Can take the girl out of China, but can not keep China away from the girl

This week seems like it has been a massive pull toward China.
Monday I went to a comedy evening with a friend I know from Shanghai.
Tuesday: The Asia Society sponsored an interview with the Prime Minister of the Tibetan people in exile. I attended the interview, as I am planning on going to Tibet this October and want to understand more about the people and about China. Lobsang Sanyang was incredibly well spoken and his biography incredibly impressive. He talked about the hardships of Tibet and desiring a peaceful way forward.
Wednesday: I started by going to the Tex World trade show. There were hundreds of stalls there. As I was going through the rows of textiles, about 90% were vendors from China, 5% from USA and 5% from elsewhere. There were some from Shanghai and I looked at the addresses and knew where they were located or had been close to the location. I was handed business cards with two hands as they do in China, and heard Mandarin spoken. In some ways I want to be identified as having lived there and having some understanding. However, when I told vendors that I lived in Shanghai they assumed that I was with a factory or was doing manufacturing there, not that I was just in the US to volunteer for the cause of fashion.
Even though I am looking forward to returning to the US I still feel drawn to things from China while I am away only for a short while. I did not expect that when coming and wonder what will happen when I move back to the US full time. Perhaps I will have to take up Mandarin or frequent China town. Today I did get a whiff of a strong oder on the streets and thought, ‘wow it even smells like Shanghai today’.
With all this being said while planning a girls weekend in NYC in 2 weeks time, my only request has been “No DIM SUM”. I have to draw a line somewhere.

How we do it in China.

So I am absolutely loving NYC. That said I did have some culture shook last week. I was at a great event at a remodeled hotel off of 5th Avenue opposite the park, Pierre Hotels Two E Bar. All of a sudden I had an overwhelming feeling that I had to leave. I just was overwhelmed by the differences in how people interact here as well as the adjustments that I will have to make. I successfully have made friends in each country I have lived in but got a little nervous about starting over in my own country. Realizing that I will have to understand what my country men do and I can not blame it on cultural differences as it really is my culture that I do not always understand, nor know how to completely communicate in.
There have been a few things here that I find strange:
1. The metro lines in Shanghai communicate more than the metros in NYC (and there is a massive language and script barrier there). Shanghai metros tell you the next stop before you enter the train and this information is at each door way to the train. Also there is a board that states when the next train will arrive. In NYC you are lucky to know what train you are on, rarely do you know when the next train will come and the entertainment is watching the rats on the tracks below.
2. Actually that is about all I got. I miss the Shanghai metro. Other than that I will keep the roof top parties, the cruises on the Hudson and people holding doors for me and answering questions without me having to wave my arms around or sound like a 2 year old.