Practical tips into China

If you are planning to enter China for social or business visits, make sure you do two most important things, collect 'fa piao' upon purchases and learn to drink Chinese tea.

It is important to note that the Chinese tend to drink tea during business meetings in the day. Hence, it is crucial to understand and practise the basic Chinese tea etiquette, to show mutual understanding between hosts and guests.

Hong Kong Tea Culture

Generally, there is only one point to take note on Chinese tea drinking, to show your appreciation to those who served you tea. While someone is pouring you tea on your cup (normally the host), tap the table with your index and middle fingers (occasionally with ring finger too). This is an alternative to express thanks whenever you are in the middle of a conversation. A more polite way is to acknowledge with a nod or simply say 'thanks'.

ODM has wrote about a blog on 'fa piao' and its rather interesting... Have a look here!

Tell us about your past stories on internship in Asia! Drop us a comment below!

Hiker's Guide: Jardine's Lookout

With the lovely weather shining across Hong Kong on a Saturday, I decided to sweat it out by going Hiking! Instead of finding a easier mountain to climb, I aimed for the toughest(regretting now) which is Jardine's Lookout! Getting there is relatively easy, just board bus 6 or 66 from Central Bus Terminal and get off somewhere near Wong Nai Chung Gap.

Start of the Trial...

Headed off at 12pm with the Sun at its best. You really get to sweat it out despite the weather in Hong Kong at this moment! Not to mention there's a bbq pit area near there too!

The "not so steep" version...

FINALLYYYYY(!!!)

After 1.5 of strenuous climbing, I finally reached the top!! Indeed a challenging and tough process but you get a certain sense of achievement when you reach the very top. The amazing view simply takes your breath away...

Check this out!

You can basically see the whole Hong Kong from the top, literally. If you're looking at enjoying some great scenery, hiking is just about the right thing to do every weekend. However, the muscle aches are currently killing me right now. Stay tune for the next hiking post! (Crossing fingers for a great weather)

Never go hiking without proper equipment, check out ODM thoughts on outdoor equipment!

• Promotional Sunscreen Products
• Towels for Outdoor Activities
• Outdoor Shower Bag
• Revo Outdoor Gear
• Arnette Outdoor Pack

Michelin Starred Dim Sum in Hong Kong: Tim Ho Wan

This is perhaps the World's cheapest Michelin Star Restaurant, Tim Ho Wan. Michelin ratings ranges from 1-3 in the world and they are usually very very expensive! At Tim Ho Wan, most of it dim sum are below HKD 20 

Tim Ho Wan, which actually translates to "Add Good Luck"

There have 2 outlets in Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po, and their latest branch in Hong Kong Station. It usually takes about a 2hr wait before you get seated, but lucky me went to the one at Sham Shui Po and there wasn't any queue!

Displaying their featured dishes...

Signature Baked Bun with BBQ Pork- "Char Siew Pao"

Check out the filling! 

This has got to be 1 of my favourite dishes, I ordered 2 sets of this!!! Unlike the usual steamed Char Siew Pao, Tim Ho Wan's version is the combination of Po Luo Pao and BBQ pork pastry. With a little bit of sweetness on the bun and chewy fillings, this has got to be the best out of the entire range. 

Glutinous Rice 

Similar to "Zong Zi", sticky rice stuffed with mushrooms, chicken and sausages is steamed in lotus leaf. A killer for the stomach as it is very filling!

Steamed Rice Roll - "Char Siew Cheong Fun"

Cheong Fun usually comes in 3 different fillings, prawns/scallop/char siew. I ordered the Char Siew fillings. The smooth silky rice roll with the sauce is definitely something!

Steamed Prawn Dumpling- "Har Gow"

Big juicy prawns wrapped in very thin skin. Definitely worth the money at HKD 20 per plate!

"Siew Mai"

Similar to Har Gow, Siew Mai is a mixture of minced meat and prawns. A common item that is ordered at a dim sum restaurant!

As the saying goes, you can never leave Hong Kong without tasting their Dim Sum. Cheap and quality food? Tim Ho Wan is the place. Intern with ODM and you can will get to eat Dim Sum Breakfast every weekend :D

Sushi Lovers in Hong Kong

When I first came to Hong Kong, I noticed the substantial amount of Jap Stalls around. After researching, it is proven that Hong Kong citizens secretly loves Sushi!!

At the end of my 1st week of work at ODM, I made my way to Sushi One together with the other colleagues. Reason being? There's 50% off all sushi after 10pm!!! Being Singaporeans, we went there at 9pm and there was a long queue right outside the shop.

