On May 8th 2018Â more than 30 representatives from CPAZ, CTCÂ & InternChina visited the Pingsha Experimental Primary School to distribute funds raised at the Come Together Charity Music Festival 2017 and provide care packs to a total of 50 disadvantaged students.
The bursary money totalled 82,500 RMB, meaning over 1500 RMB was raised for each child in need!
This is CPAZ’s 12th year in a row working with families to support the education of those in need in Pingsha, and the 5th year that the CTC – Come Together Charity Music Festival has raised money for CPAZ’s mission. The day started when representatives of CTC and CPAZ distributed a total of 82,500 RMB to 50 local children in need.
The bursary for each child was 1,500 RMB, along with a care package which including a backpack and school supplies. Afterwards, representatives split into groups to visit some of the families who receive the bursary.
Come Together Community
Come Together Community (CTC) is made up of a collection of like-minded fellows who care about the community, helping out, and making a difference. The founders of CTC have collectively lived in Zhuhai and China for over 40 years, and consider Zhuhai home.
InternChina is a proud sponsor of CTC, and also one of the official organisers of CTC’s annual charity music festival each year, Come Together. The aim of the NGO is to help people in Zhuhai by uniting the expat and local communities to fundraise for charitable causes and local philanthropies.
Come Together Music Festival
In November 2017, the 6th annual Come Together Charity Music Festival was held. It was an extremely successful event, with a total of 900+ people attending and raising a total of 255,000 RMB. The event has volunteers, bands and sponsor work alongside food and beverage vendors, the schools, the venue and more local groups to raise money for local children in need.
As CTC firmly believes transparency is of utmost importance, you can view all the income and expenses of the Come Together Music Festival 2017 here to see how they got the total amount of 255,000 RMB.
CPAZ
The Charity Promotion Association of Zhuhai (CPAZ) is a registered CSO (Civil Society Organisation) in China. They work to promote social activism and public welfare with the aim of providing compassionate assistance to vulnerable sectors of society. Â They operate a range of projects with the aim of helping financially destitute, disadvantaged people and particularly young students living as orphans or with single parents.
Want to experience charity events like these yourself? APPLY NOW!
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, Pigâs Snout, Pigs Ear, Noodles and other delights to fill this delightful pastry pocket. I personally chose the pigâs snout, which didnât 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!
by Nick Goldstein Â
Two Week PMSA Language and Culture Programme
Iâm not a very good writer, but when asked to write a piece on my first two weeks in Zhuhai as part of the PMSA Programme I volunteered. Not only because I want to get better, but because coming here under InternChinaâs culture and internship program taught me the value of doing things you are scared of. Thatâs why I ended up here writing about InternChinaâs program, having already wasted the first 60 words.
The first two weeks were packed! My personal highlights were tea making, calligraphy and Tai Chi classes. Although lots of fun, I also learned a lot. Much like learning about the history of your country helps you understand it today, learning about the details of Chinese culture helped me understand the big picture (itâs a really big picture!)
During this time, we visited two companies operating in the free trade zone. In the same way as our cultural activities, learning about the companies taught me not only about the company itself, its processes and operations, but also the way western firms interact with Chinese. I saw two models, although on the surface very similar, in practice very different, and I felt the difference. If I were to set up an operation in China, I know what I would do differently.
Language Classes
Part of the program was two weeks of intensive language classes. 3 hours a day in a room with other kiwis trying to learn Chinese was invaluable, and although my Chinese is not comprehensive, it is enough to make a contribution to the language gap. In China, at least where I am, the effort is more appreciated than required.
Homestay Experience
The third part of the program was the homestay experience. Make no mistake this was an experience, living with my own family was difficult enough, someone elseâs is downright terrifying. Despite this, however, the most valuable aspect of the course was the homestay. Visiting companies and learning about culture is useful, but you only learn so much by teaching. Living in a homestay opened me up to the culture, exposing me to the intricacies.
Examples of what I have learnt are 1. That, at least in my family, no matter how loud your childâs friend is screaming, you donât tell them off and 2. People really donât like it when you wear shoes in the house, like REALLY donât like it!
