An introduction to China: Which accounts to follow
An introduction to China
Keen to learn more about China before carrying out your internship? We have picked out some of the best social media accounts and websites for learning about China, its language, culture and travel destinations! We have also chosen a couple of city-specific accounts if you are struggling to choose which city to do an internship in or want to find out more about the destination you have picked.
Learning Chinese
Looking for fun and easy ways to learn Chinese ā take a look at the accounts below!
han_characters
The Instagram account han_characters makes Chinese characters easier to remember by creating drawings of them. Each post shows a single character as a picture and explains the different words that that character features in with example sentences. Not only does this make learning Chinese easier, especially if you have a picture memory, it also helps you to understand the meaning of single characters which helps in learning multi-character words. Your time on social media can be made productive by learning Chinese just scrolling through Instagram!
Check out their Instagram here
The Chairmanās Bao
The Chairmanās Bao has abridged news articles in Chinese which you can filter according to HSK level. The website and app have a built-in dictionary and keywords and grammar points are listed at the end of every article. You can read sample articles for free, but to access all their language resources you have to pay a monthly subscription fee. However, the blog section is free and offers good tips and advice for learning Chinese, as well as articles about Chinese culture and news.
Check out the website here or download the app here
Travel in China
Want some inspiration of where to travel to China? Follow these accounts to see some incredible photography of Chinaās gorgeous landscapes, historic sites and cityscapes.
loves_china
This account collates photos from around China and provides a description of the location, including an explanation about the placeās history and geography.
Check out their Instagram here
nathan_ackley
Nathan Ackley is a photographer based in Shanghai and Taiwan and the majority of his photos document these two places. He captures the buzzing cosmopolitan life in Shanghai, as well as beautiful temples and traditional buildings.
Check out his Instagram here
theotherchina
The account provides awe-inspiring photographs of life in rural China with short extracts explaining their background. It is summarised by their bio: āyou know the city, now get to know the country – see how Chinaās other half livesā.
Check out their Instagram here
News about China
Sixthtone
Sixthtone offers news and investigatory stories about China which you may not find in the mainstream news. The stories are split into five sections, based on the Chinese languageās five tones: rising tones, half tones, deep tones, broad tones and vivid tones. Each offers a different perspective on news and life in contemporary China. Sixthtoneās articles, photography and videos cover a wide scope of issues including social trends, economic development and life in rural areas. The weekly summary of Chinaās Week in Photos provides an insight into the hugely varied events and developments going on in China.
Check out their website here, Instagram here or Facebook here
China Daily
Follow China Daily if you want to keep up-to-date with national news and understand a Chinese perspective on international news stories.
Scan the QR code below to follow their WeChat account
Cultural differences
Tinyeyescomics
This Instagram account uses pictures to convey the cultural differences between China and the West which are based on the illustratorās experience of being a Chinese person living in the West. They may help prepare you for some of the cultural differences you will experience in China and resonate with you if you have spent time in China before!
Check out their Instagram here
Chengdu
Chengdu Expat
Chengdu Expatās WeChat and Facebook account lists recent news and upcoming events in Chengdu. Look here for all the best business, cultural and nightlife events, as well as some discounts and deals. The Instagram account also features a variety of pictures showcasing life in Chengdu which will give you an idea of what you might see, do and eat while youāre here!
Check out their Instagram here, Facebook here or follow them on WeChat: Chengdu Expat.
sheleads
sheleads is an international network for professional females in Chengdu and offers a mentorship programme and listing of events which focus on female empowerment and feature women. In 2019, they organised a Female Week and launched a podcast.
Follow them on Wechat: sheleads
Zhuhai
discoverzhuhai
discoverzhuhai showcases the local sites of Zhuhai and the surrounding region.
Check out their Instagram here
zhuhaieater
This new account started by an InternChina intern shows the vast range of delicious food available in Zhuhai with their locations listed. With zhuhaieaterās help, you will never go hungry in Zhuhai again!
Check out their Instagram here
Qingdao
RedStar
This account targeted at expats lists upcoming events in Qingdao and information about the city.
Check out their Instagram here or follow them on WeChat: redstarqd
Visit.qingdao
The official tourist account for Qingdao offers snapshots of its scenery throughout the seasons.
Check out their Instagram here
Dalian
Unfortunately, Dalian is currently lacking any English language accounts but check out InternChinaās blog section about Dalian to learn more about previous internsā experience here and maybe you will be inspired to start an account during your placement!
Get in touch:
Harbin vs Zhuhai
How I ended up in the “City of Ice”
As a student of Business Management and Mandarin, I had to make a choice of city in China for my year abroad. The year abroad, in my case, consists of two components: one year study and a two month internship. I decided early that I wanted to study in one city and do an internship in a different city, for different experiences.
North vs South
Originally, I was very keen on studying in a city in the southern part of China, for many reasons that include: climate, food, proximity to the sea, and much more. As a Portuguese person, I searched for a similar place to go to (and to make the cultural shock a little less noticeable!), However, it went a little different than expected (in a good way!).
