On Reverse Culture Shock

You can't go home again.

This is the first thing they tell you when you return from a long journey abroad. When you arrive at a new destination, there is a culture shock as you adjust to the new environment. However, when you leave home, it changes. You change as well. Meanwhile, you form a mental image of what ''home'' is and project this as a constant. Upon your return, reality hits, anxiety increases and frustration sets in. This is known as reverse culture shock.

For Mr. Obruni, this happened not in Canada, but in Accra. Over the last seven years, he maintained an image of Accra - the roads, the buildings, the billboards, the traffic, the prices, etc. In reality, all of these things have changed as Accra has undergone its economic and demographic boom. The city that Mr. O knew no longer exists in the present day.

(Curiously, some things have not changed, including rickety tro-tros, air pollution, open sewers and burning garbage.)

Mr. O has changed as well. He has a day job and dependents. As much as he would like to hop a tro-tro, his family would prefer a taxi - and a good one, if he has any sense. His colleagues drive nice cars, eat well and stay at upscale hotels.

This is all part of the adjustment. In returning as an 'adult', he has responsibilities and priorities that differ from those of his youth. His life has progressed and he has advanced in his life's goals.

And that's why you can't go home again.