Here I Go Again

When I woke up this morning, I couldn’t believe it was finally here! I’ve been counting the days for months now, but here it was; the big day.

My flight was at 5:00pm. Over the last few days, I’d rounded up and laid out everything I wanted to take with me. My goal was to take significantly less than I took to Prague. I narrowed it down to about 10 shirts (5 long sleeve and 5 short sleeve) as well as 4 pairs and pants and 4 pairs of shorts, and then a weeks’ worth of underwear. I had an umbrella and jacket, a few books, my laptop, my toiletries/personal pharmacy, a microfiber towel, and my travel stuff (or as I like to call it “spy gear” to hide my passport and other valuables.)

My Mom picked up some toiletry stuff for me while my Dad and I went to church. Everyone prayed for me and wished me well with so many kind words and jokes of encouragement and safe travels. When Dad and I got home, I started packing for real.

Packing was the strangest feeling. I kept replaying over and over again the day that I packed to leave for Prague. I remember barely fitting everything into my bag—my Mom and I both sat on it to get it closed. I remember worrying that I was going to forget something. I remember feeling like I was going to suffocate as we drove to the airport. I remember crying as I hugged my parent’s good-bye in security. And I remember it was instantly fun as soon as I was on the plane.

Today was so different. Last time I was panicked, this time I am excited.

Everything fit seamlessly into my two bags. As I packed, I recalled a few things I was forgetting—iPod charger, camera, etc.—and wandered around the house to find them. Once everything was pulled together, I figured if I didn’t have it, I’d learn to live without it.

I said goodbye to my dog and my parents and I headed to the airport. On the drive, I didn’t feel nervous. There was a little stress in the back of my mind about figuring things out like how to get on the internet and what do I do if my driver doesn’t show up to pick me up when I arrive, but I was nowhere close to as anxiety ridden as I was a year ago when I left.

“When will we hear from you to know that you made it?” Dad asked.

“Maybe on Tuesday,” I said, “maybe a couple days later.”

“But you could call Mom right away?” he asked. I’d set her phone up with Viber this morning so we can make free Wi-Fi calls.

“I still have to figure out how to get on Wi-Fi first,” I said. “I left my flight numbers though so you can see that I made it okay.”

“They will help you with the internet?” Dad asked.

“They said they will,” I said. “I thought about just buying a VPN last night, but they told me it was included in my fees and that they will get it set up for me. I figure trusting people is part of the fun on travel.” I thought back to when Ivana disappeared with my laptop in Prague. At the time, I didn’t know what to think, but when she came back, it was connected to the internet.

We got to the airport and parked. Mom went with me to check my bag while Dad went to the restroom. I must have done something right because this time, I was well under the weight restrictions (35 kilos as opposed to the 60 kilos I took to Europe.)

I realized that in the hustle of the day, I hadn’t eaten anything. We went to “Pour La French” to grab a bite before I left. Splitting an artichoke dip and enjoying some soup and sandwich, we laughed about some of the adventures we had in Europe, as well as some of the adventures we’ve had since I got home.

“You know what I’ve learned,” I said. “Regardless of what happens next, it all works out in the end.”

We talked some more and laughed some more.

“I think you are going to have a great adventure,” my Mom said.

“I do too,” I said. “But if you had told me two years ago that I’d be doing this, I never would have believed it.” Much less that I’d be excited to do this.

We paid the bill and walked towards the bridge at the airport to go through security. The bridge was closed so I had to drop down to the main level security. Looking at my watch, I saw that I had twenty minutes until boarding started at 4:25.

As we got on the escalator I saw a red haired girl, probably 14-15 years old, hug her parents and listen to a lecture of “call us when you get there” and “be safe.” It made me smile to see a fellow young adventurer starting her own journey.

At the bottom of the escalator we stepped out of line to say good bye. I hugged my Dad and he told me to be safe. My mom hugged me and told me to have fun. I promised them I would do both.

“We’ll meet you back here in two months,” my Mom said.

Squeezing my Mom one more time and then giving my Dad one more hug, I said, “I’m going to miss you guys.” That’s when I felt it: a familiar lump in my throat. We let go of each other's hands and I went to get in line for security.

