coughing noise, and I turn just in time to see a little old lady spit into the street. I smile, and turn my head back just in time to avoid tripping over a four year old boy peeing on the sidewalk. Turning the corner, I pass a crowd of elderly men practicing Tai Chi in the park and another gathering of significantly younger waiters participating in morning exercises in front of a restaurant. After running across the street in the midst of a cacophony of car horns, I finally step into a tiny, hole-in-the-wall restaurant and order a steaming bowl of noodles for a dollar. As I slurp my way to the bottom of the bowl armed with chopsticks and a spoon, I converse with my local Chinese tutor about her daughter's schooling and the academic pressure on both student and parent. This is just a typical hour of my life in China.At the age of seven, my parents made the decision to move overseas to the city of Kunming, China. Eleven years later, I look back at these years as the best part of my life. Granted, I have a different perspective from current expats in China, as my years there occurred as a child/teenager rather than adult. Nevertheless, I can share about the amazing aspects of China from a younger perspective.

我走上大街，立即感觉人群从四面八方涌来。我慢步走着，耳边传来一阵咳嗽声音，我扭过头去，刚好看到一个小老太一口浓痰吐在地上。我笑了笑，把头回过来恰巧避免碰倒一个在街边拉尿的四岁小孩。我转过街角，公园里有一群老大爷正在练太极，另一群年轻服务员正在一餐馆前做晨操。穿过一条充满刺耳汽车喇叭声的马路，我终于迈进了墙上满是洞的小餐馆，花了一美刀要了一碗热气腾腾的面条，我一边用筷子和勺子啧啧有声地把面条吃了个碗底朝天，一边跟我的中文老师谈论有关他女儿教育和学业给学生和家长带来的压力问题。这是我在中国生活典型的一个小时。
在我七岁的时候，我父母决定从海外搬到中国的昆明生活。11年后，当我回头看这些年历程，我觉得这是我生命中最精彩的篇章。毫无疑问，我与现在生活在中国的外籍人士有不同的视角，因为我在中国生活是青少年时期，而不是成年后。尽管如此，我可以和你分享从一个青少年视角看中国生活让人惊叹的一面。

First, the food. "Chinese" dishes in the US such as Egg Foo Young and Chow Mein may have a place in the world, but that place is not as authentic Chinese food. Real Chinese food is beyond description. Just imagine a hot bowl of fried wheat noodles, complete with tomatoes, beef, a variety of cabbage vegetables, and wonderful spices. Then imagine getting a large bowl of said noodles for about a $1.50. You just can't beat real Chinese food.Second, convenience. Living in a city of seven million, one would imagine that getting to the places you needed to go would present quite a challenge in daily life. Rather, Kunming (and many other Chinese cities) has a wonderful, intricate bus system that can take you just about anywhere for about thirty cents. If you prefer a slightly more active transportation system, biking in the middle of a Chinese city is absolutely wonderful. Granted, traffic rules here are more like guidelines, so you bike at your own risk. That being said, there are few feelings better than racing through crowded city roads at top speed dodging cars, bikes, and old ladies crossing the street. Shopping wise, with the activity or bargaining, one can purchase necessary clothes, food, and appliances for significantly cheap prices, helping you live comfortably on potentially smaller pay that you would receive in the States.Third, opportunity. In China, opportunities to participate in incredible activities open up much easier than they do in the US. For instance, my father worked here at an international clinic. Through his work he met a Canadian plastic surgeon who was performing restorative surgeries on Chinese burn victims and then helping run a rehab center for said patients. After a few conversations with the Canadian doctor, I was able to create an entire research project based on decreasing pain in the patients during rehab procedures. Where else could you set up such a project with such ease?
首先，美食。在美国常见的芙蓉蛋、炒面等“中国菜”在世界上也许有一席之地，但这并不是正宗的中国菜。真正的中国菜无法用言语来形容。想象一下，一碗热气腾腾的炒面条，配上西红柿、牛肉、各式蔬菜和绝妙调料。你再想象一下，这样的一碗面只要1.5刀。你就知道真正的中国菜是无敌于天下的。
第二，便利。生活在700万人口的大城市，你也许会觉得日常生活中去你想去的地方是一个极大的挑战。出人意料的是，昆明和很多其他中国城市都有一个神奇和复杂的公交系统，你只需花30美分就能搭乘去城市的任何角落。如果你喜欢更积极的出行方式，在中国城市骑车绝对精彩。当然，在中国交通规则只是一个摆设，因此骑车有风险，上路需谨慎。话虽如此，当你快速穿行充满急驶急停的汽车、自行车及无数横穿马路老太太的拥挤城市道路时，没有什么比这种感觉更爽的了。购物方面，如果你会砍价，你可以明显的低价买到生活必须的衣服、食品和电器等，这样虽然你薪水拿的比美国低，但是生活还是很滋润的。
第三，机会。在中国参加各种活动的机会比美国容易多了。比如，我父亲在这里的国际诊所工作，通过工作认识了一位正在为一位中国的烧伤患者做恢复性手续加拿大的整形医生，他需要帮忙建立一个恢复中心。在和这位加拿大医生交谈几句后，我父亲就得以创建一个基于在康复过程中患者减轻疼痛研究项目。哪还有什么地方容易得到这样创建项目的机会呢？

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