In the United States As a Local Tyrant

It was already afternoon when James Feng returned to San Luis Obispo. He took the opportunity to visit the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) to get a license plate for his new car. The process was relatively straightforward—all he needed was the invoice from the dealership and the vehicle's registration certificate.

 There was no requirement for exhaust testing or vehicle inspections. However, the downside was the DMV's notoriously slow service.

Overcrowding is a hallmark of the DMV. James had heard stories about it before coming to the U.S., with waiting times of one to two hours being considered quick, while three to four hours was more common.

The atmosphere was filled with a resigned patience as Americans queued quietly. Civil servants moved at a snail's pace, reminiscent of bureaucratic offices back in China. No wonder the thought of a DMV visit gave Americans a headache.

Fortunately, SLO wasn't as crowded as major cities like Los Angeles, and the processing speed here was better.

California also offered personalized license plates, allowing people to choose custom letter combinations or cartoon patterns like Snoopy for an extra fee. Since custom plates required additional time for production, James opted for a standard plate to save time.

After completing the paperwork, James treated himself to a hearty meal at a local Chinese restaurant. The flavour of the food was off—likely altered to cater to American tastes. The dishes, while resembling Chinese cuisine, had a distinctly American twist.

During the meal, James received several calls from applicants for the tutor position he had posted.

 Unfortunately, none of them were suitable. Some callers were men, which wasn't what he was looking for, and one female caller spoke in Cantonese, which made James realize he needed to revise his ad to specify Mandarin fluency.

The following morning, there was still no luck finding a suitable tutor. James pondered the situation.

With a monthly salary of $8,000, the offer should have attracted plenty of candidates. Was it not high enough? Were his conditions too demanding? He recalled a male applicant from the previous day who had perfect Mandarin but didn't fit his criteria.

He thought about increasing the prince but before he could at the noon James finally received a promising call. This time, the caller was a woman fluent in Mandarin. After a brief conversation, she agreed to come over immediately since she lived just 15 minutes away. James barely had time to finish a cup of tea before the doorbell rang.

He walked along the cobblestone path in the front garden and opened the gate. A Chevrolet Cruze was parked outside, and a tall blonde woman approached, carrying a handbag and wearing a plaid shirt, jeans, and high heels. She was nearly as tall as James.

"Hello, Mr. Feng?" she greeted, extending her hand. Her voice was more pleasant in person than over the phone.

"Hello!" James responded, shaking her hand lightly. "I'm James Feng."

"My name is Joanna. Joanna Circe Stanwell. Nice to meet you," she said warmly.

"Please, come in," James invited, leading her inside.

Once seated, James began, "Miss Stanwell, thank you for being on time. To ensure effective learning, I need to ask you a few questions."

"Go ahead," Joanna replied confidently.

James proceeded with his prepared questions, focusing on her proficiency in Mandarin and her ability to translate English. Joanna answered each question fluently. Her spoken Mandarin was impressive, though she admitted she wasn't as skilled in reading the language. Her English, on the other hand, carried a refined Oxford accent, distinct from the laid-back American drawl.

"Last question: Have you lived in China?" James asked curiously.

Joanna nodded. "I've visited Hong Kong several times. My mother has Chinese ancestry and teaches me Mandarin at home."

Her slight Hong Kong accent made sense now.

Joanna also said "by the Mr. Feng your English is very good for the beginner, I have interacted with some mainland people, and they couldn't speak like you"

James while smiling "Thanks you Miss Joanna, it is all thanks to my father, he is from America".

Hearing that Joanna was surprised and nodded her head.

After several minutes of more questioning and James's request to learn as soon as possible,

James nodded of and spoke. "You've passed the assessment. Regarding the contract documents, I'll leave that to you. I'm not familiar with the formalities."

Joanna smiled. "No problem. I can handle it."

With Joanna's help, James was confident he could improve his English quickly. Despite already having a strong foundation, thanks to the advanced learning device he used, he appreciated having someone to converse with.

Joanna was easy going, and their shared youth provided ample topics for discussion. By afternoon, James had learned the meanings of common abbreviations like "LOL" and "OMG" and how American addresses were structured.

Feeling thirsty, James searched for some bottled water but came up empty-handed. Joanna chuckled. "It seems the rich life isn't so glamorous after all."

James shrugged. "I just moved in. Besides, I heard Americans drink tap water directly."

Joanna corrected him with a playful seriousness. "First of all, I'm British, not American. Second, while U.S. tap water is well-filtered, I'm not accustomed to drinking it straight."

She glanced inside his refrigerator and couldn't help laughing. "Oh, boss, this is the cleanest fridge I've ever seen! If you don't stock up soon, you might have to pay my salary in food."

James rolled his eyes at the exaggeration.

They headed to the supermarket in Joanna's car. James quickly realized that living here required relearning many things. For instance, Joanna explained California driving norms as she navigated through traffic.

"Speed limits are flexible. If the sign says 65 miles per hour, you can safely go up to 70. If everyone else is driving at 75 then you're slow, you might get pulled over."

"Why would they pull me over for driving slow?" James asked, puzzled.

"Because driving too slowly can be a hazard in fast-moving traffic," Joanna explained.

James nodded, half-understanding.

At the supermarket, Joanna guided him through the aisles. Americans tended to buy in bulk, and James noticed that the prices of fruits and vegetables were comparable to those in first-tier Chinese cities.

However, the difference was that American wages were in dollars, while Chinese wages were in RMB.

In the meat section, James noticed a wide range of beef prices. Curious, he asked, "Why is there such a big difference in price?"

Joanna picked up a vacuum-sealed package. "This is premium-grade beef. American beef is graded. The highest grade, Prime, only accounts for 3% of total production and is typically reserved for high-end restaurants. This one here is Choice grade, the best available in supermarkets. Most families buy Select grade beef, which is cheaper and produced from cattle raised on hormone-supplemented corn feed."

"Hormones?" James frowned.

Joanna nodded. "It's common practice. If you want peace of mind, stick to the premium cuts."

James didn't hesitate, filling his cart with several pounds of premium beef. Joanna smiled, thinking of the phrase "The Chinese are coming!" as they checked out with two fully loaded carts.

Back home, Joanna helped James unpack and organize the groceries. "Boss, do you know how to cook?" she asked, glancing at the kitchen.

James hesitated. "Does instant noodle mastery count?" he muttered under his breath.

"What?" Joanna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," James replied quickly. "Can you cook?"

Joanna stared at him for a moment before sighing. "Fine. I'll make dinner."

"Thank you!" James grinned, sitting at the kitchen bar with a beer.

"British cuisine?" Joanna teased.

"No dark cuisine, please!" James exclaimed, shaking his head firmly. To him, British food was synonymous with bland, uninspiring dishes.

Joanna laughed. "I'll make you American-style goulash."

James, feeling guilty for sitting idle, fetched a bottle of red wine from the cellar. After about forty minutes, Joanna served up a delicious beef stew. They clinked glasses and enjoyed the meal, the rich Flavors pairing perfectly with the wine.

By the time James was lounging on the sofa, his stomach full and content, he realized hiring Joanna had been a great decision. She was worth every penny.