Perspectives on Homelife in China vs. U.S.

As you can see in the post below, I’m having to come to terms with the fact that as a 30-something, I’m apparently much more close-minded and much less adaptable than I was as a 20-something. I sincerely did freak out about my situation for about 2-3 days. I’m still concerned about my ability to stick it out.

When I decided to come here and do a homestay, I sincerely thought I knew what I was getting into (I’ve been to Chinese homes of various types over the years). While I recognized it would be difficult, I don’t think I realized that knowing in theory about how we in the United States live versus how Chinese families live, and actually living in it, would be such a crisis-inducing experience for me. I did some nutty things in college while in China and lived in some pretty god-awful places both in China and of all places the Netherlands. Therefore I thought – hey…I did it then, I can do it now. But I guess at that point we are all relatively malleable when it comes to our living conditions, and we do things for the adventure of it all.

Somewhere along the line, I think I got used to the comforts and stability of my own home. We come to expect a level of privacy in the U.S. that doesn’t exist here. We also have a perception of cleanliness that borders on the neurotic, but nevertheless I think it forms our thoughts and opinions of other homes and our ability to feel comfortable in places less clean. And don’t get me started on the sanitary conditions of our food in China vs. US…that’s a whole different ballgame.

I think in the end this experience will be good for me if I can manage to stay healthy and stick it out. Although I don’t really think I’ll ever be comfortable here, it will have served to expose my own shortcomings and prejudices about my own life and the lives we all lead.

I guess in the end that's the point of a cultural exchange...