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Do you want to live in an apartment, but worry about what
you are going to eat everyday? Here are some suggestions by
the students who live in an apartment now; they come from
Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Do you think that they usually cook
by themselves or take turns with their roommates? And what
kind of food do they usually eat?
First, I interviewed, Shoko, a Japanese who is a level
four student in the UESL Program and now lives in Wahle
Apartment. She usually cooks by herself. Most of the time,
she prefers to cook Japanese food and sometimes she cooks
food from other countries, such as Italian, Chinese or
American food. It depends on her menu that she makes every
week. She likes to change the meal everyday so that she can
taste a variety of food. Even though she changes the meals,
she said it is difficult to find Japanese food or ingredients
here in Ellensburg. She has to go to Seattle to buy some
Japanese food once a month. Shoko recommends a Japanese
supermarket, Uwajimaya, which is located in Chinatown,
Seattle. If you want to buy some Japanese food, you may find
whatever you want there. In Ellensburg, she usually goes to
Safeway and Fred Meyer, because she said Safeway has more
foreign food than any other, and Fred Meyer has lots of
stuff, so she could have many choices. She usually spends
about an hour to prepare the meal; it depends on what kind of
food she cooks. Shoko is a good cook, because she could make
a nice, healthy meal. She loves cooking and eating. Moreover,
she learns how to cook from cookbooks or friends. Finally,
her husband always does the dishes, so she is very proud of
him.
Second, I interviewed Soo, a Korean who is a level
five student in the UESL Program and now lives in Anderson
Apartment. He usually cooks Korean food, but actually it is
not real traditional Korean food. It seems to be a fusion
style, because he always puts in a lot of different
ingredients. He feels it is difficult to find the Korean
food, because there is no Korean grocery in Ellensburg.
However, he goes to buy Korean food in Seattle sometimes.
Here he goes to the Albertson and the Safeway the most,
because these two supermarkets are closer to his apartment.
However, Soo does not have a wide variety of meals. He
usually makes soup (including seaweed soup), re-myon, beef,
pork, steak, and bread. It is based on whatever is in the
refrigerator. He spends less than 30 minutes to cook each
meal. Soo thinks that he is a good cook even though he said
he does not like cooking, but he said if he were not a good
cook, he would just move to a dormitory. He learned how to
cook by remembering his mom's cooking.
Finally, I interviewed Julie, a Taiwanese who is a
student in the UESL Program and now lives in Anderson
Apartment. She sometimes cooks by herself, but she usually
eats lunch in the dining hall. She likes to cook Chinese
food. Fried rice and fried noodles are her favorite food,
because she could put in whatever she wants (e.g., some
beans) with the rice or noodles. She usually makes the same
food, because she does not know how to cook. She can only
cook a few dishes. Although she really enjoys cooking, she is
scared to try new recipes. Julie also feels that it is hard
to find the Chinese food here in Ellensburg. Sometimes she
goes to the Chinese supermarkets in Seattle. In Ellensburg,
she usually goes to Safeway and Fred Meyer, because she
thinks there is a lot of stuff there and she can find out
whatever she wants in both places. She does not know how much
time exactly she spends on cooking, it depends on what kind
of food she cooks. Sometimes Julie asks her mom how to cook;
she also finds out some recipes from the Internet. But she
feels cookbooks are useless, because the directions that she
finds in them often confuse her. Finally, she cleans up when
she finishes eating.
I am also a Taiwanese who lives in the Wahle
Apartment. I prefer to cook by myself, because I do not like
to eat in the dining hall everyday. I gained lots of weight,
because dining hall is all you can eat, and most of the food
contains lots of fat. I have started to learn cooking even
though I am not a good cook. I learned how to cook from the
cookbooks or my mom. Now, I can cook many delicious dishes
without recipes. The only problem is I also have to purchase
the Chinese food from Seattle. However, I think living in an
apartment is more comfortable, because you have more choices
about what you are going to eat everyday. Finally, each
person has her own ways and choices to make their food. It
does not matter whether you are a good cook or not, you still
can make your favorite food. You will feel more satisfied by
eating your own food than you will often eating in the dining
hall.
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