I applied and was accepted for a one-year Confucius institute full scholarship in Harbin! The coldest city in China! This peculiar city in northeast China fulfilled my main criteria which was: must have majority Mandarin speakers, who speak in a standard way. My other criteria: I will study in a city where English is remotely spoken, so that I can have the best learning experience. I stuck to these two important criteria and must say, had a great experience learning Mandarin in Harbin.
How I ended up in the “City of romance”
When it came to apply for my internship, Zhuhai was already on my mind. I wanted a place different from Harbin. I wanted to feel the warmth of the sun again, and so I did for two months in the lovely city of Zhuhai. As expected these two cities are extremes in so many categories, that some may ask “Why did you go to Zhuhai/Harbin?”.
Let’s talk about some of those differences:
Architecture
For those who aren’t familiar with Harbin, it’s a city located in Heilongjiang Province right at the top right corner of China, bordering Russia’s Siberia. So, one can imagine just how cold it is. Harbin’s winter lasts about 6 months reaching minimum’s of – 40 Āŗ C. Harbin is, in fact “the City of Ice”, famous for it’s ice buildings and statues and icy festivals. Moreover, it’s important to point out, Russian entrepreneurs who wanted to recreate their motherland, built the Harbin of today. So its buildings are very Russian, in the way they look, but with Chinese banners. It’s this odd combination that makes it such a peculiar city, interesting on the foreign eye.
Zhuhai is the complete opposite. The buildings are tall, and mostly dark grey and white. While it sounds depressing, it goes well with the city’s landscape. Zhuhai is relaxing on the eye, because it is a mixture of human landscape and nature. Wherever you go you’re sure to see trees, bushes, anything that screams Nature.
Food
Beifang’s food (North China) and Nanfang’s food (South China) is completely different. Not only that, but also it varies according to the region.
Harbin’s food is delicious, flavored and mostly fried. But I couldn’t understand why most food was fried. Until a teacher explained that due to the extreme cold weather in Harbin, there was a preference for oil-based food (it will heat your body and help fight coldness). Zhuhai’s food is light, flavored and with a lot more vegetable side dishes. Both are not too spicy, so both Harbin and Zhuhai’s food are very delicious.
MeetingĀ Foreigners
That was, for me, the biggest difference between the two. While in Harbin, Chinese people tend to be more amazed whenever they see a foreigner for the first time. Nevertheless they are very welcoming and overall very curious about the countries we come from. They may even ask for a picture.
Zhuhai’s people may also be amazed, but are much more relaxed when meeting foreigners. Overall, I found that a large portion of people in Zhuhai can speak basic english while no one in Harbin could. I imagine the proximity to both Macau and Hong Kong, two ex-colonies and now special administrative regions (SAR) played an important role in this.
My veredict
Harbin and Zhuhai are two very different cities in so much more aspects other than the one’s I have listed. That is the fun part and makes my first time in China so special. I highly recommend visiting both north and south china and deciding which one provides for the the most enjoyable experience.
Vous connaissez tous notre slogan, mais qu’est-ce que cela signifie rĆ©ellement et implique pour vous? DĆ®ners hebdomadaires, activitĆ©s et support 24h / 24 et 7j / 7 font partie de la rĆ©ponse!
Je suis stagiaire chez InternChina depuis bientƓt 2 mois, donc je vais clarifier les choses pour vous !
Vous aurez l’occasion de dĆ©couvrir la Chine et son environnement des affaires pendant votre programme ici. Mais vous pourrez aussi expĆ©rimenter de nombreuses choses propres Ć Zhuhai. Notre Ć©quipe InternChina organise chaque semaine des dĆ®ners et des activitĆ©s pour votre bien-ĆŖtre et votre divertissement! En outre, cela nous permet de mieux vous connaĆ®tre et de connaĆ®tre vos prĆ©fĆ©rences. Cela nous permettra de rendre votre sĆ©jour dans ce nouveau pays aussi confortable que possible. Ce sera aussi pour vous une opportunitĆ© 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 Ć visiter.
Organiser des dĆ®ners, des activitĆ©s et des voyages pour nos participants fait partie de mon travail en tant que stagiaire pour InternChina Ć Zhuhai.
Lisez ce blog et vous saurez ce que vous pourrez attendre de notre Ć©quipe, ce que vous pourrez faire et explorer dans la ville. Ć la fin, vous vous sentirez comme un local de Zhuhai!
Bien sĆ»r, si vous avez des suggestions d’activitĆ©s ou de voyages autour de Zhuhai, faites-en part Ć quelqu’un de notre Ć©quipe! Nous ferons de notre mieux pour rĆ©pondre Ć vos souhaits!
Chaque semaine, nous organisons l’un de nos fameux “dĆ®ners du jeudi”.
C’est un Ć©vĆ©nement social, pour partager un repas de groupe, dĆ©couvrir la cuisine asiatique et parler de notre semaine! Nous comprenons que vous ĆŖtes Ć©tudiants, alors ne vous inquiĆ©tez pas, nous essayons de rendre ces dĆ®ners abordables! Nous nous en tenons gĆ©nĆ©ralement Ć un budget de 50RMB par personne, voir parfois encore moins.
