Definitely not in China anymore

There have been some things about being back that have been easier than expected, and then there have been some things that I guess will just take time. Probably the exact amount of time I will be back... then I need to start all over again! But I thought it would be interesting to share a few of those things with you guys because hey, my kpk life has definitely affected my life in america.

Okay, so the easy things:

1. Driving. Who knew? Yes the driving culture is much crazier in China but it is an organized chaos that I have come to appreciate. And though I have only driven a moped while over there, I expected it to be much more difficult stepping into a drivers seat. But thankfully, things have been easier than I foresaw them to be. However, I am still exceptionally paranoid about American cops because I can't pretend I don't understand them if I were to get into an altercation. :)
2. Eating. I know that sounds a little silly but I honestly expected american food to wreak havoc on my digestive system. Our food is SO much saltier and full of not-so-good-for-you-stuff that I've been surprised my system hasn't taken a huge hit. Can't wait to find out if the reverse of this expectation happens when I return. :\
3. Being social. I honestly thought I would have a hard time interacting with people after nearly four months of pointing and making other wild gestures to convey what I want! I feared that when returning to the states, I would do the same gestures on accident or be unbearably awkward. While living in a house and taking classes where "normal," English interactions occured, it did not mitigate those fears. Even as I landed in the Chicago airport, the buzz of conversations that I could easily understand more than just bits and pieces frazzled me to an embarrassing degree. But after spending nearly 3 and 1/2 hours in an apple store this week, I found myself striking up conversations with an ample amount of strangers about the holidays, China, my general bad luck with Apple devices, and many other things. I guess that fear was a silly one. :(

Now for the things that haven't been so easy:

1. Sleeping. The first couple of days is expected when trying to adjust to two very different time zones, however my frustration over my sleep has been incredibly irksome. I can't take naps. I become groggy by 7 pm and cannot stay up past 10 pm. I used to wake up at 4 or 5 am but that has been progressively improving to 7 or 8. Though this isn't much to complain about, it definitely is something I didn't foresee being an issue. 
2. Being alone. So our program complains a lot because our facilities and the mass population of Shanghai combine to equal zero alone time. Besides the bathroom, you will literally always be around people, and for those who are introverted, it can kind of be a nightmare. But little did I know that after just a couple days of being home, alone time wasn't so nice anymore. I have my perfect dog to keep me company but I've also found myself starting to say something, and realizing no one was there. Not to say I'm looking forward to going back to communal living or thousands of people everywhere, however I definitely do miss the 41 other members of the Jia. Which, I admit, I didn't think I would. 
3. Accepting American's views on China. I say this one with caution because I haven't experienced anything very ethnocentric, it's just a personal realization I've had since being home. Before I came to China, I accepted that the most people knew about the country was that lots of things have a MADE IN... sticker by them. But since I've been back, I've noticed how much China plays a role in American life but how we often overlook it. On the radio yesterday, ice sculptors from Harbin, China were mentioned and I got excited because I knew where they were from and how cool it was that they were in Nashville. But then I also realized that I would have never noticed something like that, or even if I had, I wouldn't have thought of looking into it, because it was China. Something so big and foreign never held my attention before now.  I have become very proud of the perspective my semester in Shanghai has given me and I can't wait to learn more about it when I return. But in the meantime, I will try to make more people understand, at least a little bit, why I we should care and why I love it so much! 

Love,

KPK