What I’ve Learnt
Jokes aside, I learned about the details of the culture, and I have made friends that I will take back to New Zealand. Reflecting on the past fortnight I think the most valuable thing I have learnt are soft skills. Cultural appreciation, empathy, an understanding of the Chinese approach, and an ability to work in Chinese culture, as well as, I believe, an improved ability to work with any culture. I think the friends, contacts and memories I have made are all important. Overwhelmingly, however, participating in this program has been mostly beneficial to my appreciation of different cultures, expanding my mindset.
Qingdao view over the city from mount Fu-shan
All things come to an end and good things even faster, so does my time in China. It is crazy when I look back on nearly a year that passed, and although I really dislike phrases that are most commonly quoted in situations like this, sometimes we cannot help but use them!
Let us just say, I donât know whether to be happy or sad. Sad because I must leave a city and people that grew to be my friends and home, happy because I return to my homeland and family.
Qingdao beer-festival, saying “Ganbei” to the world
My Experience
When I look back on what I experienced, on what I have seen here, felt here, tasted here and gone through here, the impact on me was/is strong. Stronger than I would have thought or guessed in the beginning. When I arrived in February this year in Qingdao, expectations were low. And surprise was therefore even bigger, as I got positively surprised in so many ways!
I have already shared some of these positive experiences in my blogs so far.
I will also never forget my first encounter with the InternChina crew at Mamaâs Noodles. I was completely lost and unnecessarily took a cab to get there from the university. The driver just smiled, when we got there I knew why (it was literally 500 meters, and he got his 10 RMB basic charge for only 1 minute of driving). And then I ate the best noodles in my life, joining the first Thursday dinner with meeting the interns and participating first time in the quiz (scored 2 points).
Panoramic view with the typical “qingdao-rocks” at the seaside
My Internship
After my time at Qingdao University I started my internship, keen to get some insights in the work of InternChina and keen to use the knowledge I earned over the years in university. After all, I really must say I could do so, and even more.
I got my daily workload but also time to fulfil my own personal goals. If you think now I sat every day at work in front of the computer, then you do not know InternChina. Every Thursday I helped to organise dinner for our participants. Saturday was reserved for trips and activities, which is a task for interns like me to plan and conduct.
With these activities I saw many different and cool things that I otherwise would not have seen. Furthermore, I could show other people activities and places I like to do and share some of my favourites with them, and try to share my experiences and make new ones.
Climbing up the hill to Qingdao-TV tower in 35â, or having tough times translating at a tea ceremony. With all these out of work experiences, and also living together with other interns, you start to develop a matey feeling which comforts you.
âMore than just an internshipâ is more than true!
On mount Fu-shan with a saturday activitiy from InternChina
Time to Leave China
So now this time of learning living and traveling in China comes to an end. There are uncountable things I will take with me – moments, impressions, experiences, memories. Too much to be able to write them down on a paper when asked, but never forgotten.
Maybe a few years from now something will trigger a flashback from a small impression which then will make me think back to a moment I went through, remembering the people I was with. And suddenly having someone around me asking what it is with me, âbecause you were silently focusing your eyes somewhere else?!â And you put the memory back in your bag of memories. Where it rests until you take it out once more.
View from the Lion-Tower in Nanjing, modern and classic in one picture
Finally, I just should say the following! Come to China no matter who you are! I will guarantee you will witness two things.
First: The people here are the same as everywhere else on this planet. No heartless working machines, they have the same feelings, fears and hopes that we have!
Second: China will surprise you not only once! Be it food, be it daily life or the people. You cannot be prepared. But this is also what makes it so appealing to go abroad.
The only bad habit I started in China, taking pictures of food
Vorbereiten fĂŒr China: Wie man einen WeChat Account einrichtet
Habt ihr jemals was von diesem WeChat gehört und euch gefragt wie man es nutzen kann? Hier eine kleine Anleitung vom AnfÀnger zum Profi.