I smiled as I watched my parents walk away. I love them so much and I know they love me. Wherever I go, I know they will love me, and in a lot of ways, that gives me the courage to go.

Once they turned the corner and were out of sight, I thought to myself, “I did it!” I’m off on another adventure.

By the time I got through security, it was 4:21 and I had 4 minutes until boarding started. I put back on my shoes and belt and made a bee-line for the train. The girl with red curly hair was looking lost and stopped to ask someone for help. It made me smile again to think of how many times that had been me in the past.

I wasn’t really rushing to the gate, but I was being one of those people who walks up escalators. By the time I got there, it was 4:27…and they hadn’t started boarding yet. I found a seat and pulled out my tablet. Stowing my passport in the belly of my backpack, I locked the zippers and waited for my zone to be called.

Within about 10 minutes, I was boarding. As I shuffled through the cattle line on the jet way, I made chit-chat with a few of the passengers around me (I’ve decided travelling is too much fun to do it with a too-common angry look on my face.) Walking through the aisle of the plane, the flight attendant asked me “Are you headed home sir?”

“Actually, I’m on my way to start an internship in China,” I said.

That got a “Wow” not only from her but from most of the passengers already seated in the area.

I smiled and took my seat in 13F by the window. A few minutes later, a young girl—maybe a year older or younger than me—sat down next me.

“Where are you traveling to?” I asked.

“I’m going home,” she said as she pulled her hoodie off over her head. “And you?”

I told her about my gig over in China.

“That’s really cool,” she said. “Are you from here?”

“I am,” I said. “What brought you out to visit?”

“I was at the Western Region Colligate Women’s Rugby camp,” she said.

“Sounds like fun,” I said.

“It was,” she said, “except the university that hosted it was in kind of a small town and there really wasn’t much to do there. We pretty much had to make our own entertainment on campus.”

When I asked what university hosted it, I had to laugh…it was my university.

An elderly woman walked up accompanied by another woman who looked to be in her 40’s. “Excuse me,” the younger woman said to the girl sitting next to me, “I think you’re in my Mom’s seat.”

The girl checked her boarding pass. “Oh sorry,” she said. “I was in this seat on the way out here.” She got up and moved across the aisle.

The elderly lady moved in and sat next to me. “Well I’m sorry young man but you’re going from the very young to the very, very old.”

“Are you going home?” the 40-looking woman asked.

“No, I’m from here,” I said.

“And now you’re going to visit God’s country in Seattle!” the elderly lady said.

“Actually,” I said, “I’m going to China.”

“Well good for you!” she said. “Boy when I was growing up in Seattle, back during World War II and all, it was a big deal when we got to go dancing in Tacoma. You young people have amazing opportunities. Good for you!”

I explained to them the internship I am en route for and some of the adventures I am hoping to have.

We talked until the plane took off. It got harder to hear each other once we were airborne, but we continued to exchange pleasantries throughout the flight. Once we reached cruising altitude, I fell fast asleep.

It was a bit of turbulence that woke me up, and when it did, I decided to start blogging. As I think back on the year I’ve spent in the US since my study abroad (actually it hasn’t even been a year yet) I realize I really did learn a lot. I really do believe that you can be happy anywhere and you can find confidence doing anything. It just takes and open mind and a willingness to look a little foolish.

I’ve also come to accept that exploring China will not be the same as exploring Europe. Studying abroad was such an amazing opportunity to see so much of the world in such a short time. Interning abroad gives me the chance to dive deeply into one culture; to immerse in the language, the customs, the routines, etc. of life in China. Of course, it will be totally different from my last adventure…because I’m totally different…but I have a feeling it will be just as life changing.

As we begin our descent into Seattle, I’d like to share a quote with you that I saw the other day. It was credited to anonymous, but it went “Travel is rebellion in its purest form: we follow our heart, we free ourselves of labels, we trade a role for a reality, we love the unfamiliar, we trust strangers, we own only what we can carry, we search for better questions [instead of] answers, we truly graduate, and we sometimes never [really] come back.”

Here’s hoping all of that comes true. 

