Vous connaissez tous notre slogan, mais qu’est-ce que cela signifie réellement et implique pour vous? Dîners hebdomadaires, activités et support 24h / 24 et 7j / 7 font partie de la réponse!
Je suis stagiaire chez InternChina depuis bientôt 2 mois, donc je vais clarifier les choses pour vous !
Vous aurez l’occasion de découvrir la Chine et son environnement des affaires pendant votre programme ici. Mais vous pourrez aussi expérimenter de nombreuses choses propres à Zhuhai. Notre équipe InternChina organise chaque semaine des dîners et des activités pour votre bien-être et votre divertissement! En outre, cela nous permet de mieux vous connaître et de connaître vos préférences. Cela nous permettra de rendre votre séjour dans ce nouveau pays aussi confortable que possible. Ce sera aussi pour vous une opportunité de rencontrer des gens adorables venus du monde entier! Si vous souhaitez voyager, nous avons beaucoup de destinations incroyables proches de Zhuhai que nous pouvons vous aider à visiter.
Organiser des dîners, des activités et des voyages pour nos participants fait partie de mon travail en tant que stagiaire pour InternChina à Zhuhai.
Lisez ce blog et vous saurez ce que vous pourrez attendre de notre équipe, ce que vous pourrez faire et explorer dans la ville. À la fin, vous vous sentirez comme un local de Zhuhai!
Bien sûr, si vous avez des suggestions d’activités ou de voyages autour de Zhuhai, faites-en part à quelqu’un de notre équipe! Nous ferons de notre mieux pour répondre à vos souhaits!
Chaque semaine, nous organisons l’un de nos fameux “dîners du jeudi”.
C’est un événement social, pour partager un repas de groupe, découvrir la cuisine asiatique et parler de notre semaine! Nous comprenons que vous êtes étudiants, alors ne vous inquiétez pas, nous essayons de rendre ces dîners abordables! Nous nous en tenons généralement à un budget de 50RMB par personne, voir parfois encore moins.
Comment organisons-nous ces dîners? Habituellement, nous créons un post sur notre compte officiel Zhuhai InternChina WeChat, ou nous publions un post dans notre chat de groupe IC Zhuhai.
Nous vous donnerons plus de détails sur le restaurant, la cuisine, la nourriture, l’heure et l’emplacement du dîner. Si vous êtes intéressés pour venir, alors rejoignez simplement le groupe de dîner en scannant le code QR fourni! Cela nous aide à savoir combien de personnes sont attendus, ce qui facilite les réservations au restaurant ! Pendant l’été, il arrive que plus de 30 personnes rejoignent le dîner !
En somme, tout ce que vous avez à faire est de scanner le code QR et de nous rejoindre! Ça ne pourrait pas être plus facile!
Après une semaine de travail intense pendant votre stage, nous savons que vous aurez tout à fait envie de profiter d’activités et de voyages amusants pendant le week-end. Avec toutes les possibilités qu’offre la ville, vous ne vous ennuierez jamais à Zhuhai. IC organise également beaucoup d’activités et de voyages autour de Zhuhai, car nous savons que l’exploration de la Chine et de sa culture est un must.
Nous essayons d’organiser une nouvelle activité tous les week-ends. Comme pour les dîners, nous essayons de nous assurer que ces activités soient toutes abordables afin que vous puissiez y participer autant que vous le pouvez.
Qu’est-ce que Zhuhai a à offrir? Il y a beaucoup d’activités touristiques amusantes, telles que la route des amoureux, la statue de la Fischer Girl, la plage de Jida, l’aquarium Chimelong, l’opéra, le marché souterrain de Gongbei et les nombreux temples. Nous voulons également vous permettre de voir la beauté naturelle de Zhuhai! Les activités de plein air telles que l’exploration des îles de Zhuhai, la randonnée, les cascade, le tir à l’arc, le paint-ball sont toujours des activités populaires, surtout pendant l’été.
Il est important que vous apprivoisiez la culture chinoise pendant votre stage. C’est pourquoi nous organisons donc des activités culturelles telles que de la calligraphie, des cours de cuisine chinoise, des cérémonies de thé, ou même des leçons de Tai Chi!
Selon les saisons, vous pourrez également assister au festival Cixi en août ou à des cérémonies d’ouverture!
Vous ne vous ennuierez jamais avec les nombreuses activités disponibles pour explorer la ville, vous amuser et réseauter!
Nous essayons également d’organiser des week-ends à la découverte d’autres villes chinoises.
