duckyping2007-11-07 20:44:30回複悄悄話
I came to the states in 1987. In oregon, Coke or any soft drink cans worth 5 cents each when you return the can at any gerocery store. Every Saturday morning, I picked up cans and went to Safeway exchanged for money and bought next week food. American students usually have parties Friday night, so I could pick up about $10 cans. That was one of my way to save money. Of course, lots of other experiences. They sound so hard, but I trully believed it was a very good and valuable experiencs. It will benefit all my life.
tcsbos2007-11-07 16:55:05回複悄悄話
My kids now that their daddy doesn't stay away from anything chicken...I ate all of my lifetime allocation of the chicken in one year: chicken quarters on sell at $0.99/lbs. No kidding! Lived on $20/month. I was thankful that the chicken were priced to my "income" in those days. :-)
BTW, since 東北老蔫兒 mentioned about the root "beer", I will tell a root beer story. I once went to a dinner at American firend's house, a young college girl living with her sister. There were also two Pakistan friends present. The girls asked what kind of drinks we would like to have and said that they had Coke, soda, and root beer... Upon hearing this, the two Pakistanian friends stopped the girls and vigorously said: "No, No, No, No acohoolic beverage!" It almost killed me trying the suppress myself from laughing out...I could tell that the girls were on the same boat.
regbuz2007-11-07 14:49:56回複悄悄話
i rememeber that time the happiest thing was to eat PizzaHut Buffet, and thought all ways to eat more. Not drink any soda while eating, only drink afterwards. Then one time i really almost became the doctor in movie "Huo2 Zhe"....
Koolb2007-11-07 14:11:59回複悄悄話
I came to US in 1999, my life was in between, not to thrifty, but not as luxury as students now. Our country is really getting more rich.
蔡真妮2007-11-07 06:14:34回複悄悄話
金色麥田:恕俺愚鈍,你讓俺改什麽?
東北老蔫兒:一大瓶Root Beer,俺又有素材了。
jwayne_1:“the important thing is: there's nothing wrong with being poor as long as you have a clear goal and work hard toward it.”
說得多好。
jwayne_12007-11-07 01:12:50回複悄悄話
i remember those times. i wasn't that poor but i did bring my own soda (non-brand name) to lunch and took one every day from my locker. my american classmates laugh me at drinking "warm" soda and i laugh at them wasting money from vending machine :) i had another chinese classmate who would take $5 from ATM each week. i don't think you can do that these days. but the important thing is: there's nothing wrong with being poor as long as you have a clear goal and work hard toward it.
有個打工的留學生在廚房一不小心切下手指半截,疼昏過去,醒來後又站到爐台前,誰拉都拉不動。
在莫斯科碰到個訪問學者,呆了三個月,頓頓方便麵,後來麵也吃完了就餓著,暈倒過好幾回,就盼著有人請吃,吃一次頂三四天。
太有同感了,我們這批人真的是臥薪嚐膽,苦盡甘來。如今我一看到那些花錢大手大腳的人就氣不打一處來,而對買便宜貨,省吃儉用的人,立馬就生好感,可能和那個年代受的刺激有關。
謝謝分享好文章,讓我回憶起很多。。。。。
感謝爹娘給了副好身板,從小到大幾乎沒生過病。
to the porter since I thought he is free.
BTW, since 東北老蔫兒 mentioned about the root "beer", I will tell a root beer story. I once went to a dinner at American firend's house, a young college girl living with her sister. There were also two Pakistan friends present. The girls asked what kind of drinks we would like to have and said that they had Coke, soda, and root beer... Upon hearing this, the two Pakistanian friends stopped the girls and vigorously said: "No, No, No, No acohoolic beverage!" It almost killed me trying the suppress myself from laughing out...I could tell that the girls were on the same boat.
再說, 隻不過牙痛而已嘛! 咱們的智齒痛了兩三月, 晃晃悠悠的, 自己拔了三, 信不?
唉! 二十年後, 兩個兒子, 一人花我一千五大洋拔智齒, 還喊痛! 唉, 不說了!
我當年每天沒命地在披薩店苦幹,除了掙錢,還就是為了打烊後有不要的披薩可以帶走.這樣連夥食費都省了.
現在偶爾我還會去吃吃披薩,可是味道與當年真是兩回事...
此話說得我淚流滿麵,沒經曆過的人難有同等的感受。好文!
東北老蔫兒:一大瓶Root Beer,俺又有素材了。
jwayne_1:“the important thing is: there's nothing wrong with being poor as long as you have a clear goal and work hard toward it.”
說得多好。