After being here just a couple of hours it’s obvious we are going to have an amazing time. There is a really good atmosphere, with 130 interns and lots of different nationalities.
The first night after we arrived (having travelled for over 20 hours) we went straight out for food and a few drinks. It was a good way to get to know people very early on and we had a great night.
The next day we had an introduction to Chinese business culture and a detailed run through of what we can expect from our internships and how it can differ from western business. For example, the concept of “Guanxi“ (which is your network of people) is very important in China. Everything has been really well organised so far. We were given business cards also, which is a very good way of meeting people (and remembering peoples’ names). Giving someone your business card is just like saying hello at home.
We also had an introductory Chinese lesson and advice on travelling in China during the weekends when we’re not at work. I would like to go to Shanghai, Xian and Inner Mongolia (yes, Mongolia!) depending on how much money I have left. A group of interns who have been here since June are going to Mongolia this weekend so we will see how they get on. There is a group of us thinking of going to Xian (Terracotta warriors) next week.
We had a banquet last night at a traditional Chinese restaurant. I don’t think I’ll ever look at Chinese takeaway in the same way after this. We had lots of different main courses and dessert, the food was absolutely amazing. The chopsticks took a bit of getting used to but it shouldn’t become too much of a problem. We toasted ‘gan bei’ to start the meal and the weekend! Everyone went out to watch the World Cup afterwards (we are located very centrally) and went to a club called Vix after that (Which is right next to a club called Mix, just to confuse us!) Most of the bars are literally a few minutes’ walk from the accommodation.
The rooms themselves are much nicer than I expected. Interns are generally in a apartment of two or three people, and most of us have other interns on our floor so there are always people about. You would never go past reception without seeing CRCC Asia interns about somewhere, and everyone is beginning to get to know each other really well already. I was wondering before I came over would I need sheets or towels but you don’t. Fresh towels are provided everyday which is really useful. We also have a fridge and an oven as well but very few people use it since you can eat out so cheaply. It’s up to you how much you want to budget for food. You could be paying €12/£10 some places but the other day I got a full meal in the supermarket for about €1! It’s good because if you start running out of money or want to save for a trip, you can cut down easily.