Récemment, nous avons organisé un voyage d’un week-end à Tangkou, village classé parmi les sites du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO! Par le passé, nous avons également organisé des voyages à Pékin, Hezhou, Shanghai et Yangshuo … les possibilités sont infinies!
Pour tout voyage de week-end que nous organisons, nous vous fournirons un calendrier détaillé afin que vous puissiez profiter au maximum de votre temps dans chaque ville! Nous vous indiquerons également le coût de chaque voyage, comprenant le transport, l’hébergement et les activités pour la fin de semaine. Le coût sera plus élevé que pour une activité simple, mais l’exploration et la découverte d’autres lieux en Chine en vaut largement le coût.
Notre équipe IC vous offre leur support 24h/24, 7 j/7. Nous sommes présents à chaque étape de votre séjour en Chine, avant, pendant et après!
Dès votre arrivée, nous viendrons vous chercher à l’aéroport ou au port et nous vous conduirons à votre logement (appartement ou famille d’accueil). Nous vous fournirons également une orientation pour vous aider à comprendre la culture chinoise et vous donner quelques conseils sur la vie à Zhuhai.
Votre kit de bienvenue vous attendra! Il comprend une carte SIM, une carte de voyage, une carte de la ville, une carte d’adresse et quelques goodies InternChina! Tout ce dont vous avez besoin pour vos débuts en Chine.
Chaque fois que vous aurez besoin de nous, n’hésitez pas à nous le faire savoir, nous serons heureux de vous aider!
Notre équipe sur place est également toujours là pour vous soutenir! Nous aurons toujours beaucoup de conseils et d’informations à partager avec vous. De plus, si vous vous sentez malade, nous vous accompagnerons à l’hôpital! Si vous avez d’autres problèmes, nous sommes là pour vous aider si nous le pouvons!
Quand vous débarquez à Zhuhai, et que vous ne savez pas où aller ou quoi explorer, nous sommes là pour vous proposer des lieux où aller! Voici une liste de nos lieux préférés! Vous pourrez ainsi impressionner vos collègues, les inviter et étaler vos connaissances sur Zhuhai !
- HuoGongDian 殿 工 殿 – Tentez la nourriture du Hunan du nord de la Chine! Le Hong Shao Rou (红烧肉) est censé être le plat préféré du président Mao. Cet endroit est un must pour les grands dîners, la nourriture est excellente. Adresse: 珠海 市 香洲 区 石 花 西路 62 号 (近 白莲 洞 公园) ou descendez du bus à 伙 工 殿 大厦 (huo gong dian da sha).
- The London Lounge – Bar très populaire parmi les expatriés. Leurs employés chinois et occidentaux sont toujours prêts à faire une blague. De plus, les sessions Open-Mic le 2e jeudi du mois valent le détour! Lieu: Côte Est, Jida
- FBB Fresh Burger Bar – Un bar et restaurant allemand situé à Jida. Ici vous pouvez obtenir de nombreux plats et boissons occidentaux (surtout allemands)! Il y a une large gamme de bières allemandes disponibles! Descendez du bus à 水湾头” “Shuǐ wān tóu” ou dites-le au chauffeur de taxi!
- GongBei Underground Market – Pour tous les accros du shopping, il y a un marché souterrain à Gongbei où vous pouvez obtenir tous vos vêtements de créateurs de marque à des prix étrangement bon marché. On y trouve aussi des enseignes occidentales (H & M, Vera Moda, Only , etc.) dans les centres commerciaux.
J’espère que ces détails et ces photos vous ont convaincu qu’InternChina propose bien plus qu’un simple stage! Vous ne vous sentirez jamais seul, et cette expérience restera inoubliable!
Le moyen le plus simple de nous rejoindre est de postuler dès maintenant!
Qu’est-ce que les familles d’accueil chinoises attendent normalement de leurs invités? Devrais-je apporter un cadeau pour ma famille d’accueil? Y a-t-il des normes culturelles que je dois connaître? Vous avez probablement un million de questions avant votre séjour en famille d’accueil. C’est tout à fait normal! Tout cela fait partie du processus de découverte et de la magie de vivre dans une famille d’accueil en Chine.
Face à une culture complètement différente, il y a pleins de choses assez inattendues qui peuvent vous surprendre. Notre premier conseil avant de vous rendre en Chine est de vous renseigner et de tout savoir sur le concept de face. Cela vous sera très utile pour vous adapter et développer votre réseau en Chine.