Before I go (Part 2): Expectations

In addition to setting goals, my employer in China asked me to outline some of my expectations before I arrive in China. This made me realize that everyday I’m doing research, I’m changing my perception of China. From the second I land in Shanghai, my impression of China will change. I will never be able to recreate what I thought of China once I am there. There needs to be some record of that so that each and every day we can see how much I change. This of course will be useful to my employer so they can measure how my understanding of Chinese language and culture influences my experience in China.

I started this process the same way as I did my goal setting. Sitting in the waiting room at a Groove Ford dealership, I jotted down all of the things I think of when I think of going to China. I’m a bit embarrassed to publish the list. Compared to most people, I feel like I have had a fair amount of exposure to cultural sensitivity. I took that class in Prague on “international communications.” I teach seminars on culture shock a few times each semester for my job with study abroad. I’ve three different classes that explored different aspects of Hofstede’s Model of Cultural Dimension.

Yet everything I could come up with felt like stereotypes. I wish I could say I was deeper person, but I realize I’ve never really been taught about China beyond what I’ve seen in the media. There were a couple lessons on it in my high school geography class, but I really don’t know much about what life in China is like.

As I did with my goals, I realized that some of them were very over-lapping. I also realized they mostly fell into the categories of Environmental, Cultural, and Personal, with my definition of these categories being as follows

Environmental: beliefs about the climate, architecture, and structure of Chinese society.
Cultural: beliefs about the people and customs in China
Personal: beliefs about experiences I think I will have

Without further ado: here is my rough list of expectations.

Environmental
·       I expect Shanghai to be hot and humid.
·       I expect that most of China is probably “dirty” by American standard
·       I expect the smog to be thick (almost tangible) and that it may be difficult to breath at times, or perhaps fairly smelly
·       I expect the cities to be overwhelmingly crowed and chaotic
Cultural
·       I expect to witness a great deal of national pride, with a lot of personal honor and a great importance on reputations
·       I expect people to be punctual
·       I expect that people hold themselves to a high level of perfectionism
·       I expect most people are very quiet and reserved, as well as very formal and polite in the interactions
·       I expect that people will be very friendly and welcoming
Personal 
·       I expect learning Chinese language to be hard, specifically the pronunciation
·       I expect arriving in China to be very overwhelming and that the city will be very confusing to navigate
·       I expect to be very successful

I may add more below as I think of more, but this captures my “first thoughts” when I think of my expectations of China. Even if they are true, I’m sure they don’t tell the whole picture. I’m hoping (call it another goal) that after spending time in China, I will be able to look back at this list and understand some of the meaning behind these perceptions. I also hope that I will be open minded enough to have some of these perceptions changed.

Before I Go (Part 1): Goals

In preparation for my internship abroad, the recruiting agency asked me to outline a few goals for my time abroad. In a webinar (which they actually held several weeks ago) they gave an analogy about Miley Cyrus. They talked about how over the past year she has “re-invented” herself. Their point was that while many people use studying abroad as an opportunity to “re-invent” themselves, they don’t always consider how they want to be re-invented. By having some goals, in mind, it easier to look for and seek out the experiences that can help aid in this transformative process.

Using the instructions they sent me, I was asked to classify my goals into the categories of Academic, Professional, Personal, Social, and Cultural. To start, I made a list of all the things I want to do in China. I came up with the following:

·       Learn Chinese
·       Eat good food
·       See the great wall, forbidden city, and other famous “Chinese things”
·       Understand more about Chinese history
·       See how China has influenced the world’s history
·       Experience Buddhism and Confucianism
·       Meet people
·       Experience how Chinese social life works
·       Hike/spend time outdoors in nature
·       Observe Chinese business practices
·       Understand unique cultural difference to China.

There were  a few other items that floated around in my head (like overcome jetlag as quickly as possible—certainly faster than I did in Europe) but they didn’t seem significant enough to note. I then combined and condensed some of the ideas I had to formulate them into goals. Here is my official list:

Academic

·       I would like to observe business interactions to understand the professional atmosphere and environment of business in China.

·       I would like to observe management styles and techniques in China to better understand leadership in the context of a different culture.

Professional

·       I would like to learn Chinese language, to be largely proficient and conversational

·       I would like to learn customs in China, specifically manners and etiquette/expectations

Personal

·       I would like to see how life in China is different (ie: what are typical hopes, dreams, hobbies, routines, etc.)

