Two days ago, an Australian man shared a video on social media with the caption "Reverse culture shock", which triggered a heated discussion among Chinese netizens.
One of the Australian users comments was:
"You Chinese are really Lucky!"
Why would he say that?
His name is David, who returned to his hometown in Australia after living and working in China for several years and was shocked by the drastic contrast between his life in China and life in Australia.
(1) Traffic
"Unless youre traveling far distances to remote areas across the country, you dont really need to own a car in China, he says. You have a lot of other options, like riding a bike or shared bikes, taking the subway, a Didi, or buses, all available through an app. Its easy and convenient to go anywhere.
He then went on to describe how Australians get around:
"In Australia, if you don't have a car, you're dead..."
While those who may not own a car can get around using cabs or other shared vehicle apps like Didi in China, Grab in Southeast Asia, Lyft in the US or Uber in other countries, David makes a case for why this is not necessarily the most convenient mode of transport:
"Uber in Australia starts at about 20 Australian dollars, which is about RMB 100."
(2) Efficiency
The inefficiency of banks has also been on Davids mind for quite some time, which he was quick to voice in his video:
"It takes more than an hour to deal with any bank in Australia. But in China, when I go to Bank of China or ICBC, it's like thunk ~ thunk ~ thunk ~ bam ~ bye! It's so quick!"
(3) Food delivery
Call it spoiled or convenience, our ability to order food delivery (or groceries, or toilet paper) from the comfort of our home has transformed how people in China eat and wait until their dinner is served at their doorstep.
"When my wife and I get hungry in the evening and dont have time to cook, we just order from Meituan or Ele.me and we get our food within a very short period of time.
But in Australia? Nothing! We have to go to the supermarket, and then you die on the way."
He then comes to the conclusion that while Australia is a very beautiful place to live, its not very convenient, especially for people like myself who have spent a lot of time in China and are used to their way of getting things done.
David also took the opportunity to argue against some of the criticism against China: Lots of people say that China is not a free country, but what is freedom, really? he asks. What does that word really mean?
From his video, its clear that David highly values convenience and ease of use and access, which China certainly provides with its vast array of services. Following the upload of his video, many Chinese netizens responded by sharing their own experiences and thoughts from studying and living abroad.
However, others have also that each country and culture comes with its own merits and shortcomings, and that while convenience is king in China, other aspects of life differ vastly from other regions of the world.
Have you ever experienced reverse culture shock when returning back home from China?
What did you find to be the most bizarre feeling and annoyance? Let us know in the comment section below!
Video:
Source: weibo
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