Nous avons donc rédigé ce blog afin de vous donner quelques conseils pour vous aider à vous préparer à la vie en famille d’accueil en Chine!Un des aspects les plus intéressants de la culture chinoise est leur respect, leur amour et leur attention, qui peuvent être véhiculés par le simple fait de partager un repas. Pour être polis la tradition veut qu’on serve les invités en remplissant leurs assiettes autant que possible. Sachez que cela vous arrivera sûrement, que vous le demandiez ou non !Les familles d’accueil sont à notre avis la meilleure façon de pouvoir goûter à une grande variété de plats locaux. Vous constaterez peut-être que vos hôtes vous offrent constamment des fruits, des en-cas comme des graines de tournesol ou même parfois des friandises spéciales comme du chocolat. Cela peut être un peu trop parfois!
- Ayez l’esprit ouvert pour essayer des nouvelles choses – dites oui autant que vous le pouvez, élargissez vos horizons pour ne pas passer à côté de quelque chose de délicieux même si l’aspect peut vous faire peur! (Essayez les insectes ou les pattes de poulet par exemple)
- N’ayez pas peur de dire non quand cela devient trop oppressant – connaissez vos propres limites, mais soyez préparé, il est possible qu’ils continuent à vous proposé même après avoir dit non.
- Soyez raisonnables avec les friandises qu’on vous offre – certaines coûtent extrêmement cher et en abusez pourrait être mal perçu.
- Méfiez-vous de l’alcool appelé Baijiu – lors de fêtes ou de grands dîners de famille des jeux avec cet alcool pourront avoir lieu, et la soirée pourrait vite dégénérer. A consommer avec modération!
Les familles chinoises ont tendance à être très attentives sur la quantité d’eau utilisée à la maison. Ainsi, de longs bains chauds ou de longues douches quotidiennes risquent de ne pas forcément être appréciés. Votre famille pourrait même être légèrement surprise de la fréquence à laquelle vous vous douchez. N’hésitez pas à en parler avec eux. Plus vous discutez de vos habitudes de vie, plus il est facile d’éviter les malentendus et comprendre les différences éventuelles.
N’oublions pas que l’eau est le produit le plus précieux du monde!En Chine, le ragoût de poulet contient le poulet en entier; la tête, le bec, les pieds … et tout se mange, on ne gaspille pas !”Rien ne se perd, rien ne se crée, tout se transforme” A. Lavoisier
Cette idée revient sans cesse dans l’alimentation et dans d’autres domaines de la vie, avec les serviettes de bain et autres articles ménagers par exemple. Bien que peut-être pas quand il s’agit d’emballages en plastique – on ne va pas trop en demander non plus ! Soyez seulement conscient de cela et essayez d’observer comment la famille utilise les choses et essayez d’en faire de même.
Discutez de vos observations avec la famille! Vous êtes tous les deux là pour découvrir ces différences culturelles. Il est toujours intéressant de découvrir des habitudes de vie qui sont dues à la culture de votre pays, à votre famille ou simplement à vos préférences personnelles. Nous vivons dans un monde étrange et merveilleux à la fois après tout!Le style de vie moderne dans la plupart des villes chinoises est très actif. Les enfants sont l’épicentre absolu de la famille. Tout tourne autour de leurs horaires. La routine des parents est de déposer les enfants à l’école, les récupérer et les emmener au cours de badminton, à des cours d’anglais supplémentaires, à des clubs de lego, à des championnats d’échecs ou de gymnastique ou encore à des cours particuliers pour réussir leurs examens.
Ajustez votre rythme de vie à celui de la famille peut parfois être un défi. Plus vous communiquerez avec la famille à propos de votre emploi du temps, de vos heures de stage … plus l’expérience sera agréable. Vous communiquerez généralement avec votre famille d’accueil via WeChat, qui dispose même d’une fonction de traduction si les conversations deviennent complexes. N’hésitez pas à leur poser des questions avant votre arrivée !
- Essayez de passer du temps avec votre famille le soir et les week-ends, surtout s’il y a des enfants!
- Demandez leur des conseils sur les meilleurs endroits pour faire du shopping, faire de la randonnée, faire de l’escalade ou jouer au football – la famille voudra vous faire découvrir sa ville et pourra vous faire visiter les environs.
- Soyez patient et flexible – rappelez-vous à quel point la famille s’adapte pour vous intégrer à sa routine quotidienne !
Les sorties en boite de nuit et votre folie nocturne habituelle pourraient ne pas être aussi compatibles avec votre nouvelle vie de famille ici en Chine. Réfléchissez y avant de vous engagez et décidez de ce qui est le plus important pour vous. Les familles d’accueil peuvent être extrêmement attentionnées en Chine et elles ont tendance à s’inquiéter si leurs invités restent dehors tard le soir.
