The most unexpected and intense experience in my life

Being from a Chinese background I thought that living in China would help me further appreciate the country’s historical and dynamic culture, which is something I only have small taste of in Australia. I would have to say that Shanghai did not disappoint me at all in this aspect!!! Of course, Shanghai is a very multicultural and internationalised city compared to the much smaller, traditional towns in China. But the many distinct city districts, such as the French Concession, the Old City and Pudong, provide an amazing snapshot of the societal diversity of both Shanghai and China. Shanghai is truly astounding, so I have quite a bit of love for it now!!

What I loved just as much, though, was my placement. I interned at ReignDesign, which is a company that develops and designs iPhone and iPad applications. All my colleagues were of course, helpful and welcoming; what amazed me the most, though, was the fact that only 20% of my colleagues were Chinese. So I had the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas with colleagues from the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Chile and Korea. This melting pot of international ideas made my placement REALLY interesting. I had the opportunity to write storyboards for online videos, test run and tweak unreleased iPad games, build brand awareness for the company and also experience their design processes. Not bad for the two months I was there for!

You may be wondering what happens after work. Yes, well……. A LOT!
In the short period of time I was there for, I had done sooooo much!! One of the things I enjoyed the most were the social events Projects Abroad organised. It was good to see all the volunteers together in one place and catch up on each other’s weekly travels. We would often go to some quirky restaurants, which was great!!! Good to try new things…. especially in China!

I think the most noteworthy event that I was lucky enough to be in China for was Chinese New Year. I knew it was the biggest week on the Chinese calendar, but I never anticipated such an experience! The atmosphere in the city during Chinese New Year is crazy! Fireworks and crackers every DAY and NIGHT from every place you can imagine! There is no sleeping during the week, nothing like I've experienced before. Some interns bought some firecrackers to explode.... yes, they EXPLODE!! On Chinese New Year Eve I was fortunate enough to be on the Bund where I was able to watch the city ERUPT over the Huangpu River, it was pretty cool!!

Though, on top of everything I have said, I think the most important thing I have taken away from this experience are the friendships I had built with all the interns, and the Projects Abroad team. Everyone goes to Shanghai through Projects Abroad alone and at first it can be a huge culture shock. That is why you bond with so many different people in such a short period of time; so people you would either never talk to in your normal everyday life, or people you may never get the opportunity to meet otherwise. These people quickly become your family in Shanghai and ultimately make the experience the most worthwhile.