Comment organisons-nous ces dƮners? Habituellement, nous crƩons 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 dĆ©tails sur le restaurant, la cuisine, la nourriture, l’heure et l’emplacement du dĆ®ner. Si vous ĆŖtes intĆ©ressĆ©s pour venir, alors rejoignez simplement le groupe de dĆ®ner en scannant le code QR fourni! Cela nous aide Ć savoir combien de personnes sont attendus, ce qui facilite les rĆ©servations au restaurant ! Pendant l’Ć©tĆ©, il arrive que plus de 30 personnes rejoignent le dĆ®ner !
En somme, tout ce que vous avez Ć faire est de scanner le code QR et de nous rejoindre! Ća ne pourrait pas ĆŖtre plus facile!
AprĆØs une semaine de travail intense pendant votre stage, nous savons que vous aurez tout Ć fait envie de profiter d’activitĆ©s et de voyages amusants pendant le week-end. Avec toutes les possibilitĆ©s qu’offre la ville, vous ne vous ennuierez jamais Ć Zhuhai. IC organise Ć©galement beaucoup d’activitĆ©s 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 activitĆ© tous les week-ends. Comme pour les dĆ®ners, nous essayons de nous assurer que ces activitĆ©s soient toutes abordables afin que vous puissiez y participer autant que vous le pouvez.
Qu’est-ce que Zhuhai a Ć offrir? Il y a beaucoup d’activitĆ©s touristiques amusantes, telles que la route des amoureux, la statue de la Fischer Girl, la plage de Jida, l’aquarium Chimelong, l’opĆ©ra, le marchĆ© souterrain de Gongbei et les nombreux temples. Nous voulons Ć©galement vous permettre de voir la beautĆ© naturelle de Zhuhai! Les activitĆ©s de plein air telles que l’exploration des Ć®les de Zhuhai, la randonnĆ©e, les cascade, le tir Ć l’arc, le paint-ball sont toujours des activitĆ©s populaires, surtout pendant l’Ć©tĆ©.
Il est important que vous apprivoisiez la culture chinoise pendant votre stage. C’est pourquoi nous organisons donc des activitĆ©s culturelles telles que de la calligraphie, des cours de cuisine chinoise, des cĆ©rĆ©monies de thĆ©, ou mĆŖme des leƧons de Tai Chi!
Selon les saisons, vous pourrez Ć©galement assister au festival Cixi en aoĆ»t ou Ć des cĆ©rĆ©monies d’ouverture!
Vous ne vous ennuierez jamais avec les nombreuses activitƩs disponibles pour explorer la ville, vous amuser et rƩseauter!
Nous essayons Ć©galement d’organiser des week-ends Ć la dĆ©couverte d’autres villes chinoises.
RĆ©cemment, nous avons organisĆ© un voyage d’un week-end Ć Tangkou, village classĆ© parmi les sites du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO! Par le passĆ©, nous avons Ć©galement organisĆ© des voyages Ć PĆ©kin, Hezhou, Shanghai et Yangshuo … les possibilitĆ©s sont infinies!
Pour tout voyage de week-end que nous organisons, nous vous fournirons un calendrier dĆ©taillĆ© afin que vous puissiez profiter au maximum de votre temps dans chaque ville! Nous vous indiquerons Ć©galement le coĆ»t de chaque voyage, comprenant le transport, l’hĆ©bergement et les activitĆ©s pour la fin de semaine. Le coĆ»t sera plus Ć©levĆ© que pour une activitĆ© simple, mais l’exploration et la dĆ©couverte d’autres lieux en Chine en vaut largement le coĆ»t.
Notre Ć©quipe IC vous offre leur support 24h/24, 7 j/7. Nous sommes prĆ©sents Ć chaque Ć©tape de votre sĆ©jour en Chine, avant, pendant et aprĆØs!
DĆØs votre arrivĆ©e, nous viendrons vous chercher Ć l’aĆ©roport ou au port et nous vous conduirons Ć votre logement (appartement ou famille dāaccueil). Nous vous fournirons Ć©galement une orientation pour vous aider Ć comprendre la culture chinoise et vous donner quelques conseils sur la vie Ć 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 dĆ©buts en Chine.
Chaque fois que vous aurez besoin de nous, n’hĆ©sitez pas Ć nous le faire savoir, nous serons heureux de vous aider!
Notre Ć©quipe sur place est Ć©galement toujours lĆ pour vous soutenir! Nous aurons toujours beaucoup de conseils et d’informations Ć partager avec vous. De plus, si vous vous sentez malade, nous vous accompagnerons Ć l’hĆ“pital! Si vous avez d’autres problĆØmes, nous sommes lĆ pour vous aider si nous le pouvons!
