30 Jul Lucia,
Spain

Posted at 09:59h in interviews by

Lucia

– Spain –

 

“Kay was so helpful during my time in China, she was always there when I needed anything even if it was not program related, always relayed my thoughts and concerns to the hotel prior to going there and helped me communicate with my HR with whom I had a big language barrier. I would highly recommend the program to anyone who wants to work in the Hospitality industry.”

 

  1. When did you come to China the first time for the hotel internship? How long did you stay? What’s the name of your hotel placement?

I came to China around September 2016 but started my Internship in January 2018, I stayed for 11 months total and the name of my hotel was The Azure Qiantang.

  1. What was the best story from the last experience that you can share? And the worst?

I would say the best stories come from the times I was invited to the houses of my co-workers, during the Duanwu festival or Chinese New Year. Being taken in as a guest during their family celebrations made me feel less away from home. I don’t think I can think of a bad experience, I have learned from each one of them, maybe some of the cultural faux pas.

  1. What did you learn from the last experience in China?

Professionally I learn quite a bit about management and task sharing as well as training, but personally, it taught me how to appreciate what I have, and to not take material things for granted.

  1. What are the transferrable skills that you learned from last time in China?

My answer would be similar to number 3

  1. How much Mandarin did you learn from last time? And what’s your Mandarin level now? Do you think you will keep studying it?

In my opinion, I learn Mandarin to a basic-medium level, I was able to understand most of the things my co-workers told me, and I had no problem understanding and replying to daily normal interactions.  Due to lack of practice, my Mandarin has rusted a little bit, but at the moment I am starting private classes again, as it is very important to not forget the language.

  1. What about Chinese food? Did you change your way of looking at Chinese food after you left China? What’s your favourite Chinese food?

Before living in China, I thought Chinese food was kind of unhealthy that left me kind of weak for the next few hours, but after living there I realized I could have never been more wrong. Chinese cuisine is so diverse and different from what I had experience in my country before that, now that I am back in Europe I am constantly searching for the most legit Chinese food. If I had to choose a favourite food it would be the simple Chinese eggplant with shredded pork, but If I chose an experience it would be eating stir-fried noodles from a cart off the side of the road.

  1. What would you say to the future students thinking of coming to China for the same experience?

This is an experience that you will never forget, it will not only provide you with extremely valuable work experience, it will also give you the opportunity to learn about a beautiful country and culture.

  1. Name the top three travel destinations that you have visited while in China, and why?

In my opinion the top three travel destinations in China would be Suzhou, Hangzhou and Beijing. Hangzhou is very beautiful overall but for me Longjin village takes the top. In Beijing I would avoid the crowds and go to the Lama temple (it’s better to visit without having seen many pictures first, you get a better surprise) I also have eaten some the best dishes there, and that’s enough reason to go again.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]



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