culture crock
reverse culture shock. people have tried that phrase on me a lot recently. they warned me about it. said i should prepare for it. i’ve been back in america for a week now, and the only thing shocking is how little shock i have felt. from the moment i landed at jfk, everything has seemed normal and natural. it’s been just like returning from a two-week vacation. very strange. i was expecting to feel out of place … but it just feels like home. the key to my car still works and when i press my foot on the gas it goes. it’s been a smooth ride so far. which leads me to believe that shanghai is even more westernized than i had originally thought — or, more likely, nine months in china really isn’t all that long.
some observations i have made:
* americans are fat — really fat. saw more obese people in one day in nyc than i did during nine months in china. (of course, during a walk in central park, i saw more people jogging in one day than i did during nine months in china.)
* americans get freaked out about anything. definitely a culture of fear over here. you’d think sars got its start in the american south.
* new york cab drivers yield to pedestrians …
* … and they actually understand english and speak english — most of the time.
* i do still find myself craning my neck every time i hear someone speak english. it’s a habit westerners form in china … but one that can cause whiplash in america.
* nine months without american television made me realize that nine months is not long enough. it’s hard to flip though my 200-some channels without getting bored, annoyed or just pissed off. although i do find myself watching quite a bit of p. diddy’s making of the band on mtv. that girl pocohontas is CRA-ZEE!
06.09.2003, 4:02 AM · Observations, Summer Tour 2003
2 Comments
it takes a while to get used to being on a bus or subway and getting excited when you hear someone speak english… thank god you’re in new york, so you can ease into it…
when i first got back from japan, i couldn’t believe all the open spaces… the trees, the fields, it was all amazing.
and, the first time i drove back in the states i didn’t realize i was driving on the wrong side of the street
I am back,it’s a good feeling…