Quand vous dĆ©barquez Ć Zhuhai, et que vous ne savez pas oĆ¹ aller ou quoi explorer, nous sommes lĆ pour vous proposer des lieux oĆ¹ aller! Voici une liste de nos lieux prĆ©fĆ©rĆ©s! Vous pourrez ainsi impressionner vos collĆØgues, les inviter et Ć©taler vos connaissances sur Zhuhai !
- HuoGongDian ę®æ å·„ ę®æ – Tentez la nourriture du Hunan du nord de la Chine! Le Hong Shao Rou (ēŗ¢ē§č) est censĆ© ĆŖtre le plat prĆ©fĆ©rĆ© du prĆ©sident Mao. Cet endroit est un must pour les grands dĆ®ners, la nourriture est excellente. Adresse: ē ęµ· åø é¦ę“² åŗ ē³ č± č„æč·Æ 62 å· (čæ ē½č² ę“ å ¬å) ou descendez du bus Ć ä¼ å·„ ę®æ å¤§å¦ (huo gong dian da sha).
- The London Lounge – Bar trĆØs populaire parmi les expatriĆ©s. Leurs employĆ©s chinois et occidentaux sont toujours prĆŖts Ć faire une blague. De plus, les sessions Open-Mic le 2e jeudi du mois valent le dĆ©tour! Lieu: CĆ“te Est, Jida
- FBB Fresh Burger Bar – Un bar et restaurant allemand situĆ© Ć Jida. Ici vous pouvez obtenir de nombreux plats et boissons occidentaux (surtout allemands)! Il y a une large gamme de biĆØres allemandes disponibles! Descendez du bus Ć ę°“ę¹¾å¤“” “ShuĒ wÄn tĆ³u” ou dites-le au chauffeur de taxi!
- GongBei Underground Market – Pour tous les accros du shopping, il y a un marchĆ© souterrain Ć Gongbei oĆ¹ vous pouvez obtenir tous vos vĆŖtements de crĆ©ateurs de marque Ć des prix Ć©trangement bon marchĆ©. On y trouve aussiĀ des enseignes occidentales (H & M, Vera Moda, Only , etc.) dans les centres commerciaux.
J’espĆØre que ces dĆ©tails et ces photos vous ont convaincu qu’InternChina propose bien plus qu’un simple stage! Vous ne vous sentirez jamais seul, et cette expĆ©rience restera inoubliable!
Le moyen le plus simple de nous rejoindre est de postuler dĆØs maintenant!
En arrivant en Chine, deux des concepts culturels les plus difficiles Ć apprĆ©hender sont ;
- GuÄnxi – å ³ē³»
- Face – é¢å
Ces deux concepts sont trĆØs liĆ©s. En occident les Guanxi , ou le dĆ©veloppement de son propre rĆ©seau, devient de plus en plus important dans les affaires. Cependant c’est beaucoup plus important en Chine, chez nous cela continue Ć se dĆ©velopper doucement .
Cependant, le concept de Ā«faceĀ», c’est Ć dire savoir qui gagne et qui perd la face, nous est bien moins familier. MiĆ nZi – é¢å signifie le visage tel que nous le connaissons, se traduit ici par Ā«honneurĀ», Ā«rĆ©putationĀ» et Ā«respectĀ». Il est si important dans les cercles sociaux / politiques / Ć©conomiques chinois quāil peut littĆ©ralement faire ou dĆ©faire un accord professionnel. Si vous venez en Chine pour affaires ou pour toute autre activitĆ©, il est important que vous connaissiez le concept de “face” et la maniĆØre dont vous pourriez avoir Ć le gĆ©rer dans votre vie quotidienne ici.
- Donner / Gagner de la face.Ā Faire un compliment Ć quelqu’un ou faire un cadeau coĆ»teux vous fera gagner de la face et inversement.
Dans le milieu des affaires chinoises, la hiĆ©rarchie est plus importante que ce Ć quoi nous sommes habituĆ©s; la distinction entre les diffĆ©rents niveaux de direction est beaucoup plus claire et plus importante et, dans cette optique, le respect des supĆ©rieurs est bien observĆ©.
Dans un environnement chinois, un subordonnĆ© pose rarement des questions, n’est pas en dĆ©saccord avec son responsable et ne l’interrompt surtout pas, en particulier dans un lieu public. Cela entraĆ®nerait une perte de face Ć©norme pour le directeur et potentiellement pour l’entreprise. Lorsque vous traitez avec vos supĆ©rieurs ou vos aĆ®nĆ©s en Chine, il est toujours important de respecter leur position et de sāassurer quāils Ā«gardent la faceĀ».
PS : Si vous portez un toast Ć votre responsable, assurez-vous que votre verre est bien au-dessous du leur lorsque vous trinquez. C’est trĆØs respectueux et vous gagnerez tous les deux de la face.Vous pouvez Ć©galement constater qu’en tant qu’Ć©tranger, certains de vos collĆØgues auront peur de vous parler directement. C’est simplement parce qu’ils ne sont pas confiants en leurs compĆ©tences en anglais , ils pourraient perdre la face si leur anglais est mauvais et que vous ne les compreniez pas. Si vous rencontrez ce genre de situation, faites-leur des compliments, et essayez de leur parler en chinois. Ainsi ils se sentiront automatiquement beaucoup plus Ć l’aise avec vous. Savoir dire bonjour ou merci en chinois permet de donner de la face Ć votre interlocuteur, plutĆ“t simple non ?