WeChat Deutsch/German
EINE KLEINE EINFĂHRUNG
WeChat ist, mit 963 Millionen aktiven Benutzern, die gröĂte âSocial mediaâ Aplikation in China. ZunĂ€chst ist es einfach eine Chat-App vergleichbar mit dem in Europa meist genutzten “Whatsapp”. Allerdings enthĂ€lt WeChat noch viele weitere Features. WeChat ist auĂerdem, in Ermangelung anderer populĂ€rer Plattformen, sozusagen der allumfassende tĂ€gliche Begleiter im tĂ€glichen Leben Chinas. Es ist, wĂ€hrend eures Aufenthalts dort, nicht wegzudenken und absolut notwendig. Ihr werdet es benötigen um euren Freunden zu folgen, Kollegen zu kontaktieren und selbst um euren Kaffee damit zu bezahlen.
Hier ein Beispiel wie mit hilfe eines QR-Codes und dem Smartphone, in Verbindung mit WeChat bezahlt wird.MIT WECHAT BEGINNEN
Einen WeChat-Account anzulegen ist ziemlich einfach. Der Prozess erinnert dabei an das Anlegen eines WhatsApp Profils. ZunĂ€chst benötigt ihr natĂŒrlich die App. Das ist weiter kein groĂes Problem, ladet sie einfach ĂŒber euren App-store herunter, und verbindet die App dann mit eurer Telefonnummer.
Wie das im Einzelnen geht haben wir euch hier aufgelistet:
- Ladet euch die App herunter und installiert sie
- Sobald ihr sie habt, wĂ€hlt âAnmeldenâ
- Gebt eure Handynummer ein und bestÀtigt, vergewissert euch allerdings davor den richtigen LÀndercode zu verwenden (UK, USA, DE usw.)
- WeChat sendet euch daraufhin einen BestÀtigungs-code, gebt diesen in das vorgesehene Feld ein
- Sobald ihr das bestÀtigt habt gebt euren Namen an, bestÀtigt ein weiteres mal und stellt die Profilerstellung fertig
Such dir einen Kontakt aus deiner Freundesliste aus, mit dem du chatten möchtestNACHRICHTEN VERSCHICKEN
Um Nachrichten zu verschicken öffnet einfach einen Chatdialog mit einem euer Kontakte und gebt eure Nachricht ein wie ihr es von WhatsApp gewöhnt seid. Sprachnachrichten können ebenso einfach verschickt werden und sind auf eine Minute dauer limitiert. WeChat wird euch fĂŒr alle zusĂ€tzlichen Funktionen um Erlaubnis auf den Zugriff fragen.
Das auswahlfeld bietet euch viele Möglichkeiten an verschiedenen AktionenFREUNDE HINZUFĂGEN
Jetzt benötigt ihr natĂŒrlich erstmal ein paar Freunde um ĂŒberhaupt mit ihnen zu chatten. Das geht mit WeChat sehr einfach und auf mehreren Wegen.
Zum einen kann man einfach nach Ihrem Benutzernamen oder ihrer Handynummer suchen, allerdings auch einfach ihren persönlichen QR-Code scannen. Letztere Option ist mit der Grund, wesshalb WeChat fĂŒr Networking und GeschĂ€ftskontakte benutzt wird.
Neue Kontakte in die Freundeslite aufnehmen
KONTAKTE PER BENUTZERNAME UND HANDYNUMMER HINZUFĂGEN
- tippt zuerst auf das â+â in der rechten Bildschirmecke oben.
- tippt dann auf das Bedienfeld âKontakt hinzufĂŒgenâ
- Gebt den Benutzernamen oder die Nummer in das Suchfeld ein
- Der grĂŒne Such-Button wird aktiv
- Existiert der Kontakt, wird er sichtbar auf eurem Bildschirm und ihr könnt auf âHinzufĂŒgenâ klicken.
- Sobald die andere Person akzeptiert seid ihr verbunden.
So sieht das Dialogfeld aus fĂŒr das Scannen eines QR COdes, hier wurde ein fiktiver benutzt.FREUNDE MIT DEM QR-CODE HINZUFĂGEN
- Geht wieder auf das â+â im oberen rechten Bildschirmrand
- Geh auf die Option QR-Code scannen
- Erlaube WeChat auf deine Kamera zugreifen zu dĂŒrfen. Ein neues Fenster öffnet sich mit einem Feld zum Scannen des QR-Codes der Person deren Code ihr scannen möchtet.
