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Ride to Mini-China

Shopping in Chinatown can be very hectic and stressful, especially getting pushed around by huge crowds. People j-walk all over the streets. The smell of food and garbage is pungent in the dirty alleyways. It can be very stinky. Hundreds of people shop in Chinatown everyday. For some, Chinatown is the most important place in their daily lives.

Chinese families love to cook fresh vegetables, fish, poultry, and much more for dinner. Soup is very popular in most Chinese families. It’s very high in nutrition and good for the body. Soup can also be a source of vitamins or medicine. Some theories claim that different types of herbs, such as ginseng, help build up the body.

The livestock the markets sell might surprise some visitors. They include frogs, turtles, internal organs, rabbits, snakes, cow tongues, pig tails, pig ears and even brains. It is said that if you eat the brain of a pig, you will be smarter. Although that’s not been scientifically proven, Chinese elderly believe in such theories. It may make us look like savages, but that’s our culture. All that matters is: fresh, cheap and healthy.

The Muni buses #30 and #9 are probably the most crowded in the city. After buying groceries, people are anxious to go home and cook for their families. Chinese people are almost always in a hurry. Sometimes, things can get out-of-hand on the bus or outside the bus. Many chase after the bus and some even get on through the back door. Senior citizens put their lives on the line, as plenty of them get pushed around, and end up hurting themselves.

San Francisco’s Chinatown attracts many tourists everyday with its inexpensive restaurants. Chinatown contains different types of ethnic restaurants like Vietnamese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese and America’s favorite: McDonald’s. Drinking tea, or “yum cha,” is a favorite tradition in Chinatown. Families will wake up early in the morning and wait in line for hours just to drink tea, read the newspaper and have breakfast at their neighborhood teahouse. Tea comes in different selections like Bo Lay, Oo Loong, Xiang Pien, etc. The variety of food, like chow mein, fried rice, wonton, pho, seafood, dim sum, spices up everyone’s meal.

Although Chinatown may not always be the best place to be, it’s a worthwhile experience. It’s also a place a lot of people depend on for groceries and lodging. Life would be a bit harder for new immigrants and others without all these resources. Without Chinatown, many Chinese Americans would not know the culture they come from. These types of activities and fairs help remind us of who we are and help us balance our Chinese and American cultures. The pushing and pulling by huge crowds may be annoying sometimes, but that’s what makes Chinatown so spiritual, unique and busy.

Many of our ancestors came from China, and this is the place where they set foot. Without them building what is now called Chinatown, I guess I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn about my Chinese heritage. I should feel very lucky to live in a city with a large number of Asian Americans. Asian Americans in other states may never get the chance to experience what I have.

It’s just like a free ride to China.