Asia Internship - Culture Immersion Programs in Asia

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Going to a Distant Land
Where to begin…? Well, in all sincerity, I am not even sure what would constitute a “beginning” in this story I am about to tell. Was it the moment when i haphazardly saw the job listing on my university’s online message board? Was it when I, to the astonishment of my co-workers, jumped and shouted with joy when it turned out my application had been accepted? Was it when I realized I would work and live for several months in a brand new country? Or maybe it was when I first sat down at my desk and marveled at the vistas outside the window of my office. The point I’m trying to make is that a number of events and mile-posts helped in leading me to this point where I sit and compose this blogpost.

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The Best Kind of Support

A big part of what it means to be part of Asia Internship is that you are taken care of properly as an intern. As someone who has never been to China before and certainly never done any internships in China, I benefited immensely from the guidance they gave me almost every day. I might feel comfortable on my own and quite confident in my own ability as a traveller and student living on my own, but being in a new place with a culture as foreign to westerners as the one in China will need some level of aid from the inside. You can rest assure that it is available, twenty four hours every day. The job itself is demanding and puts everything I learned in school, as well as the things I didn’t know, to the test. Ultimately, I feel that the job I do can make a difference for people related to the various projects my company is involved in and the intense working-mentality of the Chinese serves as a good source of inspiration that I hope will continue to be an inspiration after I return to work in Europe. On the whole I can’t think of a single event, place or person who has given me a hard time or made me feel unwelcome since arriving in China. I might have experienced some minor incidents involving the oh-so-very spicy cuisine, which is unavoidable in the Sichuan Province where I’ve been staying. But each person has their own preference, and if you happen to fancy spice food then I promise you won’t be disappointed after trying a bite or two.

 

People and Places to Remember
Chengdu, the Sichuan province of China is the first Chinese city I’ve set foot in, and after more than two months it will not be entirely easy for me to take my feet off of the ground when it’s time to go home to Sweden. In a way this text is meant to serve as an introduction for anyone considering China as a point of interest in the pursuit of their respective field, but to me, personally, it is also a farewell letter to the people who cared for me all this time. China will offer you challenging work, interesting experiences and nuggets of cultural greatness which should satisfy any foreigner looking for the best of the unknown. It certainly did for me, a young man who came further from home than ever before. Of course, I can only speak for myself and my personal impressions, but as someone who has had plenty of time to find his place in a brand new situation, I can tell you that i feel content and considerably wiser for the effort I put into my internship. Even more so I feel grateful for the relationships I got to build. I would like to thank so many people for taking care of me the way they did, without restraint or reservation and always with a warming smile or an uplifting comment. If you haven’t felt something like this before, then I hope you will in the near future.