A Lazy Girl

A Lazy Girl

       Food delivery is a great invention. Society has been developing fast, and many companies want to create some conveniences to help people. There are a lot of apps that help people’s lives, and one of the apps is food delivery. People can order on the app platforms, and the stores will receive their orders. When the order is ready, the delivery person will deliver the food to the customer. Some of these apps are making people lazy because people do not need to prepare food by themselves. In China, there are rich food delivery to choose from. I used to order delivery until I moved to Chicago. However, there are a few reasons why I do not order food delivery anymore.

       One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Chicago was the poor variety of delivery. I came to Chicago at the end of 2019 before COVID-19 arrived in 2020. When the pandemic arrived with the lockdown, I could not go outside, but I still wanted to eat delicious food. I heard my friends who lived in the U.S. say the U.S. had some food delivery apps, so I started looking for food. However, the truth was not what I thought. There were only a few apps for ordering. Chowbus, Grabhub, and Ubereat were the most common. In addition, there was also a Chinese app called FanTuan delivery. Although there were several options, I still did not have any ideas what to order. There are less types of food on the platforms. I could only have Fast food, Chinese food, and few another different types of food on the platforms, which were not my type. As an authentic Cantonese person, junk food is not allowed on the table. Most Cantonese parents do not allow their kids to eat junk food, so fast food is a pass. American Chinese food is different taste from original Chinese food, so it is not my type either. Now that I live on the other side of the world, I have less options of the food delivery, which has made me lose my appetite.

       In addition, the cost of delivery in the U.S. is too expensive. There are taxes and tips that I need to pay in the U.S., but none to pay in China. I don't have this concept in my head. One time, I ordered one item on the food delivery app, and it cost twelve dollars. The total cost of shipping, tax, and tips was fifteen dollars. It was more expensive than the product. The extras cost more than the food, which surprised me. Besides food tax, tips are necessary. It is inevitable to pay these extra charges in the U.S. Some prices on the platforms are set and cannot be changed. I remembered that I ordered one time when I was fished working, but the price was already over thirty dollars. I wanted to reduce my spending, but the tips were set up at a minimum of five dollars, which I could not change. The total was over my budget, and I had to give up. Ordering food in China is cheaper than the U.S. Platforms also often have cheap coupons to attract customers. If customers order over a certain amount, they can get a discount. Stores want to draw customers, so their prices are low. This point is very attractive. Furthermore, shipping is usually free, and there are no tips to pay. I can use less money to get more, which makes me miss China’s food delivery.

       Finally, many people prefer to pick up more than delivery in Chicago. Some stores do not offer to deliver, but some stores and food available on delivery platforms are also limited. Hence, people have to pick up by themselves. For example, Chowbus and Grabhub have the same stores on their platforms. The shipping and prices are a little different, but the food is the same. I often feel disappointed because there are not many options to choose from. In addition, sometimes delivery services do not cover areas when people live far away. The delivery does not cover those ranges and cannot be delivered. Sometimes I do not want to cook by myself, so I use food delivery apps. For instance, my neighborhood is near Cicero, which is far from downtown, so there are fewer restaurants and shops available compared to downtown. Additionally, my favorite stores do not deliver to my address. As a result, it often makes me give up, and go outside to pick up. I cannot be lazy anymore. However, in China, there are more delivery platforms and stores to choose, which helps me easily to be a lazy girl.

       Three years ago, I left my hometown and moved to Chicago, and I do not order delivery anymore. Even though companies created those conveniences to help people’s lives, the outcome is not what they wish. I am still learning how to be a lazy girl in Chicago. Food delivery is what I have lost in translation. I hope Chicago’s food delivery improves one day soon, and I can accomplish delivery freedom.