Reverse Culture Shock

If you ever had chance to visit China, remember how exciting you were when you arrived in Beijing. Then how all the excitements transform in frustration, when you could not communicate with people, or the air quality index hit 300 again.

The frustration may also make you annoying at the pushing and plunging, the choking, and the peculiar habits of people. All these are culture shock. But eventually, you become familiar with Beijing, felt comfortable, and started to enjoy a new lifestyle.

How does Reverse Culture Shock happen?

When you go back to your home, even only for a summer vacation, you may experience the same culture shock in reverse. At your home, you may enjoy the same blue skies and clean air like never before. You are familiar with people, streets, and foods. Ultimately, you fit into the environment again.

The group of varieties suddenly becomes a shocking abundance. However, choosing the best between 100 different varieties could be a little difficult. Selecting things from 10 or so choices is much easier. Everything is very costly especially transports and food.

There is no low-cost and public transportation, so you have to rent a car or request a ride. Everyone seems settled and have cars.

In the beginning, people are inquisitive about your weird life in a country far-off but they rapidly lose curiosity in something significant to you. Same as you have ignored many significant things in their lives. Eventually, they carry on their lives without you. It looks like nothing has changed at your home, expect for you. Then you felt like you can’t fit in anymore.

How you can deal with Reverse Culture Shock?

The culture shock helps to keep tours back short and full of events. So, the time will go on, and reverse culture shock does not influence to hit you hard.

However, moving back completely to your older country is a different thing. It is very hard to settle back into the old life. No matter if the older life is in Frankfurt, Paris, and Connecticut. It may take a lot of time to be used with the environment and cultural habits.

Open mind, patience, and flexibility are certain things that you have to develop to settle down in Beijing. These things will possibly pay off eventually when you go back to your country. Be ready to see your older homeland again and move off to discover it again, just like a new expatriate.