Cela marche bien sĆ»r Ć©galement en sens inverse! En effet, n’oubliez pas qu’en Chine , on essayera toujours de vous donner de la face. Dans votre stage notamment, on ne vous critiquera jamais directement sur votre comportement ou votre travail afin de ne pas vous faire perdre la face . Par exemple si vous arrivez en retard, votre manager ne vous dira rien devant tous vos collĆØgues, mais attention c’est uniquement pour vous sauver la face, cela ne veut pas dire que c’est une bonne chose d’arriver en retard !
En occident,Ā pour faire des affaires ou tenter de sceller des ententes, nous avons l’habitude de donner des rĆ©ponses directes Ć nos partenaires ou clients, que ce soit un Ā«ouiĀ» ou un Ā«nonĀ». Ce n’est pas toujours le cas en Chine. En effet, les nĆ©gociations peuvent souvent sembler assez longues et parfois une dĆ©cision dĆ©finitive ne peut jamais ĆŖtre prise. Les refus ou dĆ©saccords directs sont rares en Chine. On craint qu’une dĆ©cision nĆ©gative ne fasse perdre la face aux deux parties. La rĆ©ponse la plus courante est Ā«peut-ĆŖtreĀ» ou Ā«je vais y rĆ©flĆ©chirā¦Ā».
Parfois, il se pourrait mĆŖme qu’une situation dĆ©licate soit ignorĆ©e jusqu’Ć ce qu’elle soit oubliĆ©e. Dans les cercles chinois, c’est devenu une habitude, ils savent lire entre les lignes. Alors que nous trouvons gĆ©nĆ©ralement cette situation gĆŖnante ou mĆŖme frustrante. Parfois, un Ā«ouiĀ» est dit pour sauver la face mais peut signifier un Ā«nonĀ» Ć long terme.
La meilleure chose Ć faire est dāĆŖtre patient, de prendre une profonde respiration et dāessayer de rĆ©soudre la situation en privĆ©, Ć©viter Ć tout prix les confrontations en public au travail ou dans la vie de tous les jours en gĆ©nĆ©ral !
Conseils pour donner / gagner la face:
- Faire un compliment Ć quelqu’un.
- Inviter quelqu’un Ć dĆ®ner (et payer l’addition).
- Donner un cadeau lors de votre premiĆØre rencontre avec quelqu’un
Conseils pour ne pas perdre la face:
- Evitez de dƩnoncer une personne qui ment
- Ne pas critiquer, contredire ou remettre en question la dĆ©cision de quelqu’un.
- Evitez de refuser directement une invitation Ć un dĆ®ner ou Ć un Ć©vĆ©nement.
Alors que de nombreuses entreprises en Chine ont une expĆ©rience des relations avec les occidentaux et inversement, le concept de face est profondĆ©ment enracinĆ© dans la sociĆ©tĆ© et lāhistoire de la Chine; son importance ne faiblira jamais. Si vous ĆŖtes capable de donner la faceĀ Ć vos collĆØgues et Ć vos responsables, cela sera toujours apprĆ©ciĆ©. Tachez de respecter ces principes fondamentaux !
Si vous avez envie d’en savoir plus sur la face et la culture d’entreprise chinoise lors d’un stage, alors postulez ici.
Qu’est-ce que les familles d’accueil chinoises attendent normalement de leurs invitĆ©s? Devrais-je apporter un cadeau pour ma famille d’accueil? Y a-t-il des normes culturelles que je dois connaĆ®tre? Vous avez probablement un million de questions avant votre sĆ©jour en famille d’accueil. C’est tout Ć fait normal! Tout cela fait partie du processus de dĆ©couverte et de la magie de vivre dans une famille d’accueil en Chine.Ā
Face Ć une culture complĆØtement diffĆ©rente, 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 trĆØs utile pour vous adapter et dĆ©velopper votre rĆ©seau en Chine.
Nous avons donc rĆ©digĆ© ce blog afin de vous donner quelques conseils pour vous aider Ć vous prĆ©parer Ć la vie en famille d’accueil en Chine!Un des aspects les plus intĆ©ressants de la culture chinoise est leur respect, leur amour et leur attention, qui peuvent ĆŖtre vĆ©hiculĆ©s par le simple fait de partager un repas. Pour ĆŖtre polis la tradition veut qu’on serve les invitĆ©s en remplissant leurs assiettes autant que possible. Sachez que cela vous arrivera sĆ»rement, que vous le demandiez ou non !Les familles d’accueil sont Ć notre avis la meilleure faƧon de pouvoir goĆ»ter Ć une grande variĆ©tĆ© de plats locaux. Vous constaterez peut-ĆŖtre que vos hĆ“tes vous offrent constamment des fruits, des en-cas comme des graines de tournesol ou mĆŖme parfois des friandises spĆ©ciales comme du chocolat. Cela peut ĆŖtre un peu trop parfois!
