My First Month In China.

Starting university I never thought I'd find myself in China. Doing a four year degree that gave me the opportunity to study abroad, even though my language ability was next to none; Saying "bonjour" and "amigo" in the same sentence I plucked up the courage to travel 9600 Km to Hong Kong.

Spending five months in the Netherlands and then another semester in France, I finally got the courage to think that maybe a country like China wouldn't be such a bad idea. After a month of being here, I can agree, it is one of the greatest decisions I've made in my life.

Following a bumpy flight and a long talk with a man about how great china was, only breaking conversation to eat his slowly melting Haagen Daz, I felt like I was almost ready for what was to come.

My first stop was Hong Kong, a city that is a must for anyone's wanderlust, particularity for those in my situation and needed a little easing into the Chinese way of life. As soon as I stepped off the plane I was overwhelmed with Chinese characters, tropical weather and buildings that, at short, touched the clouds. Confused with Jet Lag and a lack of understanding for what was going on, I dragged myself to the city center, dropping off my bags at the station with no possibility of entering my accommodation for 8 hours. This was almost a good thing as it forced me to keep busy rather than sleep.

With my head constantly staring up at the buildings and tall signs I made my way through the busy streets taking in the atmosphere and sights I'd never seen before. Apart from brief stops for food, this was my first day and it honestly never got boring.

The next day, after sleeping in a classic Hong Kong room that was the size of a shed back home,  having a mattress as hard as the wood that held it up, I miraculously managed to clear up some of the jet lag and visit Victoria peak. If there is any place I would advise to visit in Hong Kong, this would be it, standing over the whole city in it's breath taking commercial ambiance you can see everything. From the Bay to the Finance buildings and even the mountains surrounding this great city, all you find yourself doing as gaping at the view.

Once everything had been looked at twice over, and a couple more on top of that I made my way home back to the shed in Mong Kok. Detouring through the lady's market and stopping at some local street food stalls to get curry fish balls and what was described as "Korean Chicken" i steadily made my way to bed in preparation for the ferry journey in the morning.

Reaching Zhuhai went a lot smoother then planned, with very little problems at customs. Comfortably settled in, meeting a great bunch of interns, I received a little tour of the local area and food. Both of which looked and tasted great. One of my first meals when getting there was frogs legs and although I'd had them in France, the hot pot certainly put the French cuisine to shame.

Overly dressed and feeling stupid I entered ODM in a shirt, trousers and smart shoes, only to be greeted with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Starting my internship and for my full first month here I have been writing blogs, applying previous SEO knowledge and building up a more effective writing style when marketing products. In recent weeks this has slowly developed into a more client based focus: adding leads, creating briefs and developing RFQ's which has now turned into some of my own clients. As well as this I have built up a call list of sports companies, 3D printing companies and even potential Singapore clients. Finally I have been dealing with separate blogs, emailing and discussing with companies interested in guest blogging and getting their brand more connected in the promotional world.

Outside of work, even with the terrible weather, I have had chance to visit one of the main city attractions that doesn't include the nightlife; the scaled Yuan Ming Palace. This was a great day visit, taking a relaxing stroll around what turned out to be the not so miniature palace, and was exactly how I pictured China, even if it was a bit of a touristy.

Recently as I entered my fifth week in China, I have finally seen why people described Zhuhai as a "village" compared to other cities. Visiting Shenzhen was a massive eye opener to the real Chinese city life and made Hong Kong seem like it should be based in Europe. With Shenzhen there was double the people, double the buildings and double the time it took to get around the huge city. With a 3 day weekend due to the tomb sweeping holiday to celebrate the arrival of spring, it gave me enough time to walk around the city and visit the window of the world which had hundreds of recreations of famous buildings in a miniature form. In addition to this we managed to get ourselves some traditional Chinese massages after a stroll around the city. Although being an hour of pain that can only be compared to going in a wresting wring with The Rock, it was worth it... Kind of...

Having already achieved so much professionally and culturally I am looking forward to my following months with ODM and the rest of China. Although I haven't been able to describe half of the other things I've done within my weeks of being here such as visiting the Beach, trying Baijiu, eating a chickens foot and having an amazing kebab like food called Rou Jai Mo I cannot wait for what else this amazing country has to offer.

My first taste of working in China

The start of my yet to experience 4 and a half month internship here at ODM has been eye opening to say the least. It has so far been exciting, and I have already learnt a lot about marketing and sales, and I can’t wait to learn more as my experience and knowledge grow. Although I have already spent quite a while in China, travelling and studying over the past few years, this is my first time working here in China and in an international company. Let’s just say, it’s certainly different! For starters you need the patience of a saint with the Chinese internet.

