I came back to London after 3 years in China. Everything felt slow, expensive, and inconvenient.

ChinaTravelMemo

My friend from the UK lived in Shanghai for 3 years. She loved it. Then her company transferred her back to London.

Culture shock — in reverse.

The complaints:

1. Everything is slow.
• Delivery: 2-3 days instead of 30 minutes.
• Repairs: Book a week ahead instead of same-day.
• Restaurants: Wait 20 minutes for the bill instead of scan-and-go.

2. Everything is expensive.
• Coffee: £3.50 instead of ¥15 ($2).
• Taxi: £25 for a 15-minute ride instead of ¥25 ($3.50).
• Phone bill: £30/month instead of ¥50 ($7).

3. Nothing is open late.
• Shops close at 6 PM.
• Supermarkets close at 10 PM.
• No 24-hour delivery.
• She was hungry at 11 PM once. The only option was a kebab shop.

4. Cash is king again.
She kept trying to pay with her phone. Cashiers looked at her like she was crazy.

5. The weather.
London winter after Shanghai winter felt like a different planet. Gray. Cold. No heated floors.

What she misses most:

• 30-minute delivery
• Heated floors in winter
• ¥2 subway rides
• Night markets
• The energy — everything is always happening
• Her Didi driver knowing her name

What she's glad to have back:

• Clean air (Shanghai's occasional pollution days)
• Google Maps (never realized how good it was)
• WhatsApp without a VPN
• Queues that actually are queues
• Personal space on public transport

My friend's summary:

"I came back to London thinking I'd appreciate the calm. Instead I feel like I time-traveled backward. China ruined me for Western convenience. I miss it every single day."

Anyone else experience reverse culture shock after China?