- Scannt den Code der anderen person in dem ihr das Smartphone ĂŒber ihren Bildschirm haltet.
- Nach erfolgreichem scannen bekommt ihr ein Feedback in Form eines Tons und der Kontakt des anderen erscheint auf eurem Bildschirm. Klickt auf die grĂŒne SchaltflĂ€che âHinzufĂŒgenâ und schon seid Ihr verbunden.
So sieht eure persönliche virtuelle “Visitenkarte” aus, andere können euch genauso ,wie ihr sie, scannen.LASST EUCH VON ANDEREN ADDEN
Andere können euch natĂŒrlich durch euren Benutzernamen adden, eure WeChat ID, oder Handynummer. Ihr könnt sie aber auch einfach euren QR-Code Scannen lassen.
Um diesen aufzurufen, geht im Hauptfenster unten rechts auf das Feld âMichâ tippt auf euer Profil und dann auf âMein QR-Codeâ.
EINEN GRUPPENCHAT EINRICHTEN
Um einen Gruppenchat einzurichten, geht einfach auf der Hauptseite auf das Plus Zeichen und wĂ€hlt dort âNeuer Chatâ aus. Jetzt wĂ€hlt ihr einfach noch die Kontakte aus die Ihr zur Gruppe hinzufĂŒgen wollt und fertig.
ĂFFENTLICHEN SEITEN FOLGEN
Gruppen sind ein wichtiger Teil der Kommunikation auf WeChat und wir benutzen sie regelmĂ€Ăig um unsere Praktikanten ĂŒber IC AktivitĂ€ten zu informieren. Daher ist es notwendig der öffentlichen Seite InternChinaÂŽs zu folgen um ĂŒber die wöchentlichen AktivitĂ€ten und wichtige Neuigkeiten informiert zu sein. Und auĂerdem könnt ihr den jeweiligen Gruppen fĂŒr die AktivitĂ€ten darĂŒber beitreten.
Folgen aktivieren ist relativ einfach, geht einfach so vor wie wenn ihr einen Kontakt hinzufĂŒgen wĂŒrdet. Einziger Unterschied hier wĂ€hlt âöffentlicher Chatâ bei der Suche aus. Gebt als Suche IC ein und ihr erhaltet eine Ăbersicht ĂŒber alle InternChina Accounts.
So sieht ein Newsfeed einer öffentlichen Seite auf WeChat aus.WIE MAN KOMMUNIZIEREN KANN
Bei WeChat kann kann man entweder chatten, Sprachnachrichten schicken, anrufen oder Videotelefonate, Ă€hnlich wie Skype, fĂŒhren. Wichtig und gut fĂŒr alle die sich mal vertippen oder versehentlich im falschen Chat posten, ihr habt bei WeChat die Möglichkeit alle Nachrichten, Posts und Bilder bis zu zwei Minuten nach Posten zurĂŒckzurufen.
EINE SPRACHNACHRICHT SCHICKEN
Um eine Sprachnachricht zu schicken tippe auf das Lautsprechersymbol neben dem Eingabefeld. Dann halte das Feld gedrĂŒckt und sprich deine Nachricht in das Smartphone. Lass das Feld wieder los, wenn die Nachricht beendet ist. Solltest du mit der Nachricht nicht zufrieden sein, dann zieh einfach den Finger nach oben und lass los. Das senden wird abgebrochen.
VIDEO ANRUFE
Wenn ihr mit eurem zukĂŒnftigen Praktikumsunternehmen ein BewerbungsgesprĂ€ch fĂŒhren wollt wird dieses euch höchstwahrscheinlich per WeChat Video Anruf kontaktieren.
Daher solltet Ihr wissen wie Ihr einen Anruf per Video tÀtigen könnt:
-zuerst öffnet den Chat mit der Person mit der ihr telefonieren möchtet. Ihr könnt auch einen neuen Chat beginnen indem ihr die Person als Chatpartner hinzufĂŒgt.
– öffnet das Chat MenĂŒ (kleines Plus rechts im Texteingabe MenĂŒ)
-klickt auf âVideoanrufâ, das kleine Kamerasymbol, und der Anruf wird gestartet.