N’oubliez pas que c’est une courte période de votre vie et que vous n’avez peut-être qu’une seule occasion de faire quelque chose d’aussi inhabituel!Les petits cadeaux de vos villes d’origine sont bien entendu très appréciés! Des chocolats, des biscuits, des autocollants, des torchons, des écharpes, des images, etc. Juste un petit quelque chose pour montrer votre reconnaissance suffira amplement!
En Chine, les gens donnent et reçoivent toujours des cadeaux. Il est également assez courant que des cadeaux soient mis de côté pour être ouverts plus tard en privé. Alors ne soyez pas surpris si le cadeau disparaît sans avoir été ouvert, c’est malpoli d’ouvrir un cadeau devant la personne qui nous l’offre ! PS : essayez de donner votre cadeau avec les deux mains, c’est un très grand signe de respect !C’est à vous de découvrir cela par vous même durant votre séjour ! Cela fait parti de l’expérience ! Pour avoir un aperçu amusant, nous vous recommandons cependant de regarder la chaine YouTube Mamahuhu’s !
Ce blog vous a plu et vous voulez participer à l’un de nos séjours en famille d’accueil ? Ecrivez-nous !
By Rosa Spence
On the 28th March, myself and four other representatives from the NGO I am interning with, CDNGO06, organised and accompanied farmers from Yunqiao village on an overnight visit to Mao Xian. A district 5 hours north-west of Chengdu and only 40km away from Wuchuan (the place where the earthquake hit in 2008!).
The aim of this visit was to introduce the local farmers from Yunqiao to local Sichuanese Pepper farmers in Mao Xian. These farmers have previously worked closely with WWF to increase sustainable farming of Sichuan pepper. As a result of this collaboration, their Sichuan pepper crops have become organically certified. The farming community has become a co-operative, having received support from Sichuan Rural Credit Union – an initiative established by the People’s Bank of China to provide credit to rural areas in China.
This, in turn, has led to better access to national and global markets. The NGO hopes that the farmers from Yunqiao will be able to learn and adapt some of the techniques, used by Mao Xian farmers, and apply them to their Luo Bo crops (the main crop of Yunqiao) with the aim of increasing quality and production rates.
We left the sleeping city of Chengdu at six o’clock in the morning and traveled in a minibus to Yunqiao village. Two hours north of the City, to pick up the farmers who were coming with us. As we drove for another three hours from Yunqiao to Mao Xian, I was not prepared for the scenery that I was about to witness.
The concrete jungle of Chengdu disappeared and the skyline was replaced with towering mountains, so tall that the peaks were dusted in snow. The cloudiness of Chengdu’s city sphere also dissipated and we basked in bright sunshine and crystal clear blue sky. I think it’s the first time that I have seen cloudless skies and unobstructed sun since I arrived!
Arrival at Mao Xian
On arrival at Mao Xian, the farmers and NGO Staff were taken on a tour and shown how the pepper was produced. The first station was the warehouse, where the pepper granules were stored; next, we were taken to the building where the raw pepper granules were ground down into refined powder and packaged to be sold in the national market. They weren’t kidding when they said it had a kick to it, I tasted a single granule and my tongue went numb for the next 20 minutes!
This farming co-operative has won numerous awards for their work, all of which were displayed proudly on the wall in the meeting room. The meeting between the two communities lasted for over 2 hours, with the NGO workers and the farmers from Yunqiao taking notes about how the Mao Xian farmers’ model worked. My role as the NGO’s photographer was to document the event. The host farming community were really accommodating, with tea being provided throughout and the meeting came to a close in good spirits and a formal photograph was taken.
After the formalities were completed, there was a chance to explore Mao Xian. We were taken to see some beautiful blossom trees, their delicate petals floating in the warm breeze. I got told that these trees and most of the surrounding area had been rebuilt after the area was flattened by the 2008 earthquake. The experience was also very culturally enriching, as the next day we were given the opportunity to observe a Qiang ceremony –an ethnic minority group, with a population of approximately 200,000, located in North Western Sichuan Province.
The ceremony was enchanting, consisting of singing, chanting, dancing, drumming and role play. We were then given a guided tour around an ethnographic museum, where we were told about Qiang history and also got to observe people going about their daily routines – these people still live very traditional lifestyles, making their own clothes and tools. We were fortunate enough to witness two Qiang men forging an iron blade, using two hammers and an anvil, the precision of the technique was mesmerising – clearly, a skill which has been refined over generations!
