PROJECT PENGYOU INTERNSHIP REFLECTION, SPRING 2017
It was never my intention to work for a non-profit company in China. I did not speak a word of Chinese, I didn’t know anything about the culture, let alone the business practices, and I did not want to add overworked intern to my list of epithets. It was series of happy accidents that led to my semester at Project Pengyou, and I am eternally grateful the universe gave me that gentle shove into the unknown. I had very few, but very false, notions of how a Chinese company would operate.
MY INTERNSHIP AT JD.COM, SPRING 2017
My internship during the Spring 2017 semester at The Beijing Center was with Jingdong.com. Jingdong (JD) is the second-largest online retail marketplace in China, and also a Fortune 500 company. Jingdong boasts about having its own delivery service as well, not having to rely on a UPS-type service in a partnership. The delivery service is extremely efficient, and if an item is ordered first thing in the morning, it is likely to arrive at one’s residence by the late afternoon. I’m proud to have been placed in such a dynamic and expanding business.
ARRIVAL AND SILK ROAD PATH EXCURSION
I arrived to Beijing, China just one week ago. My first flight was 13 hours. I had a five hour layover in Seoul, Korea and then an hour and a half flight to Beijing. I was greeted at the Beijing International Airport (PEK) by my Chinese roommate, Sue Yang. We had been talking for about two weeks before I departed for China. Outside of the airport was the typical hustle and bustle of city goers moving about their day.
WHAT IT’S LIKE TO HAVE AN INTERNSHIP IN BEIJING
Lillian Nguyen, a junior from Loyola University Chicago majoring in International Business and minoring in Sustainable Management, is interning at the American Chambers of Commerce in Beijing this fall semester. She obtained the internship through Amanda Barry, the Dean of Academics, Faculty and Research, who connected Lillian to John Zane, Senior Director of Business Services. Her internship also counts for credit in her international experiential learning course which Lillian is taking this semester. We asked her a few questions about her internship so far and here is what she has to say.
THE HEROIC DOCTORS OF THE SILK ROAD EXCURSION
Dr. Ann Hoffmann and her family embarked on the Silk Road Trip with the TBC staff and students this fall. They brought along with them the necessary medical supplies and their bright smiles on the trip. Without their help and care for the students, the trip might have not gone well for a few. We are extremely grateful to have had them on the trip and wanted to hear from them their intake from the trip.
WELCOME TO THE TBC’ERS OF FALL 2016!
This Fall 2016 started off with excited students eager to meet their new Chinese roommates and discover their new dorms! We have students coming from Rivier College, Santa Clara University, Elon College, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali, Saint Joseph’s University, Georgetown University, St. Louis University, Seattle University, Stonehill College, Gonzaga University, Loyola University Chicago and Loyola University Maryland.
REFLECTING ON THE SILK ROAD TRIP
Now, you must be wondering what the Silk Road trip is. The Silk Road is a historical trade route between China and Eastern Europe where Chinese silk made up a significant part of the trade. The route ran along many different cities in China and the middle east but since The Beijing Center planned this trip for two weeks, we got to visit a few of them and experienced the vibrant cultures each had to offer. The Silk Road trip was an incredible adventure that I will forever cherish in my heart.
SILK ROAD – AN EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME
China so far has been amazing! These past two weeks especially have been filled with adventures that taught me a lot about this beautiful country and the fellow students I have had the opportunity to share this experience with. I enjoyed every single moment of the Silk Road trip and will definitely not forget these two weeks spent exploring a very different side of China and meeting new people.
欢迎来云南！WELCOME TO YUNNAN! PART 1!
The Beijing Center takes students on a two-week excursion every semester. In the fall, students travel the route of the Silk Road; in the spring, students travel around the Yunnan Province. Yunnan means “south of the clouds” and its weather is known as being eternal spring. It’s the furthest province south in China, bordering Myanmar and Burma. I’ll be writing about my day to day experiences and perceptions of China for the next two weeks of my excursion travels.
欢迎来北京！WELCOME TO BEIJING!
Being in Beijing for the past two weeks has been quite an experience! After getting off our 13-hour flight and getting through customs we hopped on the bus and headed to UIBE (University of International Business and Economics) in Beijing. Since it was dark out, it was hard to make out the details of the city, but it was intriguing to see the night light of Beijing with street vendors and tons of motorcyclists weaving through people and traffic.
A DAY AT THE 365 SUNSHINE CHILDREN’S HEALTH CARE CENTER
I had the opportunity to volunteer at 365 Sunshine Children’s Health Care Center. It was an amazing opportunity as it helped me realize how blessed I truly am. 365 Sunshine Children’s Health Care Center consisted of many children with physical or mental disabilities. Even though they might have looked different, they were still children. Children who like to laugh, run around with others, and sleep.
HAVING A CHINESE TUTOR
Chinese is obviously a very hard language to learn. Yet it is still amazing how much one can progress in just one semester in Beijing. One of the reasons students are able to progress so fast is because TBC gives every student a Chinese tutor. The tutors are all students at TBC’s host university, University of International Business and Economics.
FR. GENE
During the closing ceremony for the spring 2015 semester, TBC’s Dean of Academics and Faculty, Russell Moses, addressed the students for a final time. When thanking certain faculty members, Dean Moses described TBC’s Academic Advisor, Fr. Eugene Geinzer, SJ as “the heart of TBC.” In my opinion, this could not be a more accurate statement.
THE BEST SUMMER JOB: INTERNING AT TBC
My study abroad experience in Beijing was, at the very least, everything I could have hoped for. About midway through the semester, I decided that four months would not be enough time in China and I quickly started to make plans of staying in China this summer. After struggling to find a suitable internship or housing, I was fortunately given the opportunity to stay at TBC and be the Social Media and Communications Intern this summer.
REFLECTIONS ON YUNNAN
During a two-week break from Beijing and classwork I experienced the incredible diversity of China’s southwestern Yunnan province. I bonded with my fellow TBC students while there. We were brought together through an extraordinary and trying experience. During our orientation the week prior, TBC staff told us that our time in Yunnan would be challenging. I think this is an apt word, because traveling through Yunnan was no walk in the park. We spent 60 hours in transit, over the course of two weeks, by bus mainly. We visited and stayed in five different villages; we met the Yi people, the Hani, the Dai, the Tibetans, and the Naxi.