·       I would like to experience different religions that are prominent in China.

Social

·       I would like to meet people—both internationals and locals—to understand their perspective on the world and form both professional and social contacts.

·       I would like to see lots of different parts and sights in China.

Cultural

·       I would like to understand Chinese history and how it has influenced world history

·       I would like to learn to adapt my behavior to “fit in” with daily norms in China.

I actually really enjoyed the process of thinking through these goals. In my head, I know what I want the experience to be, but crystalizing it helps me to think through what I will need to do to accomplish these activities.

It has also reminded me of another important goal. This is something I was really good at in Europe, but have gotten away from since returning to the US.

·       I would like to live in the moment and go with the flow so that I can fully appreciate and experience each and every second of my adventure.

The Internship

It’s hard to say exactly, but I think I was more nervous for this Skype call than I was for the initial interview. After exchanging a few emails, John and I had decided to Skype tonight to go over some final details and expectations for my internship.

I nervously raced around the house gathering my tablet, a notebook, and my headphones. Setting up at my dining room table, I connected. Within seconds, John typed out a message.

Hi, it said. Are you ready?

I typed back that I was.

After nearly two years of using Skype to communicate around the globe—first from Europe to connect with my parents, and since to call to friends over in Europe—I have decided that the Skype ringtone is one of the most annoying sounds a computer can emit. Accepting John’s call, the connection (at least on my end) was remarkably better than during our previous interview.

That said, the call was dropped within minutes. When the audio reconnected, we could only do so without video. We decided that would work, and went about outlining some of my job duties more specifically.

John noted I had started a separate blog (the one I am being graded on for school) and asked about its future content. I explained that it is going to be more academically focused on what I learn and how I can apply it to business.

“I’m not completely sure what you will learn about business here,” he said.

“I mostly want to see how business functions differently,” I said. “What management looks like, how the work place works.”

“It’ll be interesting to see what you think,” he said. “We are a pretty small company.”

“Well with the exception of the boy scouts, all of the companies I’ve worked for are small companies,” I said. “It will make for a good apples-to-apples comparison.”

He asked me if I’d done any practice to learn some Chinese language. I recanted to him a story from the other day.

“My Dad and I actually went to buy a new backpack the other day,” I explained. “When we were checking out, I was telling the clerk that I was getting the pack for a trip to China. He told me he was from China and asked if I knew any of the language. I told him the few phrases I’ve learned and he said, ‘I don’t know what you are trying to say, but that means nothing to me.’”

We laughed. John explained that we can actually use that story for part of my job.

My primary role with All Set Learning is going to be to learn Chinese and journal about the process. I’ll be learning the language and also trying to assimilate to the culture. As I note what is easy, what is frustrating, and what progress I make, they will use the story of my process for a variety of marketing opportunities. The goal will be me to become as fluent as possible as quickly as possible.

I honestly think this is a better opportunity than anything I could have planned myself. Over the 3 years I’ve been in school, I’ve memorized finance and accounting formulas, I’ve read about management theories, and I’ve looked at marketing case studies, but none of my academic courses have looked at the role that language and culture play on business. To incorporate not just a cultural understanding, but a linguistic understanding of China into my academic experience will be absolutely awesome.

We also talked about some of the workplace practicalities like dress code and such. My first scheduled day of work is actually a national holiday in China so I’ll start a day later. John offered to meet me for dinner that night so that I can get oriented and find the office on my first day.

Eventually, the signal started to fade and we decided to end the call. John promised to send over a few resources for me to get ready. With 11 days to go, all I can think about is getting ready. And I am getting super excited!

Pre-Departure Orientation

It was the last day of the semester and I was beyond done. The truck was loaded. All my tests were taken (and my textbooks sold.)  My last shift in the Study Abroad office was complete. My school life was ready to be put on pause the next three months. The only thing standing between me and my drive home was a webinar with Natalie and the other interns that had been placed in China for the summer.

Logging into my email, I clicked the link and waited for the conference to start. I put in head phones, partially to drown out the rain, but mostly to drown out the NLF draft my roommate was watching. When the screen flashed on, Natalie’s voice cracked into my ears.

