大家好! My name is Nhung, I’m 21 years old and I have just started my internship at the InternChina office in Qingdao. I am from Germany, and am currently studying Modern East Asian Studies at University. I am here in China to do a language program as part of an exchange program for a year.
InternChina – Coast of Qingdao
Before coming to Qingdao I did a little research on different cities in China and most websites said that Qingdao is one of the cleanest and most liveable cities. They also mentioned that Qingdao has some of the most satisfied and pleased citizens in China, as well as an agreeable climate and beautiful beaches. So far, I can confirm this. The pollution isn’t too bad, summers aren’t too hot and winters not too cold. However, what has impressed me the most is the Chinese people with their kindness.
InternChina – Skyline of Qingdao by night
On my arrival day, back in September, my flight from Beijing to Qingdao was delayed and by the time I arrived it was too late for me to check into my universities accommodation. As I was standing on the streets a little bit lost, I asked the first person I saw to help me find a hotel for the night. Luckily for me, she was fluent in English, something I later found out to be a rare thing. She not only helped me find a hotel, but also walked me there and checked in for me. She was an example of how kind the Chinese are and gave me a first great impression of China.
InternChina – Beach Day
While at University learning Chinese, I made a lot of new friends. One of them told me that he did a program called Generation UK in Chengdu last year. He said that it was through a company named InternChina and was funded by the British Council. These are two companies which constantly work together. Now he has received a scholarship through them to learn Chinese for half a year in China!
After being introduced to them I took the opportunity and applied to do an internship with them as well.
InternChina – Let’s Tsing Town Together!
I’ve been in Qingdao for six months now and I still wake up with this feeling of being on an adventure. There is always something new to discover or learn every single day.
If you are also interested in an internship in China, get more information about your possibilities here!
China is known to be diverse and exotic in many ways, but it’s not just all about food, language and scenery. What is also different and makes our lives more exciting here in China are the cultural differences in dating! Dating in China is different, but to what extent? Of course, no matter what cultural background, an ideal relationship should be based on your feelings for one another, but it can still get a bit tricky when you’re somewhere else. Here’s my take – Get ready to find out what makes dating in China different from the West!
First, how do you approach Asians? Is it socially acceptable for girls to ask guys out? No big deal in the West, some guys might even be attracted to that type of girl. But in China guys definitely prefer to chase a girl instead of being the chased as this is the traditional way and makes the girl appear shy and cute. It’s the thought that counts, right?
So once you got a date with an Asian, what now? No big deal for a Western girl. There is not much you could do wrong since most Asian guys would pretty keen for a chance to date a Western girl, to the point where it’s often even considered linked to an issue of “national pride”. Let’s be honest, we’re talking about guys, so they’re not as picky as girls. Chinese girls also appreciate Western guys very much, as they are considered as quite attractive. For a Chinese girl though, her friends and family influence who she dates, so if you manage to win their approval, you’re good to go.
Want to bring something to the date? In Western countries flowers and chocolates are still a big deal, especially on special occasions such as St. Valentines. For sure there is no girl that wouldn’t be touched by those presents, but they are not usual in China and might be interpreted as pretentious.
So once on the date: Who is supposed to pay? In both cultures it’s usually the men. As we all know, it changed in the West during the last century to the point where bill sharing, colloquially known as “going Dutch”,  is acceptable. In China though, a place famous for preserving its old tradition, women often expect their boyfriend to pay for the dinner dates.
Once in a relationship, the question of commitment is very important. Dating has a practical reason in China and Chinese girls are known for being pushy for marriage because in their home culture once they hit 30, they’re “near their due date” (the sheng nv 生女 phenomenon has been widely documented in China). One should keep in mind that age is an important factor considering commitment.
Of course, these tips are more general guidelines than hard-core facts. Cultural habits are changing and assimilation is often observed between Western and Chinese customs, but just keep them in mind and go get yourself a nice date – Chinese style. Who knows, maybe it’ll spark!
Interested in a cultural exchange in China that’s a bit more personal? Why not come to China! Apply now or send us an email for more information.
Summer School China for “Hochschule Fresenius“ (Germany) 2013
Since InternChina organized their first Summer School Program in 2012, one year has passed. After our first successful experience with a big group of 36 students from Germany last year, we have continuously improved the quality and standards of our services. Due to the positive feedback from last year we became the reliable partner for the coming years to Hochschule Fresenius (Germany) in order to organize and run their official Summer School Program in China.
