大家好! My name is Adam I’m a 21-year-old student of Chinese (Mandarin) and History at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London. I was born in Zimbabwe, my father is from there, but have lived in Oxford since I was about 6 years old.
What brought me to China? If I’m being completely honest, I’d say it all began with a childhood obsession with martial arts and the associated films. Also at school, history was always my favourite subject and naturally this branched out to an interest in Chinese history and, of course, a desire to study Chinese.
Unsurprisingly, my choice to study Mandarin is one that has opened lots of doors for me. So far, I’ve interned in Beijing for one month and studied at Beijing Normal University for the rest of the academic year between 2012 and 2013. During my time in China, I also took the opportunity to explore some of the country, from the scenic city of Hangzhou to the metropolis of Shanghai and others. On a personal note, I see my time in China as a sort of rite of passage into adulthood; the cultural and linguistic barriers were initially daunting but overcoming them has been an important step into my maturing as an adult.
I chose to come and work for InternChina this summer for a number of reasons. I’ve always wanted to visit Chengdu, so the chance to live and work here was not one to miss. Also, the wider region of Sichuan is famed for its mountainous landscapes, spicy foods and of course pandas, so I’m sure that my weekends here will be jammed full of interesting activities and sightseeing. Most importantly, being here for two months will allow me to improve my Mandarin- although the accent and dialect here have been a bit of an uphill struggle!
Working with InternChina, so far, has proven to be a thoroughly rewarding experience for me. I came here seeking a job that would be engaging and push me, and I can safely say that so far the Chengdu office has managed to and will continue to do just that. After just over a week, I’ve been given a lot of responsibility and the opportunity to use Mandarin in a professional context. The internship is tailored so that I can get an idea of all of our business functions, with the aim of eventually focusing on one particular area. All in all, I have high hopes for my time here and am genuinely looking forward to it!
If you have an interest in discovering China, apply!