Getting Over Jet Lag

Today's weather:  High = 27  Low = 14
Sunny

 

The jet lag is slowing going away.  Things are improving.  Having done this multiple times now, for sure the next time I will insist on a 1 week 'quarantine' before getting involved in any activities.  This applies for eastbound flights, i.e. those going back to North America.

 

Doing anything complex or intense during the jet lag period is like doing something under the influence of alcohol.  I am not kidding.  Jet lag is a seriously hindering state of mind that you had better take a rest and recover from, or else you're gonna make some serious mistakes and errors of judgment!  I already regret a few things I did over the weekend in this state of mind. 

 

On a related note, scientific studies (such as Mythbusters) have shown that doing things while sleep-deprived is even worse than drinking alcohol.  For example driving a car.  Jet lag is essentially a form of sleep deprivation, and I would highly caution anyone against hitting the ground running after getting off the plane.

 

Do yourself a favor and take a week of doing absolutely nothing first.  One of these summer visits I'll figure out a way to do just that. 

 

On a more general note, I always find myself seriously dogged with the cultural 're-entry' issue, even for a short-term summer visit back to my home country and city.  A long-term visit or a permanent move 'back home' would frighten the crap out of me, and it only gets worse the longer I've stayed abroad. 

 

In all respects there are some wonderful things about Vancouver and many positive stories to share about the friendly people, great scenery, non-polluted air, mountains, and so forth.

 

Yet I think the fundamental issue here is a social / relational one.  That is, I lived on the fringes of my own society from the get-go and experienced some minor forms of rejection and marginalization.  This was ages before doing any trips abroad, yet it happened early enough to form some lasting negative impressions of my home culture. 

 

The flipside was experiencing a far more positive existence and fitting into Shanghai more than I would have considered.  While I still live on the fringes of the society over there, it's a happy fringe-like existence because the city has had a history of tolerance and accepting outsiders.

 

Combine all this together and re-entry into Vancouver society really packs a  whallop, even if the scenery is beautiful and the quality of life is excellent, etc.