Californian culture can be stifling at times at how "laid back" it is. There is a culture of lethargy and apathy here that can leave people wanting more, which

Californian culture can be stifling at times at how "laid back" it is. There is a culture of lethargy and apathy here that can leave people wanting more, which is why so much talent that grows up here ends up moving to far more rigid cities and cultures like in New York. The rigidity of Chinese cities coupled with their liveliness makes for a fantastic escape from California. That and infrastructure here is absolutely frustrating. Everything in California was structured around car culture. While much of China is now the same way, there is still plenty of excellent public infrastructure as well. Some might argue it's worse than the US, and I can definitely see how the large crowds in subways, the constant construction, and the some of the cheaper buildings are ugly and poorly designed... but California's ultra-expensive, 20 year major projects consistently are less effective in sheer results than China's quick-and-dirty development. And lastly, I think it needs to be said that China as a culture, nation, and civilization is ancient! Its deep roots and environment create such a fascinating mix of old and new. Here in California, we paved over our past forcefully, and what past there is left to observe is often depressing at the core; nothing to be proud of. Oh, and I forgot to mention the countryside. California is beautiful, but China is so entirely different geographically that just being there feels so shockingly wonderful. Don't get me wrong. I love California at the end of the day and would find it hard to ever leave, but I'm simply explaining my statement. :)