It has been a fantastic experience, I feel very fortunate to be so included in the work that the NGO is doing for local communities, they are truly committed to helping to create change at a local scale.
Inspired by Rosa’s Experience? Apply Now!
When I was asked by one of our NGO partner companies here in Chengdu to join them on a company trip to Yunqiao village accompanying one of our participants, I became very excited. This NGO are a non-profit Community Service Organisation approved by the Chengdu Civil Affairs. Their mission is to “improve ecosystems by working directly with communities to achieve sustainable development and the construction of an ecological civilization” – the organisation offer internship opportunity CDNGO06.
I was accompanying InternChina participant Rosa on the trip to Yunqiao Village, during the entirety of the trip I was discussing with Rosa about her stay in China and her internship with the NGO. Rosa has been here for about 6 weeks and is half way through her programme; her official role at the company is Ecological Marketing Associate.
Rosa’s Internship
Rosa is in charge of writing promotional material and placing volunteer activities on record but she has been involved with a lot more than this, she has actually managed entire visits to Yunqiao. Rosa has also been responsible for applying for grant schemes which has included the creation of projects and allocating budget.
I was happy to hear how much she enjoys her internship, before coming to China she didn’t expect to be as involved in the day to day projects. She has been very impressed with her colleagues’ passion, especially with the Yunqiao Project that she also tries to put her heart and soul into it.
On the day of the company trip I was very nervous as I didn’t know what to expect as well as being a representative for InternChina. Little did I know, how important this day was for the company itself.
My day started around 6 am wondering what the trip would be like, obviously it wasn’t a normal workday. I was informed that 50 students from Baruch College in New York would be joining us, so I was getting prepared to meet the students and talk to them about InternChina and its work as well as gathering my business cards to go.
With my breakfast in hand I headed out to meet Rosa at the hotel where the students were staying. There I met Alina, the students’ coordinator and two of Rosa’s Chinese colleagues at the NGO. After making final arrangements and assisting all the students into the buses, we headed out towards the North West of the city at around 8:15 am.
Two hours later we arrived at a small village named Yunqiao (云桥) in the Pidu District. After arriving we met the Project Manager and he informed us about their work, especially in the area. One of the companies projects is the rehabilitation and protection of Chengdu’s Yunqiao Wetlands Water Resource Protected Area.
YunQiao Village
But what is so special about this area? Yunqiao is located between the confluence of two of Chengdu’s most important rivers: the Botiao and Xuyan rivers. Botiao is one of the four “mother rivers” of Chengdu city. Along with Xuyan river, they both are the major source of drinking water for the city.
The “Magical Earth” project is an initiative to protect native plants and animal habitats in the Yuanqiao Wetlands. One of the major problems in the area is the alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) which is a non-native species; alligator weed is considered a major threat to ecosystems because of its negative effects to both aquatic and terrestrial environments.
Through the joint efforts of government departments, community organisations, scientific research institutions and entrepreneurs, the recovery and management of Yunqiao wetlands has been gradually and successfully implemented.
Even though the initiative is very important for the village itself, unfortunately only a few villagers volunteer. But several international companies not only provide volunteers, they also provide donations.
What We Saw
This day was a day to celebrate. After the Project Manager explained to us the importance of the wetlands, we witnessed the signing of an agreement between Rosa’s Internship Host Company, the local government and the head of the village. This agreement recognizes Yunqiao village as a natural protectorate, which gives the area an official status of a natural reserve.
We were able to see the wetlands ourselves and get our hands dirty by pulling out some alligator weed. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t in our favor. This made it difficult for us to stay longer and for me to explore the area a little more.
The overall experience was very rewarding. Sometimes we take for granted what nature can give us and this trip has been a eye-opening experience. Therefore, I am happy I was able to meet very passionate people within the company who are willing to give that extra push for the environment.
Especial thanks to our partner company and Rosa for providing us the diagrams of the area.
Come and experience China with us! Do your internship with a NGO and apply now!
It’s now time for me to leave the InternChina team after a 6 month internship in the Qingdao office. It seemed like thanking the team for the amazing time I had will be a nice topic for my “goodbye blog”. However I’ll try to show you that you should definitely consider doing your internship there as well!
First of all, are you passionate about China and want to learn more about how to do business there? Also, the internship of your dreams is one where you’ll have plenty of responsibilities and support? Finally, are you ready to learn more about yourself and your abilities? Well, if yes you should definitely keep reading! But first, enjoy a few pictures of the Qingdao team!
