Luca during his internship in China

Hey! Where are you from? Where do you study/live/work?

Hi, my name is Luca. I’m from Leiden and I’m currently studying in Amsterdam.

What was the first thing you thought when you arrived in China?

Hmm, the first thing that crossed my mind was how I was going to find transport to the Airbnb I had booked for the first week. Also, there was very little English text around, which made it harder. Besides that, Google, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Instagram are all not available, so you have to download a VPN.

What was the most shocking difference between the Netherlands and China?

Overpopulation — Shanghai has 24 million people (the city’s area is about 1/8th of the Netherlands). During rush hours, the metro stations are like an anthill, but I have to say a well-organized anthill. Life moves fast and is very organized. It’s a highly structured society. Also, not many people speak English. They learn it at school but simply never get to use it unless they’re with a foreigner, so they tend to be quite reserved when it comes to speaking English. There are plenty of Chinese students who have studied abroad, so younger people generally do speak English.

What does your typical workday look like?

I usually go to the office on a shared bike. I start at 9:30 AM and work until 6:30 PM. I work at an international company. Most of the team is still Chinese, but there are some Europeans and Americans too. Everyone in the company speaks English.

What is the working atmosphere like at your internship company?

It’s nice. I work in an open office with fairly young colleagues. There are also quite a few other interns with whom I usually go to lunch, and I’ve even done weekend trips to other cities in China.

Have you ever felt homesick? How did you deal with it?

No, not really. Sometimes the Chinese culture can be a bit overwhelming, but if you’re interested in the culture, you can come to terms with everything. There are also many Western places (restaurants, bars, and clubs) in Shanghai, so if you really can’t handle it anymore, you can always hang out in expat circles.

Do you feel at home in China? Why (not)?

Hmm, not really. The language barrier makes it hard to feel truly 'at home.' I take Chinese lessons twice a week and now speak basic Chinese. I can order food and make small talk. But people are generally very open, and you can get further with gestures than you think, haha. Also, there are many translation apps that help.

Is there a typical local dish that you REALLY cannot eat (or really like)?

I’m not a picky eater, so I’ve tried everything: chicken feet, chicken heart, ox tongue, and other dishes. Sometimes I didn’t exactly know what it was, and I guess I didn’t want to know, but I just tried it. If you’re a picky eater, China might be challenging. There are plenty of Western fast-food restaurants, though. Not all dishes are very strange—you can get fried rice with salmon and salad or fried noodles with chicken and bell pepper. Oh, and spicy food in China is really spicy by Dutch standards.

Give us tips on who you should befriend abroad. The Russians? The Irish? The Chileans?

The Chinese themselves. I personally chose China because I was interested in the culture and the country. The best way to get in touch with the culture is by meeting Chinese people. You just need to find the younger students who speak English — there are plenty since many of them have also studied abroad. Because of the language barrier, it can sometimes be difficult to find or try everything, but if you’re with a local, you experience much more of the culture.

Describe the people of China in three words.

Okay, I can’t describe the people of China in 3 words because they differ per region, haha. So for Shanghai: friendly, stressed, and polite (to a certain extent).

What have you learned from your experience abroad? Was it the beloved community that you enjoyed? The cheap cocktails? The beautiful nature? Or was your experience less than expected? Details, we want details!

Interesting experience, interesting culture. I’ve also seen that there are many opportunities here in China. After three months, I’m convinced that learning Chinese for two years is a better investment of time than working on a bachelor’s degree for four years (a combination is ideal). Shanghai is a big city, so everyone experiences it differently. It can get very hot in August, especially. But if you like culture and trying new things, then Shanghai is really awesome. And I highly recommend Chinese lessons because it’s really a different world. English doesn’t always work the way we’re used to. Speaking Chinese is the only way into the culture.