“Hello everyone,” she said. “Welcome to our pre-departure webinar for China. To get started I’m going to go ahead and share my screen with you and I’m also going to un-mute everyone’s microphone so that we can hear one another.”

As soon as she did, the sounds of various dorms, apartments, and office spaces flooded the airwaves. I quickly re-muted my own microphone so that the NLF draft wouldn’t interrupt the conference. Natalie realized what she had done and asked everyone to mute their own mics.

As we got started, Natalie first introduced us to Virginia and Sabrina. They were both from China and worked in the Chinese office overseas. They had been the two that had picked each of the interns they thought would work well with the companies they partner with in China. Our housing and other services on the ground were also being provided by them.

In terms on Interns, Natalie thought there were about 10 of us going to China. “You are all from different states, degrees, careers, and even ages across the spectrum, so it will be a great opportunity to meet people and network. We’ll get you one another’s contact information and some of you will be living with each other so you’ll have a few familiar people and some connections you can make.”

As the presentation continued they told us that on Monday, Sabrina and Virginia would send us our airport pick up schedules, our orientation itineraries, and housing assignments (among other documents.) Natalie encouraged us to print all of these items and carry copies with us on our flights over. They also explained that they would be sending out a few guided reflection prompts while we were abroad so that we could think through and the experience of working abroad. While they aren’t required or graded, they are encouraged for the sake of reflection and maximizing our experience.

From there, they went over many of the health and safety tips that I’ve both heard and I’ve counseled other exchange students. They reiterated not drinking the tap water, and mentioned that street vendor food was a sure way to get diarrhea. In orientation we’ll learn where the nearest hospital is, and the health insurance we are getting through the internship will cover an English speaking doctor.

One of the most fascinating health tips was in regard to allergies. “Food allergies don’t really exist in China,” Natalie explained. “No one is allergic to peanuts and no one is allergic to shellfish, so they really don’t understand this. If you have a dietary issue, you need to make it very clear to the people you are eating with and take any precautions you may need to. You will eat food that has come in contact with peanuts. It’s not regulated or even thought of so it is just a reality.”

She went on to explain that this doesn’t just apply to allergies. “I live in Boulder, Colorado,” Natalie said, “so everyone here is either gluten free, paleo, or vegetarian. These diets also don’t exist in China, so you will need to find ways to adjust.”

They briefly talked about safe-sex and encouraged abstinence while abroad. It’s been my observation that this is a very taboo topic in study abroad circles as most presentations I’ve seen—including ones that I’ve done—tend to rush through it.

From there, we moved onto pollution. Natalie asked Sabrina to talk about the pollution. “There is actually a phone app that you can get to monitor the pollution in Shanghai,” Sabrina explained. “I do not think it is as bad as the media portrays it. We do have blue sky here in Shanghai.”

They also talked about traffic, specifically that pedestrians do not have the right of way, and the best way to determine when to cross a street is to do as other people do. Other safety tips were to always wear a seatbelt, and always ask for a receipt from a taxi driver (primarily for the purpose of tracking down the same driver if you have an issue.)

As far as medications are concerned, as with any international trip, we were advised to bring enough medication to last us three months (one month longer than we’ll be there.) China regulates medication by different standards than the US—for example, Ritalin is classified the same as cocaine and possession of either can be cause for lengthy imprisonment—so we were advised to check the customs website for laws regarding any drugs we might be taking. To be safe, an original note from a doctor is also advised.

As far as illness, the Chinese government can actually quarantine tourists who exhibit symptoms. This is particularly true of sick immigrant attempting to enter the country. If we show any signs of illness prior to departure, we are advised to delay our departure and leave when we are healthy.

Other tips involving money, flights, and packing were all pretty basic. They suggested buying a lot of things when we arrive because they will be cheaper to purchase in China than here (and in some cases, cheaper to purchase than pay baggage fees to carry.) For example, the fee I’ve paid to the recruiter covers a Chinese sim card, but it will be cheaper to buy a new phone in China than to have my phone unlocked for international coverage.

In terms of communication, Skype, Facebook, and Blogger will be the best way to get ahold of me, however all three are banned in China. While a VPN is not included in my fees, for an additional fee, the recruiting office will set me up with one so I can get online.