- Ayez l’esprit ouvert pour essayer des nouvelles choses – dites oui autant que vous le pouvez, Ć©largissez vos horizons pour ne pas passer Ć cĆ“tĆ© de quelque chose de dĆ©licieux mĆŖme 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 prĆ©parĆ©, il est possible qu’ils continuent Ć vous proposĆ© mĆŖme aprĆØs avoir dit non.
- Soyez raisonnables avec les friandises qu’on vous offre – certaines coĆ»tent extrĆŖmement cher et en abusez pourrait ĆŖtre mal perƧu.
- MĆ©fiez-vous de l’alcool appelĆ© Baijiu – lors de fĆŖtes ou de grands dĆ®ners de famille des jeux avec cet alcool pourront avoir lieu, et la soirĆ©e pourrait vite dĆ©gĆ©nĆ©rer. A consommer avec modĆ©ration!
Les familles chinoises ont tendance Ć ĆŖtre trĆØs attentives sur la quantitĆ© d’eau utilisĆ©e Ć la maison. Ainsi, de longs bains chauds ou de longues douches quotidiennes risquent de ne pasĀ forcĆ©ment ĆŖtre apprĆ©ciĆ©s. Votre famille pourrait mĆŖme ĆŖtre lĆ©gĆØrement surprise de la frĆ©quence Ć laquelle vous vous douchez. N’hĆ©sitez pas Ć en parler avec eux. Plus vous discutez de vos habitudes de vie, plus il est facile d’Ć©viter les malentendus et comprendre les diffĆ©rences Ć©ventuelles.
N’oublions pas que l’eau est le produit le plus prĆ©cieux du monde!En Chine, le ragoĆ»t de poulet contient le poulet en entier; la tĆŖte, le bec, les pieds … et tout se mange, on ne gaspille pas !”Rien ne se perd, rien ne se crĆ©e, tout se transforme” A. Lavoisier
Cette idĆ©e revient sans cesse dans l’alimentation et dans d’autres domaines de la vie, avec les serviettes de bain et autres articles mĆ©nagers par exemple. Bien que peut-ĆŖtre 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 mĆŖme.
Discutez de vos observations avec la famille! Vous ĆŖtes tous les deux lĆ pour dĆ©couvrir ces diffĆ©rences culturelles. Il est toujours intĆ©ressant de dĆ©couvrir des habitudes de vie qui sont dues Ć la culture de votre pays, Ć votre famille ou simplement Ć vos prĆ©fĆ©rences personnelles. Nous vivons dans un monde Ć©trange et merveilleux Ć la fois aprĆØs tout!Le style de vie moderne dans la plupart des villes chinoises est trĆØs actif. Les enfants sont l’Ć©picentre absolu de la famille. Tout tourne autour de leurs horaires. La routine des parents est de dĆ©poser les enfants Ć l’Ć©cole, les rĆ©cupĆ©rer et les emmener au cours de badminton, Ć des cours d’anglais supplĆ©mentaires, Ć des clubs de lego, Ć des championnats d’Ć©checs ou de gymnastique ou encore Ć des cours particuliers pour rĆ©ussir leurs examens.
Ajustez votre rythme de vie Ć celui de la famille peut parfois ĆŖtre un dĆ©fi. Plus vous communiquerez avec la famille Ć propos de votre emploi du temps, de vos heures de stage … plus l’expĆ©rience sera agrĆ©able. Vous communiquerez gĆ©nĆ©ralement avec votre famille d’accueil via WeChat, qui dispose mĆŖme d’une fonction de traduction si les conversations deviennent complexes. N’hĆ©sitez pas Ć leur poser des questions avant votre arrivĆ©e !
- 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 randonnĆ©e, faire de l’escalade ou jouer au football – la famille voudra vous faire dĆ©couvrir sa ville et pourra vous faire visiter les environs.
- Soyez patient et flexible – rappelez-vous Ć quel point la famille s’adapte pour vous intĆ©grer Ć sa routine quotidienne !
Les sorties en boite de nuit et votre folie nocturne habituelle pourraient ne pas ĆŖtre aussi compatibles avec votre nouvelle vie de famille ici en Chine. RĆ©flĆ©chissez y avant de vous engagez et dĆ©cidez de ce qui est le plus important pour vous. Les familles d’accueil peuvent ĆŖtre extrĆŖmement attentionnĆ©es en Chine et elles ont tendance Ć s’inquiĆ©ter si leurs invitĆ©s restent dehors tard le soir.