This is also my first time coming to Zhuhai and it has not disappointed me. The only problem is the random bad weather, but regardless it’s beautiful here and it doesn't have the busyness like other big cities. With the beaches and the sea, what’s not to love, I really can’t wait for the summer again. 

                            

During my internship I am also doing a home stay through Internchina alongside working here at ODM. I thoroughly enjoy living with a Chinese family; it is without a doubt the best way to learn about China and the way everyday life is lived, its fun and it’s definitely great for my Mandarin practice, I'm made so welcome and I already feel like part of the family. 

It can be tiring though, living so far away from ODM means early and long working days and barging my way on to the busy buses in the morning; but it is something I am adapting too quickly and after a while I am certain it will be ‘normal’. 

                               

From travelling through China, Guangdong is definitely one of my favourite regions and the place I have spent most of my time. To me its closest to feeling like home, its nature is beautiful, it has the best food (肠粉and早茶）(hence the food picture), environment, and it has barely any pollution, and being accustomed to already living in China it has been a bonus for fitting straight in with Chinese life.

My exploration of Zhuhai is minimal at the moment. I'd say compared to my time studying in Hangzhou just before this, time is not of the essence, so it can be difficult to balance my time with my friends and with the family also. But so far, I did go to the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom Park during my first week and that is certainly worth checking out on a weekend with great weather. I have yet to also travel to Macau, but that is for sure on the agenda.

                                               

All in all, this experience is worth it. In my first week at ODM I was very busy and new to everything and I did feel quite overwhelmed. But now I feel comfortable as I get better and faster, and I love it here.

I have been so busy that I have barely contacted my family since arriving again in China. But it’s good, it means that I will achieve something in learning so much all of the time; I know I will learn important life skills, become more confident, and will be well on my way to achieving something bigger in the future. I know my experience here in ODM will be one of the greatest experiences to date, and thank you ODM for giving me this opportunity. 

My month in Zhuhai!

One thing that I believe very strongly in is that if you say you are going to do something, do it. It’s easy saying that you’ll do all of these wonderful things and go to all of these magnificent places, but until you actually put your mind to it and get the ball rolling, they are just empty words. You’ll simply be left with what ifs and regrets. So when I say that I’m going to do something, I stand by my word and do my utmost to make it happen.

For me, I said to myself that I wanted to come to China to work as an intern. There were a million and one reasons I could think of that could possibly stop me from going. Who would I live with? Would I like it? Would the language barrier be a big issue? I mean I would be 6,000 miles from home. One of my biggest fears about coming here was quite simply trying to get a decent hair cut! However, I didn’t want this to be something I said I’d do and never did. Nothing will ever be perfect and you’ll always have doubts about what you are doing. So sometimes you just need to jump in the deep end. I blocked these negative thoughts from my mind and focused on what a great opportunity this could be. I then paid my deposits and booked my flights. All of a sudden, I was locked in. I was going to China for the first time in my life.

China here I come!

Admittedly though, my time in China got off to a shaky start. This included not having my luggage for the first 4 days of my trip, not understanding any signs and not knowing any other interns. These were precisely the problems that I thought of before I came out here. Fortunately, they quickly began to straighten themselves out, and I started to feel more and more settled by the day. Before I knew it, I felt at home, experiencing many new things with similar minded people, who had also come out here to experience life in a foreign country.

There has been so many things that I've learned in this short space of time. The first of which is that the food here is magnificent. How Chinese people get such simple dishes to taste so good is beyond my comprehension. Normally I would turn my nose up at a vegetable dish, but in China they taste so good that I can’t get enough of them. Before I came here I seriously struggled with spice in my meals as well. But my taste buds have really grown to enjoy a little spice with dinner. Needless to say, the cuisine has been a welcome change in my life since I arrived.

I had been told before I came that Zhuhai is known as the most liveable city in China, and I can now see why. It’s not the biggest city in China, nor is it the most spectacular, but there lies the reason why it is so nice. It’s not overwhelming, it's not horrendously busy and it's not expensive. It has a fantastic feel to it, the people are very friendly, and most importantly it's a very safe environment to be in. There are hidden gems dotted all around the city, whether it be restaurants, bars or tourist attractions. Needless to say that it's been a great place to settle into.

In terms of my actual internship at ODM, my role has been varied. The majority of my time has been spent blogging in order to bring in new business for the company, and this has definitely helped my research and writing skills. But I've also had a chance to arrange business meetings with international clients, learn about the manufacturing process and run Twitter accounts. The latter plays such an important role in the business world these days, that I found it intriguing how it can be utilised to promote a business. All in all, my 4 weeks here have been a great experience, and I have no doubt that this experience will be a welcome addition to my CV.