Very few questions were asked during the presentation, but the ones that did come up were in regards to housing. I will get my housing assignment on Monday.

“The biggest thing I can tell you about the housing,” Natalie said, “is to expect many differences.”

“It will be very small compared to what you are used to,” Sabrina explained.

“Probably smaller than most dorm rooms,” Natalie added.

Depending on location in China, we may or may not be living with other interns, In Shanghai, we will be in three bed room apartments that include 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, internet, a bathroom and shower on the floor (if not in the room), and a 24-hour gift shop in the lobby. The apartment is within 10 minutes walking distance to the subway, which will be the way most of us commute to work.

“The subway is very crowded,” Sabrina said. “You will want to bring comfortable shoes to walk and stand in for your commute. Expect it to take an hour to get across town to your internship sites.”

They again emphasized the importance of personal branding (see next post) and told us that we’d be getting a book shortly on the subject.

The final points they talked about were culture shock and dealing with the differences abroad. These final tips included:

·       Attend everything and get involved as much as possible to maximize the experience.

·       Get to know Victoria and Sabrina. They want to help us grow and succeed as much as possible so use them as resources.

·       Meet locals so we get a better flare and understanding of life in China.

·       Set goals (again, see personal branding post)

·       Keep in touch with friends back home.

I have to admit, as the call went on, I was more interested in the pictures of food they had on the various slides. There were only a handful of questions at the end before everyone disconnected.

With that, year 3 of college was over and I was officially done. Shutting down my laptop and putting it in my backpack, I locked my bedroom door, said goodbye to my roommate, and headed home.

On the drive home, I started thinking, I’ve been back in the states for 11 months. In that 11 months, I’ve learned just as much about life as I did when I was abroad in Europe. Life was never the same when I came home. In many ways, it was better; but it was certainly different. My perspective was different, my confidence was different, my interests and goals and plans were all different. I expect the same will be true of China. This phase of life will be over and when I get back, everything will be new again.

At the same time—even though it presented its own challenges—Europe was easy. As long as I kept my mouth shut and mimicked the body language, I could sit in a corner, observing life and blending in. In China, as a Caucasian American, I am never going to blend in. I will be living as a minority in a world I know nothing about. I think it will be a lot harder.

But in some ways…that makes it a lot more exciting.

A few hours later, I pulled into my driveway. Walking inside, I greeted my parents and they showed me a package that arrived from the state department. Inside was my passport, with my freshly issued visa.

I’m officially going to China!

China Fact Sheet #1

My airfare is purchased. My Visa is being processed at the consulate. I leave in just 18 days!

Ever since I started telling people I’d been placed in China, I get basically the same response from everyone. With a very pregnant pause, most people say, “Well that will be…different.”

It did dawn on—especially when I started writing essays for scholarship money and grants to fund my trip—that I know very little about China. Beyond what I learned in my sophomore geography class, I don’t know much about the Chinese language, history, religions, or overall psyche. So I decided to buy a book.

One of the primary books I read before and during my trip to Prague was Madeline Albright’s Prague Winter. Walking around Barnes & Nobel, I found a handful of books on China. When I came across Henry Kissinger’s On China, I had to laugh a little bit. A book by a Secretary of State had helped me navigate one country, why not try another one.

From reading Kissinger’s On China (and I am admittedly only about 1/3 of the way through it) as well as some research online, I have found and compiled the following observations and lessons on China.

Fact Sheet #1

·       So far, I know 5 words in China. “Ni Hao”= “Hello”; “Zaijian”=”goodbye”; “Qing”=”Please”; “Xiexie”=”Thank you”; “Bangzhu”=”Help” (Google Translate)

·       The capital city is Beijing, and the most populated city is Shanghai. (Globalinks)

·       The Great Wall of China is the largest man-made structure in the world. (Globalinks)

·       Table tennis is the most popular recreational sport (Globalinks)

·       The Chinese invented toilet paper, gun powder, ice cream, the compass, and printing (Globalinks)

·       As long as there is recorded history, there has been mention of China. Unlike most cultures which have legends or stories of their founding or beginning, China does not…as far as history is concerned, it has just always been. (Kissinger)