N’oubliez pas que c’est une courte pĆ©riode de votre vie et que vous n’avez peut-ĆŖtre qu’une seule occasion de faire quelque chose d’aussi inhabituel!Les petits cadeaux de vos villes d’origine sont bien entendu trĆØs apprĆ©ciĆ©s! Des chocolats, des biscuits, des autocollants, des torchons, des Ć©charpes, des images, etc. Juste un petit quelque chose pour montrer votre reconnaissance suffira amplement!Ā
En Chine, les gens donnent et reƧoivent toujours des cadeaux. Il est Ć©galement assez courant que des cadeaux soient mis de cĆ“tĆ© pour ĆŖtre ouverts plus tard en privĆ©. Alors ne soyez pas surpris si le cadeau disparaĆ®t sans avoir Ć©tĆ© ouvert, c’est malpoli d’ouvrir un cadeau devant la personne qui nous l’offre !Ā PS : essayez de donner votre cadeau avec les deux mains, c’est un trĆØs grand signe de respect !C’est Ć vous de dĆ©couvrir cela par vous mĆŖme durant votre sĆ©jour ! Cela fait parti de l’expĆ©rience ! Pour avoir un aperƧu amusant, nous vous recommandons cependant de regarder la chaine YouTube Mamahuhu’s !Ā
Ce blog vous a plu et vous voulez participer Ć l’un de nos sĆ©jours en famille d’accueil ? Ecrivez-nous !
On May 8th 2018Ā more than 30 representatives from CPAZ, CTCĀ & 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 moneyĀ 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.Ā 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. Ā 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!
Chengdu Diaries
My name is Zachary Black and I am from York in the North of England. Although I pride myself on being Yorkshire born and bred, I have been very fortunate to travel a lot. Having frequently visited Ā South-East Asia as a child, it is safe to say that I have always had an affinity with this part of the world.
My passion for Asian culture led me to my study of Mandarin at Newcastle University along with Spanish, Catalan and Business. As part of my BA at Newcastle, our year abroad was spent at a partner university in China in order to improve our language skills. This proved to be a life-changing 12 months for myself and has in fact led me to being here at InternChina today. Living in Shanghai ignited my passion for the way of life in China and was the driving force behind me studying mandarin for a further year Ā after completing my BA.
After returning home in the summer of 2017, I found myself itching to get back to the middle kingdom and was fortunate enough to secure this fantastic opportunity with InternChina which is only just beginning. Although Chengdu is completely different to Shanghai, there have been a few elements that have pleasantly surprised me – Not just the Pandas !. For example, there is an unparalleled emphasis on the slow-paced rhythm of life here with people just seemingly going with the flow and taking a more ālaid-backā approach to life. This is definitely a welcomed release from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, and even the UK sometimes.
My First Impressions
I have been overwhelmed by how friendly people have been here which has helped me settle Ā in my short time here. One further aspect of life here so far which I am enjoying is the food, Chengdu has definitely justified being selected as a global gastronomic site by UNESCO. Ā The juxtaposition of ē«é -‘hotpot’ and äø²åæ – ‘anything possible on a stick’ is complimented wonderfully by an array of western restaurants for that occasional change of cusine .
My time in Chengdu has already pushed me out of my comfort zone, yet I am more than committed to Ā welcoming the InternChina participants here to China. I feel lucky to be experiencing life in a fantastic part of the world whilst further improving my mandarin. I canāt wait to see what the next few months hold, so all that is left to say is āå ę²¹āļ¼Letās go !
Interested in Changing your life ? – Apply now !
What is KTV?
KTV/å”ęOK (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. Youāll 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 ē½é (baijiu) ā Chinese rice wine, which took the edge off! Ā 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 peopleās 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, itās important that everyone feels relaxed and not judged, as at the end of the day 90% of people donāt have golden pipes! Youāll probably discover who is accepting of other peopleās music taste and who presses the skip button when they donāt like something. Most importantly youāre 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 donāt get there and find it is fully booked!
Below is a list of some of the best KTVs to visit in Zhuhai:
- GTWO éč“©KTV
ä¹å·å¤§éč„æåÆåé9ę äŗę„¼GTWO KT
- é³ä¹å£åļ¼Yinyuexiaziļ¼- Music Box
ęµ·ę»Øåč·Æ7å·
- ęęä¼éč“©å¼KTV
ē³ę¦“å²č·Æ3å·åÆč£é½å½é 大é åŗ3-4ę„¼(čæå°é赤å²ē«)
- Ktimeéēå¼KTV
ē ęµ·åøé¦ę“²åŗę±åčæę»Øåč·Æę©å°å¹æåŗäŗę„¼
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 itās going to be a laugh!
How to Read a Chinese Menu
As you may know, in China food is one of the most important things! Indeed, sharing a meal is a social opportunity that is loved across China. However, reading a Chinese menu can seem intimidating.
At InternChina we love food too – check out this blog in order to know more about how we help you to explore Chinese cuisine. If you have never tried Chinese food before, don’t worry, you’ll definitely experience this soon enough!
And fear not, this article is here to hopefully help you understand a Chinese menu, so you can order yourself and impress your Chinese colleagues and friends!
The Chinese language may appear to be the most difficult language in the world at first, as we are not used to the Chinese characters. But don’t be intimidated! This ancient language is following a certain logic – as soon as you understand the logic, you’ll be able to read a Chinese menu without a doubt!