(Das gleiche gilt fĂŒr Sprachanrufe)
Sobald ihr euer WeChat eingerichtet habt, seid ihr bereit euer Leben in China zu beginnen. Solltet ihr allerdings noch weitere Fragen haben, vor allem wie man öffentlichen Seiten folgt dann seht euch einfach das folgende Video an.
Congratulations! You have acquired an internship in China! By now, you must have researched all about how to successfully communicate and work with your soon to be Chinese co-workers. Through the research you have gathered, you must have read about âfaceââ and “guanxiââ a lot. Well, hereâs a bit more, with tips and advice from two of our partnered companies here in China!
What is Guanxi or Mianzi?
Here is a quick introduction for those that donât know these two concepts. Guanxi, or “relationships,” is used to describe relationships in their many forms. These can be between friends, families, or businesses.
You can read more about the concept of guanxi from James here, but it is absolutely essential to conducting business and succeeding in China.
Mianzi or “face”, explained here, is so important in Chinese social, political, and business circles that it can literally make or break a deal! It can be translated as “honour”, “reputation” and “respect,” and the concepts are deeply rooted in the Chinese culture.
So how do you achieve Guanxi and Mianzi??
There are a few ways you can better your guanxi and gain some mianzi- read some comments from our partnered companies on how best to do it!
âBe open-minded, curious, and prepared!â â Marketing firm
The lifestyle and the business environment in China is different than it is in the West, so have an open mind for your new lifestyle here in China. You need to try being patient and understanding of your new cultural surroundings and work with potential language barriers.
Be Curious
Ask lots of questions while you are at your internship! Donât worry about bothering your new co-workers, they want to help you, so ask away!
You should also engage in conversations while you are at social events, such as dinners, with your coworkers- this a great way of building your “guanxi!” However, you should remember to keep your questions reasonable and appropriate for the situation. You don’t want to ask any questions which might embarrass or cause your coworkers to lose face themselves.
Be PreparedÂ
Even though you might not know much about China in general, the city you are in, or the language, you can always do a bit of research to show you care enough to learn. This might mean doing some research before you visit, and continuing to ask questions and engage while you are there.
“Offer to buy dinner or go out to eat, and asking for help with and opinions on your work.” â Education company
But this doesn’t need to be anything fancy! Even something simple such as grabbing some nice dumplings or noodles at lunch can do the trick. Spending some quality time with your co-workers will be good for your guanxi and networking, and for your daily working life! If your coworkers ask you out for dinner after a long day of work, take the chance and enjoy a good meal and conversations- you will build your guanxi, mianzi and social circle!
Finally, ask for help when you need it. This is still an internship! You aren’t expected to know everything, so donât be afraid to ask for advice when you donât know something. Asking a colleague will show you are engaged and interested in the work, and they will appreciate sharing their knowledge of the task with you and gain face. Itâs as great to earn as it is to give face!
Feeling ready for that internship now? Best of luck and enjoy your time in China!
Donât have an internship yet? Check out 5 reasons why you should get one in China!
Hey travel addicts! Let me show you the Great wall as you would have never have imagined it!
You might think you know quite a lot about China, but this massive country has plenty of secrets. If youâve already been, youâve probably visited the Forbidden City in Beijing, and the Bund in Shanghai. I bet youâve seen the Terracotta Army in Xiâan, the lovely pandas in Chengdu, and the âAvatar Mountainsâ in ZhangjiajieâŠ
If you have managed to see all these things, it seems like you might be half Chinese now- congratulations! But what if I told you there is way more to China than these popular tourist spots? The Great Wall of China is probably one of the most famous tourist spots in the world, but I’m sure you’ve not seen all yet!
The Great Wall: Tourist Destination
If youâre in Beijing, well of course you should go to the Great Wall, otherwise youâll never be a brave man – äžć°éżćéć„œæ±, as the Chinese proverb said.
For a first experience in China, Badaling ć «èŸŸćČ and Mutianyu æ ç°ćłȘ are nice spots of the Wall, and are very well renovated- this therefore means they are the most visited parts of the Great wall, so donât expect to be the only tourist there!
