New to Minnesota: Yu's First Year in MN

I came up with a list of things that were new for Yu in Minnesota and a lit of some cultural differences Yu faces in his new home.

Winters -- Burrrrr!!!!
Yu has settled more into life in Minnesota, USA.  He found it very hard to deal with differences and changes.  Weather was and is a big deal to get used to.  Weather in Minnesota (MN) is different than in Shanghai.  For one factor, MN have more extreme cold winters than Shanghai has.  We have more dry air which makes it us have some drying skin or very chapped lips from the cold winds.  Yu found himself using more chap-sticks for his lips and try to protect his skin more.

MN Nice -- Well-mannered
Yu found that his time in MN has showed him a new kindness that is unique to him.  In MN we have a thing called Minnesota Nice.  Many people whom live in MN find it a way to be kind to everyone, which is a stereotype of MN.  We find it to be a little joke or something that is laughable a little.  Yu actually says that it is a real thing because he runs into many situations where people were nice to total strangers.  Many times he was lost or forgot where to go and many times there were strangers offering to help him.  This simple act of kindness that we find normal in MN is something that doesn't really happen where he is from.  He was even touched by how an old woman came up to him offering to take him home when he was a little lost.

Smoking --
Yu found that adapting to MN views about smoking to be a little different than in Shanghai.  Many Chinese find smoking to be a relaxing past time, a way to celebrate, a social thing, and a way to be kind to others (as in offering a cigarette to others).  In MN smoking is more viewed negatively.  In many places in China, smoking is okay.  If you walk around town you can see people smoke in restaurant, outside the door of buildings, sometimes in shopping centers people might smoke.  The only time you see people not smoking would be on public transpiration or where there may be signs posted.  It is much different in MN.  In MN it is against the law to smoke in restaurant or other areas.  In MN you have to stand a great distance from entrances of buildings to smoke outside.  Yu said if you want to smoke you need to hide away from the door because MN people don't like smoke.  Smokers in MN may get bad comments or looks when they smoke in front of others at times.  He finds that Chinese welcomes smokers more than MN.  Many people in MN view smoking as a link to lung cancer so many people take issue with it.

Cash vs. Credit Cards -- 
Since coming into the USA, Yu has learned not many people in the USA carry cash like people in China do.  China seems to be the place where they use cash only.  Card payments or phone payments (banks linked to the phone -- different than Apple Pay or other apps) are less common than cash payments.  One main reason in USA we don't use cash as much is because of safety.  When a criminal sees someone with a lot of cash, they are 10 times as likely take that cash from that person.  It is usually normally safe but you never know whom will want to take what is not theirs.  Muggings are basically the main reason why Americans don't want to carry large amounts of cash with them. If their cards were taken it is more easy to stop the thief from using their money due to protection on their cards.  It is really hard to get cash back from a thief.  After a year of being here, Yu still finds it is a strange custom but understands safety with it.

Elderly and Funerals -- 
As sad as it is, while Yu was here, my Grandma Jean passed away a few months ago.  Months leading up to her passing was full of doctor appointments and hospital stays.  Yu took time to fully understand why Grandma Jean wanted to be in her own house away from family.  This is something that is not common in USA.  Most households in China have a multi-generational understand and setup of homes.  The Chinese want the elderly to live with their families.  He took time to understand that Grandma Jean wanted to be considered independent and prove she still can do things on her own like she used to do.  She still saw her family as her little kids she had to take care of.  She didn't want to burden anyone, it was a kind of pride for her.  Yu also had to deal with the concept of nursing homes.  He finally understood them to be as a place for those whom need medical attention for their daily lives, not as mush needed like in the hospital.  He was then around for the funeral.

In China there are many customs and views on funerals.  For Yu, he couldn't carry the casket or speak at the funeral.  He found it odd that I was a pole-bearer and I was working hard on helping with the funeral stuff.  The fact that I carried the casket created a confusion due to culture.  It was considered very bad luck for me to carry a dead body being I was young, married, and have not born children yet.  He then found peace with it because once he saw Grandma Jean in her open casket, he felt like she was at peace.  In China when he was at other funerals he felt scared and uneasy.

Yu wanted to do something special for Grandma Jean so he brought some coins for her.  He gave her two gold coins one for each hand.  He had others put in her hands as it was something that he couldn't do due to custom.  He then took more coins he had collected and we all put coins in her grave.  In China, those whom have died are honored in different ways.  He tried to explain some of many ways they honor those who have passed away.  In China they burn objects like money or small items like cars (usually things that represent the real thing).  They believe that the burning of these things will send up to the heavens where their loved ones will then have these objects so they can have better life.  Yu said that the gold in Grandma Jean's hands will be with her for her to get a better life when she is reborn into the world.   (Yu's family is Buddhist.  There are many religions in China and not everyone believes this but there are many that do).  Yu believes that because he gave her something that Grandma will bless him.

Yu found that funerals for Americans are different for each person.  He went to one funeral before Grandma Jean's.  The first funeral was just a big BBQ gathering at a park.  It was a big party and had nothing to do with religion.  Grandma Jean's funeral was a traditional Lutheran Christian service gathering.  There was traditional songs and prayers.  Yu found that it was different to see how people pray to God differently than when he would pray.  The funeral had food too where people could share a meal and talk to people.  Yu found that it was a nice thing to do at a funeral.  He got to meet all kinds of elders on Grandma Jean's side.  He did his best to show respect to them and many of the elders though he was a very well-mannered young man.  My father loved introducing him as his son.