Business in China
When I first arrived in the InternChina team I was asked to choose what I wanted to focus on during my internship. As I wanted to learn more about business and marketing I became a Business Development and Marketing Intern. Indeed. as part of our job here we need to find new partner companies who are seeking foreign interns. First of all, you’ll need to learn and understand to concept of face and guanxi. Then you definitely will always address companies as you should in China. As a result I was even able to assist a meeting with a company all in Chinese and understand it! Thanks to my 8 years of Chinese studies I could understand the language and process of a meeting with a Chinese partner company. Also, it’s definitely a nice way to develop your own network and make connections for the future.
Funny thing about talking to companies here in China: you use WeChat! Emojis and video calls are both easy ways to communicate, and are the keys to a successful and professional relationship! Business in China is full of surprises! Regarding the marketing part of my internship our aim was to promote our services. For example I add to posts on social medias about our activities and internship offers. I even wrote an article about it, check it out! I discovered that Photoshop wasn’t that hard to use and that we could do amazing things with it!
Responsibilities and Support from the InternChina Team
Being a little too shy to use my Chinese and actually go meet companies, I reconsidered my position and wanted to look into another aspect of the company, the one that we call “booking”. It’s basically the process between InternChina and a student who wants to find an internship in China and uses our services to do it. As I am French, I was dealing with French students. They were all dreaming of coming to China and from step 1 to the final details, I helped more than 10 students in a few weeks. By talking to future interns and helping them find the suitable company and internship for them you really feel so useful and talented when you finally succeed! As part of the Qingdao office you’ll be rewarded with a delicious Tsingtao beer!
During the whole process I was never alone. One thing you should know about InternChina when you join the team, is that you’re joining a big family. We are all connected to each other via Skype even if we are all located in different countries. One of the most important part of our services is to offer support to our participants, well within InternChina you couldn’t find a more supportive team. Even if I was probably annoying at some point – by asking too much – I was always given an answer to my questions and never felt left alone. Let’s meet some of them now!
Learn about yourself
Keep in mind that doing an internship with InternChina is the opportunity of developing the skills you wish for. By that I mean that the diversity of tasks you’ll be given will depends on your own abilities and most of all interests! That’s also a way to push yourself into tasks you wouldn’t imagine to be able to do. I didn’t believe 6 months ago that I would be able to understand and take part in a Chinese meeting. Or to enjoy watching the statistics on our Facebook page and try to find ways improving them! I really enjoyed working in the office – and if you’re not an office person well be aware that you’ll have plenty of occasion to work outside the office as well.
You’ll work within an international team, and that’s one of the best way to learn about communication and culture. With the Chinese staff members I was able to learn more about Chinese culture and develop my interest of it. With my British colleagues I learned a lot of new expressions thanks to our weekly “Quiz” – have you ever heard of Hobnobs before? As between offices we are all using Skype to communicate I developed some communication skills that I didn’t know I had before. Moreover you will also learn how to be more organized and how to prioritize your work – that’s super helpful and not only for your time at InternChina! Let me introduce you to the team you’ll have the opportunity to work with:
Even if the fact to answer the question “what’s your internship like” by saying “my internship is basically to help people find internships” is awesome – doing it is even better! Interested of doing that awesome internship, or come to China with our programmes, apply now !
大家好！ Hello everyone, my name is Subin and I am from South Korea. I’ve begun my internship at the fabulous InternChina Chengdu office and I would like to share my story with you!
Having an ambitious and brave mom, I had to travel with her around the world, experience the cultural differences and learn different languages since I was a kid. I left my home country when I was 10.
Among the countries I have visited, China was the country I missed the most. The fantastic landscape, the delicious food and beautiful memories I had with my local friends brought me back to China.
The China in my memory and the China that I am living in now
I was pleasantly surprised by the changes in China: it has developed so fast in the few years I’ve been away! The life here has become so much easier with applications like Wechat and Zhifubao (Mobile Payment App). But the food is still extremely delicious and the local people are as welcoming as before.
Taobao is the best invention ever. We can buy everything on this application at the most unbelievable prices. If you come to China, try to not get addicted to it, because I already am!
Turning Point
The decision to come back to China was a turning point for me: from the timid daughter who followed and listened to her mom to the grown-up who makes decision by her own and is responsible for them. Therefore, nowadays my life is full of adventures and I love it!
If you want to begin a new adventure like me, why don’t you have a fresh start with us InternChina? Apply now!
What is KTV?