The perfect place to enjoy a sushi buffet...

While queuing, we were given a piece of paper so we could start placing our orders(making the best of our time). To be honest I had difficulty trying to decipher the name of the dishes cause it sounded pretty weird!

As we all know, there isn't exactly any good deal without paying a price for it! To be entitled to the 50% off, there is a minimum spending of $80HKD per head excluding service charge. However, the food was acceptable and definitely a great place for feasting! 

There's unlimited supply of Sashimi for just about everyone...

Guess we lost track of our orders!! 

PS: This promotion is available EVERYDAY (: Make your way to Hong Kong now to enjoy this special treat! 

Meanwhile, check out some Jap related posts on our odmgroup website...

• Win a buffet voucher for 1 at Roda Japanese Buffet Restaurant
• Hello Kitty Promo Items
• Evisu Keychain GWP
• Doraemon POS Display
• Makita Promotional Gifts

Disneyland Hong Kong - "Happiest Place on Earth" (Part 1)

Joe had previously covered Ocean Park, which he regard as the Disneyland of Hong Kong. I will now take you through the real Disneyland! Getting there is relatively easy....

Spot the Disneyland Icon?

1. Board the nearest MTR Station and make your way towards the Tung Chung line(Yellow Line). Tung Chung, known for its famous City Gate Outlet shopping mall is a shopping paradise! Renowned brands such as Coach, Timberland, Ralph Lauren are priced slightly cheaper than the specialty stores.

A separate line just for Disneyland..

2. Alight at Sunny Bay and change to purple line that will take you directly to Disneyland. I can't believe they actually had a train just for Disneyland itself, simply amazing!

Speechless 

3. I was definitely taken aback when I saw the train approaching. Other than a separate line, they even designed the exterior with their trademark Micky Mouse mirrors! & When I took my 1st step into the train.....

"Cinema Seats"

Customized Handles...

Statues of Disney Characters...

Simply love how they decorate it to make it a full experience!! Customizing handles and etc to make it a very own Disneyland train. Taking about POS display, no one explains it better than ODM!

Journey of getting there is definitely exciting, and BEING there is way better. Do return for our very next episode of this adventure!

"Disney" had definitely made a name for itself and is now used in various ways such as through the means of promotional products! Check out the links below on how Disney further market itself!

• Lion King Tote Bag & Water Bottle
• Pixar Cars Plush Toy
• Winnie the Pooh Promo Products
• Toy Story Plush
• Winnie the Pooh Towel Set

Interns in China take over Jida BBQ

This weekend for a friends 24th birthday me and around 30 other interns in Zhuhai went for a BBQ on the Jida beach.

Interns take over Jida BBQ in Zhuhai

Jida beach BBQ is part of the beach that has been cornered off and filled with stone BBQs. It can be a little pricey, we paid 80 RMB for each of our BBQs- but it is definitely worth it, with cheap beer and unlimited time to relax, its the perfect place to go after a hard days work!!!  

The interns BBQ!!

See some these blogs on our mother website, The ODM Group:

• BBQs
• BBQs Equipment

Or check out other blogs at Intern China!

A travelling intern to Xiamen

I just returned from a factory visit in Xiamen, and I must admit it was rather educational, especially for an intern like me. Regardless of how frequent your travelling is, being abroad means that you must ensure the following are in place:

• Flights
  
• Accommodation
• Contact person when you arrive
• Foreign currency (Chinese Yuan in this case)
• Visa (if you require one)
  
• Objectives to achieve
• Local SIM Card
• Camera

If you are looking for affordable flights into China, try www.ctrip.com!

If you are looking to go into factory visits into China, most factories will arrange to pick you up personally at the airport. Most will also arrange your accommodation and willingly pay for it (after all its part of their entertainment expense) Here is a picture of factory staff bringing me to the hotel..

Note: Client treatment vary in China, not all factories treat you the same way..

The hotels in Xiamen and for the rest of China are relatively economical in price. For the hotel I lived in (refer to picture below), Jinjiang Inn, the factory staff even dished out their privilege card to enjoy discounts. Only logical to do so especially they receive many clients..

They are also open to bring you around Xiamen for dinner and entertainment. In China, most business meals involves drinking. I was lucky enough to get away twice from drinking with my face red! All business associates I met in this trip also offer cigarettes during meetings.. Their casual gesture, but kindly rejected as I wasn’t a smoker.

I will elaborate on the practices of tea drinking during business meetings and the importance of tax invoices (发票) next time. Stay tuned! Meanwhile, drop by the ODM Group for some information on factory visits!