The two months -Program consists of 3 parts:
- Travel & Culture Days
We are going to visit the marvelous cities of Beijing and Shanghai to explore the rich Chinese Culture of ancient and contemporary China for 2 weeks. There will be plenty of space for rest and individual time for each participant. - Language and Culture Classes
From Beijing we will move on to Qingdao, where all participants will attend Chinese classes in the morning and Culture Classes (conducted by our experienced Foreign and Chinese staff) in our local Partner Language School. - Internship taster
Well prepared every participant has been placed in one of our partner companies to get first working experience in China. Companies are chosen from different fields and students have been matched to their preferred internship field where possible (e.g. Health Management, Logistics, Marketing & Media, HR, Consulting)
Accommodated are all students with either Chinese host-families or in shared apartments.
It goes without saying that all participants are welcome to join our weekend activities to get to know the city and Chinese Culture better!
Start of the program is next Monday, when the flight from Frankfurt takes off to Shanghai!
Our InternChina team is looking forward to welcoming you to China, Hochschule Fresenius!
For more info, check the following links:
https://www.internchina.com/en/universityprogrammes/hochschulefresenius
https://www.internchina.com/en/about/blog/2012/07/german-summer-business-program/?lang=en&Itemid=244
www.internchina.com/en/about/blog/2012/07/kungfu-class-in-qingdao/
www.internchina.com/en/about/blog/2012/08/hiking-trip-to-laoshan/
- If you are a university and looking for a reliable partner for Summer School Programs in China, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly on info@internchina.com to get more information.
- If you are a student and would like to participate in a tailor-made program, please talk to your university (Career department or International Office). We are happy to hear from you and your university. More info: https://www.internchina.com/en/contact/universities.Â
So you are thinking of doing an internship abroad.
Perhaps you’ve already made up your mind that you want to come to China. You have just discovered our website through one of our partner universities or on the web, have browsed around for a bit and found the most important pages: Internships, Studying Chinese, Accommodation, References and now this great, juicy-looking page: the Intern China Blog. So much interesting information, and so varied (don’t forget to check out our most recent posts on all the different topics!). But still you might think:
“I have questions… and it’s China – far away, different language, different customs – I’m not sure who I could talk to about this or if anyone can really help me…”
If this is the case, here’s what you can do:
1. Call our offices! Hop over to this page and pick who you want to contact; you can even email our General Manager in the UK to arrange convenient time-zone phone calls.
2. Write to our enquiries email, which will automatically forward your email to the Manager of the city you are interested in. If you are still unsure about the city, then don’t worry: any of my colleagues and I, can help. So email me!
3. Browse through our site or FAQ list. Here are few questions that come up quite often (I will try to answer each one as best I can):
a. Will there be other foreigners in Zhuhai/Qingdao/Chengdu?
YES. InternChina is a growing company so there are interns all year round in our cities. They are doing internships, language classes or just enjoying the cultural exchange experience of living with a Chinese family. Some have finished their internships and decided to stay on longer as they’ve had such a good time. We even have a few who have been given full-time jobs at the end of their internship!
InternChina organises meals, events, trips and other activities which enable you to meet lots of new people and create strong friendships. Additionally, we are located in three economic hubs in China, so there are also many western companies whose employees live here full-time. This means that during your internship you might work with some foreigners or even meet a few when you go out for a meal or to the bar streets.
b. Will I be able to discover the culture and people whilst having a busy internship schedule?
YES. Zhuhai, Qingdao and Chengdu are three very different cities yet very similar in the sense that they are big enough to attract foreign companies and heavy government investment, but also small enough that you will need to learn the culture and some language to move around. It’s very different from Beijing or Shanghai – where foreigners tend to group together, speak English and in general only go to places targeted at expats.
Remember you are coming to China to discover the culture, the people, the places, the business world, the food, the crazy firework parties…. and this can only be done by being in China and living the Chinese way of life. The locals won’t invite you out, to dinners or special events if they do not get to know you! So get out there, take a foreign friend with you as support and go practice the language and communicate! This is the best way to improve your Chinese and Guanxi.
c. Will InternChina be available to help me out when I am actually in China?
YES. InternChina will always be there to help you on-site. We place interns only in the cities where we have offices: Zhuhai, Qingdao and Chengdu.
On your arrival in China you will come to our office where we will give you an introduction to your city using the awesome Welcome Package and answer any questions you might have. The main reason for this is so that you get to know us, where our office is located and how to get to there. So, if there is an issue and you need our assistance with anything, you’ll know exactly where you can find us, and we can also come find you quickly. Fortunately we are all very experienced and issues get solved simply and efficiently by our foreign and Chinese staff, so most visits usually tend to be of a tea-and-cake nature.
Remember, InternChina does not only provide you with an internship and accommodation, but also with:
– Social support
– Regular dinners, events and trips
– Cultural discovery
– Advice, assistance and help regarding all facets of your life in China
Excited about the prospect of working and living in China? Apply now for an internship!