Quiet Spot
But if like me youâre not really into tourist traps, and crowded places, let me show you another piece of the Great Wall called HuangHuacheng é»è±ć. This is the only lakeside piece of the Great Wall, and some parts of it are not renovated, which means there is the perfect balance of tranquility and adventure- you definitely should try it!
Athletic Spot
If you feel ready for a hike, I have another piece of the Great Wall for you! Zhuangdaokou is one of the unrestored sections of the Great wall in Beijing, and you should definitely visit here if you feel like an adventure. Donât be scared if you see some signs which wonât allow you to climb there, they are most likely like the âno smokingâ signs all over China ⊠not really significant.
Unknown Spot
Did you know that the Great Wall isnât the same everywhere in China? For example, in Inner Mongolia the Great wall is totally different, and itâs of course way harder to imagine how they could defend their country with this kind of wall, made of soil and sand. In every hostel in Hohhot you can book a tour to see those amazing landscapes, and since Inner Mongolia isnât that far from Beijing, you definitely should go and take a look there!
Do you feel like exploring the Great Wall of China? Then you should apply now!
While eating street food here, you might think that eating the street food in China is a bad idea and say, âNever will I eat that!â However, I can tell you that soon youâll be saying âDaily!”
Spit it Out, This Isnât Food!
At least that is what the small Western voice in your head is saying, annoying you while you are chewing on things that you never would have dreamed of eating before coming to China.
Sadly, you won’t see me eating a scorpion on a stick. If I dared to eat that, I would be grinning in the camera saying âyes, I am a badass!â
I also donât want to tell you about what you should or shouldnât try, but I will give advice to help prepare you for the wonders of Chinese street food- especially in Qingdao.
One of the best “pancakes” (jiÄnbÇng) in Qingdao in process
First Things First
If you want a nice tidy kitchen, then you better stay at home where you will not have to look at messy street food stalls- but you also will miss some of the best food out there. I had my first encounter with street food on the street right behind the University.
Variety of Food
The difference between Chinese and Western street food, that I have seen, is obviously the variety and amount of food offered.
On one stand you will find a type of pancake, âjiÄnbÇngâ (ç é„Œ), which can be filled with vegetables, crispy wonton or meat.
The always grinning guy from the other stand will give you some spicy chicken meat in a tasty sauce on potatoes, and with an even broader grin he will ask if you want an egg with it.
Propably the best “ro jie mo” in QingdaoYou will also find the so called Chinese hamburger, or ârou jia moâ (èć€čéŠ), so called because they both have meat and bread! You will find a guy using a scraper, normally used for plaster, to create flatbread. You will see another guy, with his mouth covered by a mask, mixing the cold ingredients you choose by yourself, such as peanuts, noodles, peppers, ginger, salad, tofu, seaweed and so on, in a bowl, and he will then give you your food directly in a plastic bag.
Normal group of street food stalls (not crowded)You will have the agile couple trying to break a record in preparing your meal as fast as possible. Him, hammering around like a lunatic on his iron hot plate, her, throwing the ingredients for fried noodles directly in front of his constantly moving spatula. You will find a competing couple selling chicken kebab with rice. Their arms and hands, heads, legs, knees and toes will be covered, to prevent them getting brown skin from the sun, while you will stand there, wearing a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops, sweating.
But If you are hungry after a long day of travelling or sightseeing, no need to worry. Qingdao can help you out with BBQ on the streets, so search for what you want, sit down and wait for your meal to be prepared over charcoal fire.
Long story short, it is crazy the variety you have with street food, and you can go every day and eat something different. And the best thing is, as far as I got to know, it is the same everywhere! The people and ingredients may vary but the system is the same.
One of the best things to add, street food is there for you night and day!
Different examples of street BBQ
What Street Food to Eat
So, what should you pay attention to?
First, you should apply one rule to all the food you eat, if you eat it and it tastes bad or unusual in a way, then follow your inner voice- spit it out! This may sound hard but believe me, if you donât want to know what âla duziâ is, follow this advice! You wouldnât eat bad food at home, so donât do it in China.
