100 Days is an annual project at New York City’s School of Visual Arts that was founded by Michael Bierut. Each year, the students of the school’s Master’s in Branding Program spend 100 days documenting their process with a chosen creative endeavor. This year, we’re showcasing each student in the program by providing a peek into ten days of their project. You can keep an eye on everyone’s work on our SVA 100 Days page.
Reflecting on her 10th year living in the U.S., from her college days in Chicago to her professional life in NYC, Leyi Duan has encountered a myriad of moments that have surprised, amused, moved, frustrated, infuriated, enlightened, and humbled her. As a foreigner who actively observes, experiences, and reflects on American life, Duan is excited to share 100 sets of illustrations of American moments/phenomena that may seem normal to Americans but feel BIZARRE to her.
With her point of view on each moment captured in the second image and an anonymous poll set up for each post, Duan hopes to create a space for exchanging cultural insights and provide a unique lens through which her viewers understand a foreigner’s perspective on the American life in an unexpected, enlightening, and humorous way.
Through this project, Duan hopes to add depth and richness to our shared experiences and uncover different modes of understanding that transcend cultural boundaries. Together, let’s explore the complexity of the American experiences through a fresh pair of eyes.
Discover more of Leyi Duan’s project on Instagram.
When I first saw people go movie hopping in movie theaters, I was surprised but also impressed that American businesses really trust their customers, and this is actually still something that I appreciate because we don’t get so much trust from where I come from.
I heard movie hopping is what every American has done in their lives. To confess, I’ve also done it once because my friend really tried hard to persuade me that it’s ok and everyone does it lol 😂 .
Have you movie-hopped before?
I’ve heard some common stories of international students who’ve studied in the U.S. for some time – when they traveled back to their home countries, local people could tell that they might’ve come from the U.S. or a similar Western country because of the confidence and different manner they displayed, and they could even tell from the way they walk!
I think confidence is such an important trait that people from cultures where humbleness is mainly valued should cultivate more of it. At the same time, people who are over-confident may also want to learn to be more humble or unassuming.
How confident do you feel you generally project?
So interesting to see how Western and Eastern cultures can have such different preferences for sun exposure!
Do you like to sunbathe and get tanned?
What size of popcorn and soda do you usually order in U.S. movie theaters?
One of my friends told me that there was one time when the DMV clerk even fell asleep while processing his materials for his driver’s license. Upon her waking up, she did not apologize and continued to have a rude and impatient attitude.
Did you encounter rude DMV clerks?
When I lived in Chicago, I thought I’d seen enough weird people doing weird stuff in the subway and on public transportation. After I moved to New York, I realized it’s actually a norm.
Do you often see weird people doing weird stuff in your hometown?
An ambulance ride in the U.S. can range from around $1,000 to a couple thousand dollars, depending on the level of care needed and several other factors.
I also read online about a story of a college student whose head got stabbed by someone with a knife. This student repeatedly begged the strangers on the street not to call an ambulance for him because he didn’t want to pay or couldn’t afford $1000+ for a short ambulance ride and insisted on driving his own car with the knife still on his head…
If you are hurt in an emergency, would you call an ambulance?
The United States consumes the most sugar in the world. According to sources, the country’s per capita sugar consumption is 126.4 grams daily. The sweetness-level of dessert may feel normal to Americans but can taste extreme to foreigners.
How do you like your desserts?
During my 10 years in the U.S., I don’t remember ever being corrected on English grammar, wording, and pronunciational errors by Americans who are native speakers, except for classes and assignments. Being corrected is incredibly encouraging for me as a non-native speaker. (I don’t mind being corrected on English mistakes at all.)
Have you been corrected for making any English or language errors in general?
According to USCIS, Alien is a legal term that refers to any person who is not a citizen or a national of the United States. There are resident aliens, non-resident aliens, and illegal aliens. 👽
Would you be ok to be referred to as an alien?