A Canadian in Beijing: Reverse Culture Shock {Gadling}

Nov 18th 2007 4:09AM Reverse culture shock anonymous: I'm two days into coming back to the east coast after living and working in Shanghai for over a year. Besides missing my wife who is still in Shanghai finishing up, I also am missing my bao zi in the morning off a side street for 1.5rmb, the busy streets with honking crazy taxis, all of my Chinese workmates, the week long vacations to Xinjiang and Yunnan, the view out of our 30th story apartment looking at downtown. As I sit here writing this I keep asking myself, why did I leave? After a brief sanity check I still remember how my wife and I had decided coming back to US was best for our career and future family plans. Sitting here in the quiet hotel by myself at 4am jet-lagged all to hell though, I'm still asking, why did I leave? Already I want to go back to familiar Shanghai, ride the subway with my wife and enjoy the unique food and culture. I'm asking myself are we going to enjoy America again?