To avoid giving you a long history lesson, let’s just say that originally all Chinese characters were created using pictures, and were developed into the calligraphic style that we see today through several different steps.
History of Chinese Characters
Let me show you the evolution of the Chinese character for “horse” – if you don’t want to order this kind of dish, just look for it in a Chinese menu!
Now that you can understand how the Chinese characters work, just use your imagination and it will be way easier to read a menu! Let me show you some examples of the main ingredients you’ll find in a Chinese menu.
Meat on the Menu
These are basically the most common kinds of meat you’ll find on a menu in China. While horse meat isn’t that popular, in some places donkey meat is! Therefore, for donkey meat dishes you will have the character for horse, and one other symbol that looks similar to the tall ears of the donkey! So a donkey is a horse with tall ears, easy to remember- right? Can you find two more very similar characters? When you understand that the Chinese language is logic, it seems less and less hard, right?
After most of those characters in a Chinese menu you’ll see “č-rou” that means “meat”.
Vegetables on the Menu
Obviously, the Chinese language can’t always be explained by pictures, but you can still see the logic behind the characters.
Let’s look at “potato” as an example. “Tu” means “earth“, and “dou” means “bean“. A potato is a bean that comes from the earth – easy!
Another interesting story can be found with “tomato.” Tomatoes weren’t originally found in China, they were imported. So in the Chinese name for tomato we have: “Xi” meaning “West“, “Hong” meaning “Red“, and “Shi” meaning “Persimmons“. Can you guess why? Because a tomato looks like a “red-persimmon imported from the West”! Clever, right?
“Bai” means “white” and “Cai” means vegetable, so the white vegetable is also know as the delicious Chinese cabbage! The easiest way to remember a Chinese character is to make a story from the shape of the character, or ask your Chinese friends to explain the character to you!
Main Dishes
These are the main characters you’ll see in the dishes, so you’ll see if you are going to eat soup or some noodles.
Just one thing to remember about rice, restaurants commonly use “ē±³é„” or just “é„” – character FAN–Ā for rice. And a funny tip about “egg”- “dan” means egg, but in Chinese you’ll always call it a “Chicken egg”.
For the soup “tang” can you see the three dots on the left hand-side ? Looks like drops of water, right? Exactly! That’s the way of describing an object or dish with water inside, so now you all know that there is water in the soup now!
Our Favourite Dishes
Now that we’ve showed you the main characters you’ll see in a Chinese menu, let’s give you some more tips and the names of our favourite dishes!
These might take some more imagination to remember, as it won’t be as easy as the characters for various animals which were very close to the actual picture of the animal. However, these cards will be super useful while reading a Chinese menu. And, you can also show them in the restaurants if you can’t find them on the Chinese menu!
Don’t hesitate to choose those dishes if you see them on a Chinese menu, they’re delicious!
You can find the two first ones in every Halal restaurant, also known in Chinese as “Lanzhou Lamian, “and you can recognise these restaurants by the characters on the outside door: ‘å °å·ę频. And the other dishes are found in any typical Chinese restaurant!
- XiHongshi Chao Jidan: Egg and tomato with rice.
- Jidan Chao Dao Xiao Mian: Fried egg, vegetables and cut noodles (this might be little spicy in some places!)
- Feng Wei Qie Zi : Fried aubergines.
- Tang Cu li Ji: Sweet and sour pork.
- Gan bian Da tou Cai : “Big head vegetable!” This will be some delicious Chinese cabbage and spicy sauce.
- Gong Bao Ji Ding : Chicken, peanuts and veggies, with a sweet and spicy sauce.
Please Don’t Forget!
Here some tips, that may save you one day – who knows!
- If a character has ę on the left-hand side it is likely to be some sort of guts/intestines/belly/insides, i.e. run in the opposite direction!
- Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Then always avoid meals with this character “č“, as this is “rou“, which means “meat.”
- Allergic to peanuts? This is the character you need to avoid : “č±ē“, pronounced “huasheng.”
- If you can’t eat spicy food, avoid this red one! “La” “č¾£” means spicy.
There is different kind of spicy food that our interns in Chengdu will be pleased to try! When you see those characters : éŗ»č¾£ be ready to experience some tingling and numbing sensation.
Don’t hesitate to ask our staff members on place to help you out with the pronunciation, or if you need any help ordering your food!
Did this help to convince you that living in China isn’t that difficult? Well then, you just need to apply now!
by Nick GoldsteinĀ Ā
Two Week PMSA Language and Culture Programme
Iām 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 InternChinaās culture and internship program taught me the value of doing things you are scared of. Thatās why I ended up here writing about InternChinaās 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 (itās 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 theĀ program was the homestay experience. Make no mistake this was an experience, living with my own family was difficult enough, someone elseās 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 childās friend is screaming, you donāt tell them off and 2. People really donāt like it when you wear shoes in the house, like REALLY donāt 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.Ā 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.