·       The closest thing China has to an origin tale is the Yellow Emperor; a hero who has appeared at various times to restructure and rebuild a troubled China. As a result of this tale, China’s history is full of “starting over” and this is not seen as a negative for the country, but a necessity to survive. (Kissinger)

·       Unlike European nations or the United States, China never imperialized other nations. When China did send fleets to explore, they took gifts and invited their hosts to visit China someday. (Kissinger)

·       China and the US both believe they are the greatest world power. Where America tries to spread their values and make other nations more like them, China invites those who want to be like them to come to China. (Kissinger)

·       Confucianism is the primary religion that has grown out of China—around the same time that Buddhism arose in India and Judaism in the Middle East. Living in a period of political and economic decline, Kong Fuzi (AKA: Confucius) taught lessons on societal harmony. He emphasized the importance of learning and compassion. (Kissinger)

·       Confucianism outlines a hierarchal society creed. Unlike the individual salvation and personalized redemption taught in monotheistic religions, Confucius preached redemption of the state through focusing on perfecting one’s personal behavior. (Kissinger)

·       The Emperor was the primary political figure of ancient China. There is no accurate comparison in Western thinking for the status held by the Emperor. He was not only a political figure, but a spiritual entity in himself (almost like an Egyptian Pharaoh.) The concept of “kowtow” came from the obligation to recognize the power of the Emperor through bowing on one’s knees and touching the forehead to the ground three times. (Kissinger)

·       The Emperor was also considered the “Son of Heaven.” If the Emperor’s behavior was just, the universe would reward the nation. If the Emperor’s behavior strayed from morality, natural catastrophes were believed to occur. (Kissinger)

·       The Chinese never sought to “universalize” their ways onto the world. They considered any diplomatic engagements to be opportunities to demonstrate Chinese hospitality or to “send Heavenly Envoys” to the world. It was only after pressure from Europe and the US in the 1800’s did China begin to form a foreign ministry to deal with western diplomats. (Kissinger)

·       Renminbi is the official currency of China. The denominations of such are Yuan, Jiao, and Fen (1 Yuan=10 Jiao=100 Fen, like Dollars, Dime, and Pennies.) (Globalinks)

·       Bicycling is the primary means of transportation around cities. Cheap bikes can be purchased for 20-100USD$, however travelers should wait to see how comfortable they are biking in crowds before purchasing their own bike. (Globalinks)

·       Touring by train is the cheapest way to get around China. The four “classes” of ticket on a train are hard-seat, soft-seat, hard-sleeper, and soft-sleeper. Additionally, the subway system in Shanghai is the largest and most expansive in the world. (Trip Advisor)

·       Tipping is not tradition in China. Mid-range to expensive restaurants will build gratuity into the price. Cheap restaurants do not expect tips, nor do taxis. (Globalinks)

·       Bargaining in common in owner operated stores and markets. (Globalinks)

·       All of China is on one time zone (Beijing time) and the country does not observe day light savings time. (Globalinks)

·       Photographing military personnel or military sites is forbidden. Additionally, it is not considered polite to photograph people without first asking their permission. (Globalinks)

·       The Chinese culture is very friendly in nature. It is very common for people to invite strangers they meet over for a meal (“You will probably get more invitations that you have time for. Be frank with people and do what you feel you can.”) (Globalinks)

·       It is customary that whoever initiates an invitation for a meal will pay for the meal. It is polite to thank them, and then invite them out at a time you can treat them back. (Globalinks)

·       When invited into someone’s home, guests should remove their shoes and always bring a gift. The gift may be anything form a small bouquet of flowers, some fruit, or (my favorite) some chocolate. Gifts are appreciated but usually not fussed over; it is just polite. (Globalinks)

·       Salary, income, and assets are all socially acceptable topics of conversation. It is perfectly normal to discuss pride over one’s income or disappointment. (Globalinks)

That is all I have so far. If you know of any additional facts or tips, please feel free to share them in the comments below. As I learn more, I will add more!

The Process So Far

After Natalie called me to tell me that her contact in Shanghai had picked me up, I started a long process of creating additional application materials to send overseas. Natalie gave me some tips to redesign my resume, as well as some coaching in writing my first real cover letter.

