website Posted April 13, 2005 at 07:44 PM Report Posted April 13, 2005 at 07:44 PM Foreigners traveling in China may be shocked by the spitting, cutting in line, bad driving, and staring, but expats who return to their own countries after a few years in China will also suffer culture shock. Here are some impressions Americans may notice when they return to the USA after living in China: Bathrooms have shower curtains No squat toilets Heaters are widely used Fewer mobile phones Cleanliness Western food is widely available and GOOD Many houses Many cars Few bikes Few pedestrians Big streets People are polite (lots of door holding, "please's", "thank you's", and "excuse me's") Ethnic diversity Casual dressers Few DVD's Many fire trucks/sirens/police cars/ambulances Expensive Many rules are followed Big shopping carts Safe driving Self-service gas stations Vending machines Skaters Many handicapped people in scooters/wheelchairs Churches Transvestites Junkies People speak English Tattoos Homeless Fat people Water fountains Carpet Sinks have hot water Rice is rarely eaten Many pets Loud car stereos
TCcookie Posted April 14, 2005 at 04:23 PM Report Posted April 14, 2005 at 04:23 PM Wasn't anidentical post to this posted a while ago?
Homeward Posted April 16, 2005 at 09:00 PM Report Posted April 16, 2005 at 09:00 PM Hehehe - funny post! ROFL
Lollipop2000 Posted August 25, 2005 at 10:08 PM Report Posted August 25, 2005 at 10:08 PM LOL @ few DVDs I think these same reverse shocks would happen to Westerners who return home from the Middle East.
zh-laoshi Posted August 25, 2005 at 10:26 PM Report Posted August 25, 2005 at 10:26 PM I experienced a lot of this culture shock coming back from Russia 15 years ago.
fenlan Posted August 26, 2005 at 02:18 AM Report Posted August 26, 2005 at 02:18 AM That list broadly implies that everything is better in America than in China, and when you got back to the US you found that everything suddenly worked again. So I don't think this is very insightful at all. Please post a list of ways in which you found American life and culture *negative* after experiencing China.
phbriggs Posted August 26, 2005 at 03:09 AM Report Posted August 26, 2005 at 03:09 AM The move home was far harder than the move to China. Damn that reversing.
liuzhou Posted August 26, 2005 at 03:38 AM Report Posted August 26, 2005 at 03:38 AM Oh great! Another list from website. I'm still laughing at the list (months ago) of things not available in China (99% of which are available.) I really can't be bothered to go through this one, other than to note that he is still convinced that China has no homeless or junkies!
Lu Posted August 26, 2005 at 12:54 PM Report Posted August 26, 2005 at 12:54 PM Or transvestites. Website walks around with his eyes closed and then comes here to tell us there's nothing to see.
devi9 Posted August 26, 2005 at 01:09 PM Report Posted August 26, 2005 at 01:09 PM Which reminds me of a friend of mine who was in China in 1996. He told me about how one time he went into a public restroom to find a woman shooting up in one of the stalls.
liuzhou Posted August 26, 2005 at 02:11 PM Report Posted August 26, 2005 at 02:11 PM You have to admire the skill, dedication and years of practice required to walk about totally failing to see what is around you , then going home and writing about it!
roddy Posted August 26, 2005 at 02:14 PM Report Posted August 26, 2005 at 02:14 PM I'm not quite sure how this one got dredged up again after months of being thankfully ignored, but I think I'll close it now.
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