My name is Elin and I am a recent graduate from the University of Manchester. Home to a heck of a lot of rain, football (and must admit pretty damn good night life) I have enjoyed a solid four years studying. However this summer I wanted to do something a little bit different, get out there and get some hands on practical experience. What better place to start than China, home to a booming economy and infinite amount of opportunities. Having researched and checked out the market for internships, Intern China seemed to be the most logical and as it seems best choice in grabbing an internship in China. Not only did it offer the chance to work in pretty sweet environment in Qingdao (Sun, Sea, and Sand) but also offered the best prices across the market by far. This definitely ticked a few boxes!
In terms of the city itself Qingdao as far as I could remember this was the sort of beer that was pretty damn popular… usually accompanied by a chuanr串儿 (kebab on a stick) and a serious amount of dancing at a seedy Chinese bar. However beer as it seems is not the only thing that Qingdao has to offer. Never did I think that I would actually be sitting in an office overlooking a magnificent view of the yellow sea. Unlike other Chinese cities that I have been to Qingdao seems to be more of a chilled city that shares a more European climate and even more European or should I say old style German architecture. I have to say my first impression of Qingdao has been particularly positive. Who wouldn’t like a city where you can shop, eat, party and still have time to chill at the beach? Quite a contrast to living in a huge city like Beijing, Qingdao has a somewhat softer mentality, friendlier atmosphere that I would say any foreigner would feel genuinely welcome in. Starting my internship here at Intern China I have found that the support and encouragement from others has been brilliant, activities such as beach volleyball, round table exchange and general socialising makes it easier to meet other interns and to get to know others spread out across the city. In terms of host families I am living in a gorgeous apartment right on the sea front with a view of the mountains, the beach and of course the sea. It seems I have been lucky enough to get a decent view of the sea both from my bedroom window and my desk at work. Anything else I could wish for? Right now I’d say probably not.