I was even lucky enough to go on a weekend trip to Danxia mountain in Shoaguan, and as you can below, that was time well spent. It really gave me a sense of the vastness and beauty that China has to offer.

Stunning view from our trip to Danxia

With all this in mind, I really got myself in an enjoyable routine. Playing football, Chinese lessons, meals with friends, going out on the weekends. Zhuhai has felt like a little home away from home, and I’m going to miss for sure. What I like most is that everyone on the program knows everyone, and it’s like being part of a family.

Not matter where you go, you can always find people to play football with!

In conclusion, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Zhuhai. I can return home knowing that I’ve had an excellent experience and that I have no regrets coming here.

I’d like to say a big thank you to the ODM group for providing me with the chance to work in China. It has been a great place to work, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of a successful business. I know I was only there for a month, but it’s been a brilliant office to work in and I wish everyone here the very best for the future.

I’d also like to say a huge thank you to InternChina for what they have done for me since I’ve been out here. They’ve helped me sort out all of my issues, and were always checking in to see how I was doing. The service that I have received has been excellent, and I feel like I’ve been supported from day one.

Alas, my short stay in China has come to an end. But I know I did the right thing by coming out here. Immersing myself in the culture, meeting new people and adding valuable work experience are all positive things I can take away from my experience.

There's an old saying that says 'the world is a book, and those who don't travel only read one page'. Well, I think it is fair to say that I can walk away from my experience in China knowing that I’ve read and enjoyed the chapter on Zhuhai.

Goodbye Zhuhai, until next time!

My ODM Experience! (so far)

I think people, firms and schools (myself included) underestimate the importance of practical experiences. I can honestly say that I have learnt more about life in the last two weeks, than in the entire of my academic fifteen years.

For me, I’ve been focused on the social media side of things, in particular updating and adding to the various blogging pages and websites maintained by ODM. At first, I struggled, but with anything its important not to give up and keep pushing through, and now I believe that I hold a comprehensive understanding and have acquired practical tools on how social channels can really push businesses and brands forward.

I read a book once and it said, our work can exist at three levels: job, career or calling. A job being considered as a pure transaction; I put in ‘x amount of hours’ and expect ‘x amount back’. A career being for more ambitious people doing a little more than the bare minimum and considering the long term. Or a calling, so meaningful that we would continue to work even if we had won the lottery.

I don’t believe that anyone grows up believing that they want to view their job as a transaction, but things happen, and sometimes those things manifest incredibly high walls making it hard to climb over. I have been and try to remind myself as frequently as I can, incredibly fortunate, and have experienced the things that I have largely due to the country I was born in. Though, what I have found at ODM is an area of profession that I truthfully I enjoy, and one which I want to continue to pursue après my two month internship.

After studying in Hong Kong for 6 months previous to this internship, I have found Zhuhai a huge gush of fresh air, literally! Although only a 30 min ferry ride from Hong Kong, it's a completely different way of life! Much more relaxed, and much less westernised, which I like. I have exceedingly enjoyed my time here so far, and cant wait to explore the city more in the next coming weeks.

I have had an amazing experience here and would strongly recommend interning with ODM Group and the service that InternChina has provided has been fantastic.

"Do not go gentle into that good night" Finishing an internship

After seeing all my fellow summer interns leave during the Autumn, now it would appear that Winter has come for me and I must bid a fond farewell to my internship too. Even though I am not long for the world of interning I should not fret for I have learnt and experienced a lot in my 6 months at The ODM Group.

"Do not go gentle into that good night" Finishing an internship

During my time here I was fortunate enough to go to not one, not two, not four, but three trade fairs and represent ODM in the proverbial field. This allowed me to put all the knowledge and information I had learnt into practical use, while also seeing the whole different side of manufacturing and prospecting new suppliers/clients.

"Do not go gentle into that good night" Finishing an internship

As well as the professional side of the internship, I took time aside to hone my artistic skills and focus on my true passion, Beijing Opera. Although clearly I will need more practice in painting, my 普通话 has definitely flourished while I've been here. 

"Do not go gentle into that good night" Finishing an internship

Lastly, Zhuhai as a city is not the largest nor the most metropolitan, but that is actually one of the best things about it. Compared to other cities, the hustle bustle rush of China that many people fear to meet, it is actually quite calm here and as I mentioned, before the city is the 4th cleanest in China. How do you like that Beijing aka Mordor! Also a side note, you can climb the Great Wall of China here in Zhuhai, though admittedly it's only 10 years old. 

