First Thoughts of Shanghai

Shanghai welcomed me with a blast of hot air, a wave of tired travelers, and a fight that broke out due to a K-Pop group. After a grueling 14-hour flight, my friend and I arrived at Pudong International Airport where we were greeted by our program coordinators and a few of the other interns in the program. We were taken to our apartment where we would be living for the next six weeks; Initially, I was worried about the size and utilities of our living space, but I was pleasantly surprised by a large, apartment-style hotel with modern televisions, a functional kitchen, and my own separate bedroom.

Always Have an Open Mind

Traveling to China was a fantastic experience with countless opportunities to learn and develop as a person. My biggest piece of advice to a future intern is to not have any expectations coming into your trip and internship. Come with an open mind to learn as much as possible and let the experience change you and develop you, as it will. If you come with a certain mindset of how the time is going to be or how you think it should be, you will be disappointed in the end.

Unforgettable Internship Experience

Seeing the country side of China has made my internship experience one that I will never forget. At first, I did not really want to go to all these other cities on my weekends. However, after our first trip to Wuzhen I could not wait for the next trips. I saw some very strange behaviors, was treated like a celebrity and ate some of the most interesting smelling food on the planet.

Building Relationships at Work

My normal day usually starts at 9:30 am and goes till about 6:00 pm in the evening. I usually have a continuous project to work on for the pre IPO process. My company specializes in maximizing client experience by supplying the most exclusive, high-end, branded products and services of superior quality. In a nutshell, we are a client service company and we have to give our clients what they want and when they want it.

Touchdown in Shanghai

After nearly twenty hours of sitting down, I finally felt the bang of the 757 touchdown in Shanghai. As far as my eye could see was what looked like mountains of skyscrapers. The airport was packed but I really didn’t understand how gigantic the city was until the next morning.

Inspiration From Successful People

Our very first speaker from Absolute Internship was also the best one of the lot. Her name was Jackie. Together with her Danish partner John, she created the Wagas empire, a chain of high-quality foods with dozens of stores in China.

Shanghai Culture

If you’re walking around Shanghai and you hear music, follow it. Yes, keep walking. You’ll come across a small crowd eventually. They’re watching transfixed as a small group of elderly ladies slow dance to a resonant lament. A female Chinese voice swoons from a large speaker mounted from a moped. A few onlookers see how fun it is. They join in. Their friends come too. Everyone’s smiling or hiding a smile.

My First Days in Shanghai

After three weeks in Shanghai, I think my favorite thing about this city has to be the experience of walking to work and having people walk and shove past you without a look back or an apology. Nope. Not sarcasm. I really do.