I made a new friend from France last Wednesday. At the weekend, I took her to Sushi Zushi, probably the best Japanese restaurant in Austin.

When we entered the restaurant, waitresses wearing Kimonos, said “Kon’nichiwa” to us enthusiastically. They served us tamari, miso soup, ginger, and mustard. The cook rolled the sushi perfectly so that when I sank my teeth into half of it, the other half was still tight. “Sushi is the most famous kind of food in Japanese culture.” I told my friend.

Once I was ready to satisfy my sweet tooth, the Mochi ice cream hit the spot. There are six flavors to choose from; I personally chose the green tea flavor. When the medium sweetness interior mixed with the slightly bitter exterior and when the soft ice cream mingled with the solid bun that encased it, my taste buds went mad with delight.

“I love the food here! Do you feel the same?” I asked her.

“Yes!” she replied, “This is the best Chinese food I’ve ever had!” she shouted out.

Colorado River in Austin in Texas is an artwork, an angel, a blue bow, a gift of nature, a moment, a memory, a momentum, a moan. Colorado River is the moving and still, birds and trees and grass and leisurely boats, stony pavement and tiny islands and lively picnics, classic collections of luxurious hotels, five-star restaurants, buildings and magnificent bridges, and over crowded cafes, and cocktails and people.

It was a sunny day. I was standing by the Littlefield Fountain, watching the great work by sculptors. The water burst forth in an endless flow, sprays shining brightly under the sunshine. The sound of rushing water echoed with the laughter of people walking by. So obsessed with the rapid water and the magnificent sculpture, I could not look away.

Then suddenly a boy came to the frame. With curly hair and a white shirt, he did not interrupt the harmony and beauty of the whole. Rays of sunshine fell into his face and his white shirt. Water stopped. Time stilled. He stood there, looking at the fountain. I stood there, looking at him.

What’s his name? Which college was he in? Moody? McCombs? LBJ? I wanted to meet him again! I wanted to know more about him! I internally shouted to myself. The boy seemed to have a magic power that captured my mind. However, I had never seen him again since the “fountain meet.”

A few weeks later, I walked past the fountain again and thought about when I could meet that boy.

“Hey Jenny!” my friend Jack patted my shoulder and I turned to him.

“How’s everything going?” he asked me.

“Good.” I replied.

“Tell you what, I just saw a really cute guy in this gay dating app! See?” He shouted aloud and showed me his phone.

It was the boy.

As I was walking past the medical center on Guadalupe Street on my way to class, I realized I needed to drop my puppy off at my apartment. I was already late, and left with no choice but to take the bus. So I put my little lady in my schoolbag and rushed to the 672 Metro Bus station. I made a narrow slit in the zipper to ensure that she could breathe.

However, since my bag was too stuffy and congested as it was filled with textbooks, my puppy moaned, growled and scratched my bag all the time. “Oh gosh, my bag would be torn into pieces,” I said to myself. The passenger sitting beside me remained silent, but I saw him looking constantly — and curiously — into my bag.

As the bus stopped, we were both poised at the exit, ready to get out. He said what amounted to his only sentence to me: “It’s illegal to put your baby child in your bag. I will sue you.”

It’s Sunday afternoon. As normal, I entered “Smoothie King” to enjoy my drinks. I ordered a small size, but when I drank half of it, I felt I was so full. As usual, I did not drink it up.

My friend and I went to outlets at weekends. Arriving at noon, we were all hungry. We then entered “Austin’s Steak House” to enjoy the food. However, when the waiter brought the dishes to the table, we were surprised because each plate was so huge that we definitely could not eat them up.

After lunch, we went shopping. Outlets was so big that we nearly lost our way.

Personally, I wear clothes for M sometimes L size in China, but here, I only need size for S.

About the food, the inability to finish each dish leads to the waste of food and money, the waste of resources or energy. Somebody may ask, why not pack dishes and enjoy them in your dormitory? But packing also needs resources. Actually, the waste of resources or energy is present everywhere. For example, I always wonder why the indoor temperature here is so low. Is air conditioner free?

About the shopping experience, I cannot help but thinking, sometimes too many choices will lead to confusion and uncertainty. The shopping mall is so big that our desire for various goods booms. We don’t know what to buy but we want to buy everything. We were lost physically and psychologically in the mall. Besides, why does every shop lie horizontally with each other? It takes time to walk from one shop to another, under the intensive sunshine. Why cannot each shop lie vertically with each other? This can save more land resources probably and save customers’ time to walk from one shop to another.

About the clothing, since I know I only need S here, it is highly possible for me to put up weight, and actually it does happen. I was satisfied by the delusion that “Oh I only need S size here,” so I had more food everyday. The lack of self-control leads to the weight gain. The “bigger” creates delusions.

Yes, everything is bigger here, at least for me. Maybe it’s not a bad thing, and maybe I need time to adjust, but I don’t feel good about this. The “bigger” leads to the waste of resources, the confusion, the lack of self-control, and the delusion.

Appropriate is enough, enough is good.