In summary, I have had an amazing experience here and would strongly recommend interning with ODM Group and the service that InternChina has provided has been fantastic. For me it's not so much Goodbye but see you again soon, or in Chinese 别说再见，说再会！

A quick and yet amazing trip to the Yellow Mountains (黄山）

Last weekend we decided to head to the Yellow Mountains in Anhui province, quite close to Nanjing and Shanghai. The area is well known for its scenery, sunsets, Huangshan Pine trees, hot springs, winter snow, and views of the clouds from above. Huangshan is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature, as well as modern photography. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China's major tourist destinations.  

To get there, we got the train from the Zhuhai train station (珠海站) towards Guangzhou South Railway Station. This is only a 70 minute ride and really convenient as you can go anywhere across China from there. Our high speed train from 广州南站 to 黄山北站 took 7 hours and was really comfortable and pleasant!

We managed to book a really cheap hostal where the entrance was peculiarly inside an old tea shop but the service was spectacular. They even had a pool table and a foosball table free of charge! This hostal is located in the ancient street of Tunxi (屯溪老街）, which is a night market which is well worth to go shopping and trying uncanny food.

Next morning we got a really early bus that took us to the entrance of the yellow mountains national park. We decided to get the cable car for 12 minutes up the west area of the park and walk up from there. It took us around 3 hours to get to the top but as it is the winter season, some parts of the mountains were closed due to dangerous paths and slippery paths.

There are a few hotels situated right at the top of the mountains which is essential to be able to wake up early and see the sunrise. The most surprising thing about hotels on the top of the mountains is that every day they send out staff up and down the mountain to pick up goods and deliver it to the hotel. Impressing isn´t it?

Next morning we woke up really early to try to catch the sun rise but due to the season there was more mist than anything but the views were still spectacular. We walked around 20km appreciating the breathtaking views and walked down the Eastern part of the mountains.

After a huge walking and hiking trip like this one, there is nothing better than heading to the hot springs which were located 30 minutes away in a bus ride (黄山温泉). In this hot springs, there were different warm pools with different kind of leaves and ingredients that is perfect to recover from a big hike like this one.

After the hot springs, we stayed over in the same hotel which was a pleasant experience and next morning we headed to the old village of Hongcun (宏村). This is a very picturesque village that is really difficult not to keep on clicking the camera to capture scenes of nature. Entering the village we went up a charming concrete bridge which in the distance the circular shape of the bridge comes in full circle as its image reflects the water. Lotus plants are floating on the lake seeing a flower or two during our visit yet it was a lovely sight. 

Surrounding the lake you can see lots of students with their easel & paint, capturing the landscape on paper on how it appears on their artistic mind. Looking at the clear serene lake water, you can see the reflections of the tall gigantic centuries old trees, like a clear mirror it captures the colors of the leaves as if trees are growing on the surface of the lake.

Going around the village you can peep inside some of the old buildings which are filled with antique furniture & well kept garden. The village was constructed in harmony with the lake surrounding it thus it becomes one with nature.

The HongCun village is 1 hour bus ride away from the yellow mountains and should be definitely a must see place within this trip.

After our day trip, we got the train from 黄山北站 to 合肥站, in Hefei, the capital of Anhui. This is a really well developed city and the first thing you´ll notice is the amazing landscape of sky scrapers. We didnt spend much time here as we had to head to the airport and fly back to Zhuhai.

Overall this hiking experience and sailing through the ancient times in China was a spectacular experience that is really well recommended! 

The First Week of Internship in China

The very first week of my 6-months internship was so intense and exciting for me that I was completely erased from my friends and parents' view: they didn't receive any photos or calls from me, only short messages that everything was fine - that was all I had time for. I expected the work to be interesting, but the pleasure I got from it exceeded all the possible expectations.

On my first weekend here, in China, when I finally started my investigation of the city, another one pleasure was on the watch for me.

Zhuhai, without any exaggeration, has become the love at first sight. What an overwhelming mix of Hollywood hills and mountains, Dubai palm trees and seaside, Monaco ultra-modern multi-storey buildings, sub-tropical climate, and Chinese culture.

The First Week of Internship in China 

I've been to China before, visiting Beijing and Shanghai, and I can say that Zhuhai is completely different. Here you can feel a pacification and relaxation simply by enjoying the beauty of skylines. The people are friendly and always ready to help, and for sure, the food, being so diverse, exotic and new, is beyond all praise. Can't wait for tasting the delicacies in the local seafood market!

The First Week of Internship in China

I also enjoyed walking in parks, where people are laying on the grass, playing with children and flying toys on strings. Not without purpose Zhuhai is called the city of gardens: the parks here are huge and impressively beautiful.

The First Week of Internship in China

I am very lucky to be the part of such a fantastic opportunity to get the new experience in the international company, so big thanks to the ODM Group for letting me take the chance.

The First Week of Internship in China