Hello everyone! I’m Stella from Malaysia and today is my
first day at ODM Zhuhai. The office is located in Jida, and the space is huge
and so far it has always been sunny. Everyone is extremely friendly and
welcoming. I decided to work in China because I’ve met many Chinese
international students while studying abroad. I learnt how to speak Mandarin
from my Chinese friends and learned a little bit about China. My curiosity of
the changing customs and traditions within China is what prompted me to look
for an internship here in Zhuhai.
I applied my visa through a travel agent in Malaysia. All I
needed to do was to pay a small service fee and submit my documents to the
agent. Then they will submit my documents on my behalf to the Chinese embassy
in Kuala Lumpur, and my visa will be ready for collection in 7 working days.
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| Waiting to board |
I arrived in Guangzhou during the Qing Ming (tomb sweeping)
week which is a public holiday for the Chinese nationals.
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| On the bus to Gongbei, Zhuhai from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport |
I was fortunate to book a hotel room during
the peak holiday season with the help of Ricky, one of ODM’s Chinese staff.
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| C inn Jida |
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| Guess what's for dinner？ |
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| Donkey meat (I heard "yu rou" fish meat, turns out to be "lu rou" donkey) |
During the weekends, I went room hunting with Ricky and managed to find a decent room nearby the office for 800 Chinese Yuan. From what I learnt, it is standard procedure in Zhuhai to pay 2 months’ rent as deposit in advance where the deposit will be returned once your contract ends. The process of renting a room is much easier compared to signing a one year lease for a single apartment.
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| Day 2- Prawn noodles for breakfast |
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| Dimsum at Xiangzhou |
Zhuhai is cleaner than most of the Chinese cities I’ve been to such as Guangzhou and Beijing. I really like the living environment and the convenience of getting around town. The public transportation is really convenient and cheap; a one way bus ride cost 2 Chinese Yuan which is less than a dollar. Taxis are abundant and you can easily get into one without calling or using mobile apps.
So far, I’m learning about the company and its principles.
Can’t wait to learn and experience more!