After they were submitted, I had to create a introduction video to outline my experiences, my strengths, and my goals for interning abroad. What seemed like three easy questions took turned into a pretty interesting conversation. I could talk about my experiences easily. Pointing out my own strengths was simple enough. The hard part was detailing what I wanted to get out of it…giving the answer “I just want to travel” didn’t really seem appropriate.

The more I thought about it, I realized a “travel-centeric” answer was part of it, but it wasn’t the whole answer. Yes, I had signed up with Globalinks because I needed credit for my degree and I wanted to travel more, but there was a motive behind the traveling. I wanted to see more of the world, specifically, something that I hadn’t already seen. Thinking like a business student—and a business student whose already seen the effects of cultural differences—I knew that witnessing work place environments within a different culture would make me a better businessman.

So the goal I outlined in my video was “I want to witness management techniques in a different culture in order to understand how leadership plays out in a different part of the world.”

That hard part after that was shooting the video. The two minutes of footage I needed took over 55 takes to capture. (At some point, I'll edit together a blooper reel... the funny moments alone could take up two or three posts.)

Once the video was submitted, job offers started coming! The first one was to be an event coordinator for a dessert catering company. Many of the events they worked were government dinners so it provided the opportunity to literally network with some of the world’s most powerful people. The next was the be a sales rep for a caviar company. This would include catering and attending various events to try and sell the idea of caviar to different clients (apparently it is a food that has not been particularly popular with the Chinese.) The next offer was to be a management assistant in a textile factory. I figured if you have to work in a manufacturing job, experiencing life as a manufacturer in China could be a life altering experience. Another offer came to work in supply chain management for a coffee company. Supply chain was not one of my stronger academic pursuits, but the coffee industry is so incredibly global, it could be an amazing perspective change.

While each company enthusiastically told me they liked my cover letter and video, they all asked the same question: “If we like you, can you stay?” While it was a flattering position to be put in, my answer was consistently, “I have to go home at the end of the summer to finish my degree. After that, I’d be happy to talk more, but in the short term, I need to be in US through at least May 2015.”

That answer got me rejected from all four companies.

Within a week or so, more offers came. One was for a field agent for a government agency. They were looking for an American to write reviews on tourist attractions in Shanghai. The next was for a marketing intern at a consulting firm. They had a variety of projects to promote their company to Americans that had been relocated to China. The final one was for a lab assistant testing new technologies and software. I moved forward with all three, making it clear that I could only commit to the original six weeks I signed on for. At that point, one of the companies emailed me for a Skype interview.

The company was the consulting firm. More specifically, they are a language and culture consulting firm that primarily emphasizes learning the Chinese language along with cultural customs, in order to more successfully conduct business in China. They have developed a number of their own software and resource tools to learn Mandarin Chinese. Currently, they are the second search result on Google for “Chinese Grammar.”

I exchanged emails with the firm’s owner. We arranged a Skype Interview for March 31^st. After figuring out how to do the time zone conversion from Shanghai to home, I reserved a study room at the library for our online meeting. Dressed in a suit and tie—and in the middle of the night—I logged in for the interview.

The internet connection was terrible. At times, I could only understand about every fifth word the owner said, and the connection totally timed out every 10 minutes.

“There is so much traffic on the internet here,” he explained. “Occasionally the government has to shut down your connection.”

We went through the basic interview topics of strengths, goals, skills, etc. He explained to me a bit more about what his company did and a few projects he had for an intern. He himself was an American, who had studied linguistics. He'd lived in Japan and now in China, where he employed and entire Mandarin speaking staff.

“We’ve never had an English speaking intern before,” he told me. “I can actually evaluate my staff on how well they can teach you Chinese. You can give us feedback on some of our tools. And, if you’re any good at writing, we can have you work on our blog for people who are new to China.”

I sent him the link to both my Europe blog and this one. He read through them, but as he did, the call dropped for a third time. We gave up and switched to typing.

“Anyway, I think that's good for now‏,” he typed. “I think you're a good fit‏. Could you confirm the dates of the internship again?”

I did.

“OK, I see‏. I'll get back in touch with the organization then‏. Feel free to email me any questions,” he said.

We exchanged contact details and a few questions. The connection was still spotty so we decided to call it a night.

Three days later, I heard from Natalie. I was formally offered the position of Marketing Intern with the firm.