Donât hesitate to push your way to the front-Â “active-queuing” is a very popular sport in China! Be prepared to stand your ground and be firm, or you may lose your spot to an old lady who took advantage of the space you left.
When you find yourself standing in front of a vendor, you’ll be asked, “What? How much? Spicy?â You will have a hard time answering in English, but if you have an index-finger attached to your arm you will get what you want with pointing. Nodding and shaking your head is also optional!
Last but not least, for your own health follow some simple rules; go to the stalls that have people queuing up, and to those who are there every day. You can be sure their food is good!
Why does it have to be Basketball?
Did you ever want to do some extraordinary stuff that feels a little bit like being a celebrity without being one? Or to see and go through cool and wonderful situations? Then China is the place to be! Today I am going to speak about one of these activities. We got free tickets for a basketball match between two University Teams. Actually a friend got them, and not only two, he got a lot, so we went there with a bunch of fellow students. I was really happy on one side getting the opportunity to see my first basketball match but on the other hand I would have preferred watching a football match instead. But basketball is much more popular in China.
Why? If you ask a Chinese person this question they also donât know. Football is also popular in China, and most people know at least one name of a German player, although they will use the Chinese name for him so you might not understand who it is they mean. For example you will have a Chinese guy smiling at you and say. âmy favourite players are Kelinsiman or Shiweiyinshitaige!â Ok, so these examples are quite easy, but you will sometimes have a hard time I guarantee it.
Before the Match
But back to business! As a Student of Qingdao University, I was cheering for the Qingdao Team. I cheered so much that I even forgot the name of the other university, but is that information needed? I mean, who wants to know about the loser anyway?
Everything was new for me; first of all they were playing the national anthem before the game. Which is quite strange for a German to see, as we donât play national anthems that often on sports events. Actually the only occasion on which we would play the German national anthem would be a match between national teams. Then they had two stadium speakers that were giving information about the teams and the game. The were announcing every single player by name.
After the introduction another, for me, strange thing happened. A group of cheerleaders came and performed on the field. Which was strange, because in Germany this is quite a seldom thing to happen too. Â Actually, I only know about cheerleaders from American movies.
For me the idea of cheerleading is, using diplomatic terms now, quite a strange one. Why would you need a bunch of girls performing expressive dancing, to cheer up a crowd that came to see their team competing against another one anyway? And why are there no male cheerleaders? Or are there some at womenâs sport events? And if so, what kind of clothes do they wear? Hot pants, with muscle shirts? What would they swing around?
During the Game
Anyway after the performance and a long time of people running around without any system visible, on and by the sides of the field the actual game begun. We had the best seats directly on the line of the field. The anticipation was killing me already, when the game started.
And I saw from what I can tell about basketball (which is not too much, because I never saw the need to gather knowledge about this game anyway) it was a good game. The players were dedicated and they really played with tactics. During half time, two of my fellow students had to perform a streetball game against two Chinese guys. In the end the Qingdao Team won with smashing 52:38 Points.
After all I was really happy with the whole experience and can strongly recommend this to everyone that gets the opportunity- go and get a grasp of Chinese basketball, with everything belonging to it, including the loud drums Chinese people seem to carry around with them like the vuvuzelas brought to a football match!
So you’re getting ready for your internship in China, and checking everything off on your to-do list. Aside from all the usual important stuff you need for going abroad- your passport, visa, medicine, clothes… you need to think about what vaccines you might need for China.
This is something you need to consider before starting your adventure in China, and while vaccines aren’t necessary, you definitely need to speak to your doctor to see what they recommend.
It is recommended that you speak to your General Practitioner at least 6 to 8 weeks before your scheduled flight to discuss any health risks or vaccinations.
It is not necessary to be vaccinated before your arrival in China, however there are some recommended vaccinations for your stay in China: Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, Tetanus-Diphtheria and Measles if you do not already have them.
Ask Yourself
- What’s the risk of me contracting a vaccine- preventable disease?
- How long am I going for?
- What will I be doing?
- Can I be protected without a vaccine?
What Countries Say
For more information about vaccines, please check the CDCâs website, or read some information here about travelling safely and healthily in China.
We’re looking forward to welcoming you to China soon!