KTV/卡拉OK (KalaOK) is a staple of Chinese nightlife. Your Chinese friends and work colleagues may invite you out to what is basically a nightclub to Karaoke. You’ll pay for a room usually for at least a few hours and then you get to sing, drink and dance the night away!
My first KTV
I first went to KTV almost 4 years ago. I had just arrived in Nanjing and was still getting used to the culture shock of living in China, when before I knew what was happening a bunch of us were heading out to a KTV. The experience was intense, it started off with our two Chinese friends each singing a Chinese pop ballad extremely well, which would make most people feel nervous.
Luckily for me this was also my first time trying 白酒 (baijiu) – Chinese rice wine, which took the edge off! Soon we were all mumbling along to the pop songs we knew most of the words to and by the end we were singing full belt to Queen. We left at 5 am, after close to 6 hours of singing. It was one of my fondest memories of my first time in China and since then has become one of my favourite pastimes.
Some people’s Marmite
Love it or hate it KTV, can certainly make or break friendships. Often the first-time can be nerve-racking, and whether you need some liquid courage or just the support of friends, it’s important that everyone feels relaxed and not judged, as at the end of the day 90% of people don’t have golden pipes! You’ll probably discover who is accepting of other people’s music taste and who presses the skip button when they don’t like something. Most importantly you’re not auditioning for The Voice, so the emphasis is on fun!
What to expect
There is a plethora of choice when it comes to KTV. Sometimes it will be a palatial structure full of mirrors and disco lights, or sometimes it is just a simple affair with a cosier feel. Based on how much you are willing to pay you can book a small room or a huge auditorium with a balcony. You pay for the room, so the more of you there are, the cheaper it will be!
They may provide you with drinks and even food for free. There may be instruments such as tambourines and maracas in the room and even a bar and toilet. KTVs will have Western songs, however the choice may vary from just famous pop songs all the way through to a vast collection of classics!
KTVs in Zhuhai
Usually it is helpful to get a Chinese friend to help you book a KTV in advance, so that you don’t get there and find it is fully booked!
Below is a list of some of the best KTVs to visit in Zhuhai:
- GTWO 量贩KTV
九州大道西富华里9栋二楼GTWO KT
- 音乐匣子（Yinyuexiazi）- Music Box
海滨南路7号
- 星歌会量贩式KTV
石榴岗路3号凯荣都国际大酒店3-4楼(近地铁赤岗站)
- Ktime量版式KTV
珠海市香洲区拱北迎滨南路摩尔广场二楼
Whether you give a heart rending rendition of your favourite ballad or scream into a microphone as you attempt to make up for your lack of pitch, either way it’s going to be a laugh!
Wenshu Monastery
This weekend in Chengdu our interns took a visit to the famous Wenshu Monastery. Upon arrival, the beauty of the buildings stunned us. From the towering peace pagoda to the stunning halls, the architecture amazed us all.
Upon entering the monastery, you notice its layout in the traditional Chinese style. Wenshu is made of 5 south facing halls in a row leading up to the stunning main hall at the far end from the entrance. In classic Chinese style there was maintenance underway including this man precariously perched atop scaffolding on wheels using a jet wash to clean the beams.
Having toured the grounds of the monastery we headed outside to an antiques market. Here we found old communist memorabilia, including the famous little red book, and Mao-ist propaganda amongst other treasures. One vendor was sat outside his shop playing his guitar as his dog kept an eye on the passers by.
After looking around the monastery and the antiques market we headed back towards the temple grounds in search of some food.
The Food
The surrounding area to the monastery is home to some of the most famous food in Sichuan. Not ones to miss the opportunity to eat, we jumped in the line of a famous restaurant. The restaurant was packed full with no space to sit. Upon ordering our TianShuiMian (this restaurants famous dish) we managed to find a spot to sit and dug into to this amazing delicacy. Our interns loved the sweet and spicy contrast to these amazing hand made noodles!
After sampling this delight we wanted more and headed to another famous spot near the metro station. As is the case with all well-known eateries in China, this place also had a queue out the front. This time we were queuing for Guo Kui. The menu offered Beef, Pork, Pig’s Snout, Pigs Ear, Noodles and other delights to fill this delightful pastry pocket. I personally chose the pig’s snout, which didn’t disappoint.
Having filled our stomachs with great food and our eyes with fantastic scenery we all headed off. On the way back we stopped by Tianfu Square, right in the middle of the city to snap some pictures and take in our surroundings. All in all a great day out!
Interested in visiting Wenshu Monastery and trying some Sichuan cuisine? Apply now!
