The Broad Abroad

Depending on who you ask, there are anywhere from three to five stages of culture shock. Let’s look at the 3-stage process through the eyes of J. Maarten Troost, author of Lost on Planet China. This consists of the Honeymoon Phase, the Negotiation Phase, and the Adjustment Phase.

Honeymoon Phase -

Troost’s honeymoon phase takes place almost entirely in the United States while he is planning his trip to China.  He is convinced that China is the wave of the future, and wanders off on a mission designed to see if moving there with his wife and small children is a good idea.  Troost boasts considerable experience abroad (and in less-than-perfect places) so it’s understandable that this is skipped.  Without knowing specifically what lies ahead, he is aware that the grass is not always greener.  He learns a few key phrases designed to amuse the readers, such as “Are you sure that’s chicken?” and “Excuse me, I am not proficient at squatting.  Is there another toilet option?”  Instead of learning such things, he probably should have practiced squatting.

Negotiation Phase -

This phase takes up a considerable portion of the remainder of the book, where Troost combines historical snippets with typical expat bitching disguised as really funny stuff.  If you’ve ever been to China, you’ll definitely recognize truth in much of what he says, whether or not you find it worthy of complaint. He does run into some perplexing situations that he regards with confusion rather than judgment (was she a prostitute or just helpful?) and some that are both confusing and worthy of judgment (getting smacked multiple times while walking along West Lake in Hangzhou).  He also takes the time to mess with local people for his own amusement, and while I don’t think that’s very nice, he doesn’t do anything harmful.  Even when he sounds like he’s enjoying himself, Troost manages to be sarcastic.

Adjustment Phase -

Troost his this phase at a few different times during his travels:

1. Hong Kong – it’s shiny and clean and completely unlike the China he’s already been to.  He even describes it as a vacation from China.
2. While traveling with his friend, Jack.  In this situation, he becomes the relative expert and enjoys explaining various oddities.
3. Tibet – Oh, glorious Tibet, is there any ill you cannot cure?  Caught up in the Lhasa-ness of it all, Troost suddenly thinks everything is perfect with the world.

In sum…

He does manage to write an enjoyable book, even if I disagreed with him occasionally.  I’m happy I chose to read it BEFORE going to China rather than taking it with me, since there are a number of criticisms of the government that I’d rather not be toting around with me.  Mildly self-deprecating humor is peppered throughout, and he seems to deal with his mistakes graciously.  Unfortunately, every snippet that I chose to read to John was met with annoyance, so if you’ve spent considerable time in China, don’t read this book.  However, if you’ve never been and would like a quick overview of what a white male might encounter, check it out.  In the intro, Troost promises “no f-ing sunsets”, and he delivers on that promise.