Shenzhen

Shenzhen is the first Chinese city north of Hong Kong and the entrance by land to China. You can see the influence of Hong Kong here- perfect subway, a lot of very nice skyscrapers and a few more English speakers than you do in Zhuhai.

A friend told me that for most people in Guangdong go to Shenzhen to make their money- it has a number of multi-national corporations head quartered there and is as close to Hong Kong without leaving the mainland as you will get.

Shenzhen, China- Interns could work HERE

One of the ODM Group’s offices is situated in Shenzhen, so maybe in the near future you could be living here!

Check out our  jobs page to see the latest internships with us in Guangdong and Hong Kong, or check it out here on our mother site!

KTVs

KTVs, or Karaoke TeleVision bars in other cultures are massive in China. If you come here you can guarantee at some point that you will go in one, and if you are the only foreigner, you will be expected to sing.

KTVs are not as daunting as you first think as you rent out rooms that have a large flat screen television and a microphone, and then buy/bring whatever drinks etc you like.  They can vary from ultra-exclusive KTVs were you will pay around 5000 RMB for a room, to a more standard 100 RMB.

KTVs- a great way for interns to relax in China!

The other slightly nerve-racking element is that- without generalising a whole nation- Chinese people are very good at singing. Not so long ago I was invited to a KTV in Shenzhen where I was the only foreigner in a room of around 40. As soon as I walked in they wanted me to sing a song, and I managed to at least get a little Dutch courage before I sang what maybe the most monotone version of ‘Hey Jude’ by the Beatles every sung.  

I think basically if you sing like there is no tomorrow people will like your voice even if it isn’t as good as theirs, but you just have to throw caution to the wind and sing your heart out!!

See our related posts on KTVs:

• Blue Girl Karaoke Company Promotion
• On pack promotion- for goodness Shakes Launches its biggest promotion

Hong Kong "Street Food"

You can never leave a country without trying their so called "Street Food", whereas Hong Kong is a city flooded with street food delights! Below is how a typical Street Stall looks like. Some places where you can find lots of cheap and delicious snacks like this are at Mong Kok or Temple Street.

The sight of this makes you go "WOW"..

  Here are some food that I've tasted and recommend, eat at your own risk though!!!


1. Egg Tarts

$5 HKD

You gotta try the delicious egg tarts in Hong Kong, almost every shop sells it! The egg texture is so soft it kinda "flows away" when you swing a little!!! Highly recommended ones can be found at Honolulu cafe in Wan Chai or Tai Cheong Bakery(many outlets). The butter based ones at Tai Cheong is my favourite though (:

2. Egg Waffle also known as "Ga Dan Zhai"

Around $12-$15HKD, price ranges

Once you smell a strong pancake aroma, it gotta be this! Light fluffy crispy snack is definitely addictive, also available with chocolate fillings as well!

3. Fishball also known as "Yu Dan"

$6 HKD

A very popular snack in Hong Kong and you can see them in a ultra big tub. Comes in either original or spicy flavour and usually served with some curry sauce. Please note that this isn't the kind of fishball like "Old Chang Kee" in Singapore, texture is slightly different.

4. Rice Roll also known as "Chee Cheong Fan"

Around $10 HKD for 4 rolls

I was walking around Sham Shui Po one day and I saw this really long queue. Told myself I had to check it out and I saw this push cart selling chee cheong fan. That was for takeaway and they had a restaurant where one can sit back and relax with other snacks as well. Had to try this and I really love it!! Something special about the Chee Cheong Fan over here is the PEANUT SAUCE! The mixture of flavours were so good and texture of the rice roll were smooth too...

5. Red Bean Pudding also known as "put zhai gou"

$4 HKD

Often seen on HK dramas, I finally got the chance to taste it. They are prepared in either white sugar or brown sugar, which explains the colour. The jelly like soft texture is indeed enjoyable, together with the red beans just made it more chewy! It isn't very sweet and a great snack to munch on. Try the ones at Sham Shui Po, just after coming out the D2 MTR exit you will see a stall selling different varieties of snacks.

6. Glutinous Rice Ball also known as "Tang Yuan"

$20 HKD for 5 balls...

A common dessert in most Asia countries. Peanut soup is often used as the base in Singapore, but in Hong Kong, sugar syrup is used instead. However, the soft texture and various fillings such as sesame/peanut taste as good as it looks! 

Fun Fact: Did you know that "Tang Yuan" is consumed on Lantern Festival? Check out our mother blog for more information!

• Lantern Festival - Tang Yuan 
• Chung Yeung Festival - Chinese Sponge Cakes
• Mid-Autumn Festival - Mooncakes