Hello! My name is Anna, and I am from Poland. Last week I started my internship with the InternChina Dalian office, as part of the Bookings and Marketing Team.
About Me
I am currently in my third year of Business Management and Chinese at University of Central Lancashire. This year is my year abroad, so I decided to spend it half on studying, half on getting work experience.
My first semester was a Chinese language course at Beijing International Studies University. It was my second time in China, and my second time at BISU! Last year I visited that university for a two weeks long summer language course, and I liked it so much I chose BISU again!
For the work experience part in China, I chose to do my internship with InternChina. As I wanted to put the theory I have learned during my two years of studying into practice, and this internship covers all subjects of my studies, it was the perfect choice!
Dalian vs. Beijing
When I was sure that I want to do my internship with InternChina, I found it difficult to decide on which office I should choose!
I chose Dalian because of its location – at the peninsula with a lot of beaches, places for hiking and greenery, and because of its history. Dalian is definitely a very beautiful city with many cultures mixed up, which can be seen in the architecture and food.
Because of Russian and Japanese occupations, Dalian has many buildings and public places in the style of those countries. Beijing is much more homogeneous in style, thus it has more developed areas with new Western-style buildings along with suburban areas with old, grey and boring blocks.
Food in Dalian is very influenced by Korean, Japanese and Russian cuisine. I really love that variety. But the main cooking style is Shandong cuisine, with the influence of North-Eastern Chinese cuisine. This means there is a huge choice of seafood from casual fish and prawns to more sophisticated (at least for Westerners!) dishes like sea cucumber or sea urchins.
What I really like in Dalian is that it is a much less busy and crowded city than Beijing. On the streets there are much fewer people and cars, and the queues in shops are shorter.
Differences in Beijing and Dalian
One big difference between Beijing and Dalian is the subway link. I am used to travelling everywhere by Beijing subway as it is the most convenient and foreigner-friendly means of transport. On the train, you can see a board with stations in Chinese characters and Pinyin, and which station the train is approaching as well as hearing the announcement in both Chinese and English.
The Dalian subway is not that well-developed, and my apartment is not located near any metro station. But do I have a bus stop very close to my house with busses leaving every couple of minutes. The announcements are all in Chinese, so I have an opportunity to perfect my Chinese listening skills!
I have already fallen in love with the winter scenery of Dalian, with snow and all the colourful lights on buildings at night. However, I am really looking forward to warm days to explore Dalian’s most beautiful places and learn more about culture and history of that city!
If you want to be a part of the InternChina story, why not apply now!
Early on Saturday morning our interns from the Chengdu branch headed out on the train for Leshan. The forecast suggested it would snow; a rare sight in Sichuan Province, but that didn’t dampen our spirits.
After getting off the train at Leshan, we took a short taxi ride to the Leshan Buddha and surrounding area. After paying our admission fee and entering through the gates, the beauty and the attraction on show stunned us!
Whilst it may be expected that it is just the Buddha on show at Leshan, there is in fact a whole array of statues and monuments to be admired. We started by ascending the mountain up to a look out point over the rivers beneath, where there was a fantastic view over the valley below.
After a short walk through a forested area we ended up at a pagoda standing tall at the top of a wide staircase. When we reached the foot of the pagoda we could see a few Buddhists walking around the square base reciting prayers.
We then headed towards the Giant Buddha taking in the sights as we walked through beautiful lily ponds full of Koi fish gracefully gliding through the water. At the head of the Buddha there was a giant bell being rung by a monk to ward off evil.
After briefly pausing at the top of the Buddha we headed towards the temple at the top of the mountain. Inside the temple were lots of people paying their respect to Buddhist figures, burning incense and leaving offerings.
Then it was time for the main event.
The Leshan Giant Buddha
The Leshan Giant Buddha stands a giant 71m tall and looks over the confluence of the rivers Dadu and Min. Which eventually flow in the giant Yangtze river. The Dadu starts its journey in the Tibetan plateau before winding its way through Kanding. Then onto Leshan eventually ending up in the East China Sea. This towering structure was built between 700-803 AD and contains an elaborate drainage system in order to prevent weathering.
After a short fact file by myself to prepare the interns for what was ahead, we made our way to the top of the stairs, which descend down the cliff face beside the Buddha. This allowed us to get a true feeling for the scale of the massive structure. Descending our way down was the perfect opportunity to capture some fantastic pictures before reaching the bottom. We took our time, and stood at the feet of the world’s largest pre-modern statue, capturing some images and enjoying the roars from the rivers below.
Inspired by this adventure? Apply Now!