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Posts: 249

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Q: What problems do you have adapting back to real life after China?

I was thinking, when (if) I eventually return home, what are the biggest problems (reverse culture shocks) you face? 

9 years 51 weeks ago in  General  - China

 
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Posts: 3837

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i won't have any problems, but the following will be very noticable:

 

1) cost of everything - everything more expensive at home

2) reliable goods and services

3) weather - healthier environment

4) public courtesy - including no public spitting / pooping

5) contracts honoured: i won't have to constantly watch my employer to ensure i get paid on time and the right amount.

sorrel:

and before you all go crazy, give me down-thumbs and say:

"why are you in China?"

 

i am really enjoying my time here, but these things are the biggest contrasting things between here and at home.

9 years 51 weeks ago
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CharlieB:

I was in the US last week and frankly speaking, not much of what I want or buy is cheaper here than there.

 

Western food - Cheaper US

Quality clothes-Cheaper US

Real Estate- Cheaper US

Electronics-Cheaper US

9 years 51 weeks ago
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xinyuren:

it's true about quality things being cheaper in the US.  But that's because some things that are commonly available in China is impossible to buy in the US because they are just too cheap and low quality.  Developed countries expect a certain level of quality.  For example, the best quality garbage bags I can find at the supermarket are still not as good as the cheapest ones in America.  So by default, I will pay more money for things like that. Comparing real estate is like comparing apples and oranges. Chinese houses would never pass inspection in the United States.  Chinese goods give a whole new meaning to cheap.

9 years 51 weeks ago
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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
Posts: 916

Shifu

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From where I am now I probably won't be back for a long home. Back home is just too expensive. I can buy 5 houses here with the same money to buy one back home of the same size and city area. Same for cars, 5 times more expensive. Don't even need to talk about other things. Got a government that doesn't care about the working class, only worry about votes. We have 2.4 million foreigners in a country population of 5.4 million and I feel like a foreigner in my own country. So what's the difference between here and there? Nope, staying put for a while. Maybe when the world's bubble finally boils over, then I can think about going back.

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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
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* Eating outside: very cheap here, not back home or where I will go.
* Comfort & service : my notion of comfort, service, etc have been completely warped by my life here. If things are as written on the tin, if people just help me, I feel guilty of getting too much.
* Food prices : out of here, about 25% more expensive but safer
* Housing prices : out of here, renting way more expensive, but buying way cheaper. Go figure...

Aaaaannnnnd, that's it, really. The 2 stays out of China in almost 6 years felt like lost paradise.

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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
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In addition to what has been mentioned by others, I am now super afraid of busses.

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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
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I will miss the convenience of things, 24 hour shops everywhere. Back home we can't buy alcohol after 6pm or on Sundays, not that I'm just going around at all hours of the day buying booze, but it's very convenient. 

 

I'll miss the safety. Living in Africa isn't as dangerous as people think but we are still always on guard and aware of everything. We all have stories of being held at gun point, house being burgled etc. Here the worst thing is they steal your bike, or try and scam you but at least I can control that to some degree. So I'll have to adapt to being safety-conscious again.

 

I'll have to adapt to people all being quite similar again. It's probably the thing I notice most when going home. Here I meet people from EVERY country in the world and it's always exciting. At home you usually know what to expect from a person so sometimes it's not as much fun. 

 

 

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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
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Remembering to not try and bribe the police when I'm speeding down the wrong side of the road with 6 people on my illegal ebike, after going through the red light.

 

And I have to remember to stop spitting... in the restaurants, bars, hotels, buses... you know what I mean!

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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
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No more sour-looking eyecandy... it's starting to lose its appeal, anyway.
No more affordably eating out in restaurants. No delicious spicy snacks in the streets.
Safer traffic. Ability to communicate with people *without* battling the language barrier, prejudices, and simplistic mindsets.
If people stare at me longer than 5 seconds, I'm justified to approach them about it.
People with basic manners, who understand that people who look different shouln't be *talked about* out loud.
Going to the doctor without worrying that he wants to keep me sick to milk my wallet.
And to finish the shopping list:
Bread
Butter
Cheese

Spiderboenz:

sour looking eye-candy? Not sure what you mean.

9 years 51 weeks ago
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coineineagh:

cute faces, emotionless expressions, materialistic and no fun.

9 years 51 weeks ago
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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
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Having an intelligent conversation with substance.

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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
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Dealing with people who .... CAN USE LOGIC!

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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
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None to be honest... 

 

After living and getting things done in China living back home feels like everything just got immensely simple. But there would be things I WOULD miss for sure:

 

- chaotic random Chinese events 

- BBQ in the street markets and hot pot in the restaurants

- people giving unfair advantages to foreigners (although we do pay for in other ways)

- walking down dark alleys with a beer in hand feeling 100% safe

- feeling like if I wanted to start trouble it is only a bribe a way

- the hustle and bustle of Chinese people running around like lost ants

 

All of my work deals with foreign clients, so it keeps me in check. Kind of like living in two worlds at once... feels weird. 

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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
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So none of you are living a "real life" while in China? I feel settled here now after 4 years & I guess even more so after I get married next week. So for me China is "real life".

 

I fully understand how a lot of the expats here see China as a temporary adventure and that's fine. I think looking back I was like that at first but now plan to stay as Guangzhou now feels like home. I went back to the UK for a few weeks last autumn and though I had a great time seeing my family, introducing my fiance to them and had a great tour of Ireland I'll be honest...during the last couple of days I couldn't wait to get back here!

 

Though there are some things I miss from the UK....decent real ale, decent bacon and bread, sitting in a bar talking random shite to the person sat next to me. Though I've also started to find all that in Guangzhou now. I'd be like RobK above....there'd surely be the chaotic things in China that I would miss if I relocated back to the UK. 

ScotsAlan:

Yup, I consider my life here to be real too.

 

It's about the only thing I know of that has not been copied .

 

It's a strange concept to me.... "going back to your real life".  I can only associate that with needing to go for a pee after a 5 hour session in San Andreas on the playstation 

9 years 51 weeks ago
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pilarcita:

Life here has nothing to do with  life in  3/4 PARTS of the world !! ts just very different 

9 years 51 weeks ago
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humbug:

Yeah I meant it like for many expats their time in China is limited so they will view it as separate from their home life with their families etc. Also for me the issue is that when I go home I get homesick for China, the availability of cheap street food, awesome old people who actually hang out doing stuff, how safe I feel here etc. Obviously I find loads of stuff here difficult but when I go home I look at China through rose tinted glasses... I guess a lot of people do that with their home countries when they're here too. 

 

Congratulations on your wedding! 

 

 

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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
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Weeks of jet lag. The first time I went home and saw fat people it was like seeing them for the first time, at Walmart I saw astonishling obese white trash. I also find it depressing after living in a circus.

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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
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China needs to change it's laws to allow people to settle here.

 

That's what happens in the real world. I can see where the op is coming from now.

 

coineineagh:

not to mention pensions, public education, bribe-free justice, health and other insurances. "real life" is just a polite way of saying civilization.

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Biggest fear,

Getting a real job where I'm actually judged and praised on the quality of my work.  It's a real issue for me.  China hasn't helped me develop my credentials.  I've actually been going in reverse.   

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9 years 51 weeks ago
 
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