Beijing- Nicole Wiedeman, of Munich, never expected she'd experience culture shock. A Sinology graduate with some working experience in Taiwan, she recently arrived in the 15-million-plus metropolis of Beijing for a six-month internship.
"I never saw the sky during the first few weeks. It was just all grey, smoggy and drab," said the 25-year-old with dark locks and big, brown eyes.
As a foreigner, she often is stared at, even secretly photographed, and people talk behind her back, too - how tall she is, how long her nose is, and how pretty, but not for much longer, because Caucasians turn fat and ugly as they become older.
"Nobody expects that I understand what they are saying," Wiedemann said.
But she is taking the gossip with a grain of salt.
"At least I'm not blonde. That would stand out even more."
Some 258 Germans have currently placed ads seeking internships in China on the Web page of the German Chamber of Commerce (AHK), with only 56 open positions offered.
"We are being swamped with inquiries. The applicants are highly qualified. Many of them have already completed their studies and are ready to stay for a longer period," said Britta Buschfeld, an AHK staff member.
"An internship in China is a springboard, a real opportunity to enter the job market. Many of our interns are later either employed by us or land jobs with some of our member companies," she said.
Once a month, AHK organizes a networking event for interns.
About 50 young Germans join on average, hungry for schnitzel and garden fresh salad served in a German restaurant far away from home, and drinking mugs of Hofbraeu beer.
China was exciting, and so totally different from Germany, most of them opine.
While some of them already plan their next internship, others cannot cope with the spicy local food or feel lost.
One intern complained that his Chinese colleagues took naps on the tops of their desks during lunch time, because the working days were hard and often lasted until midnight.
Another intern looked forward to the weekend, because his colleagues promised to take him on a city tour and introduce him to Chinese culture.
Nicole Wiedemann already gathered her own experiences with local culture.
She pays 200 euro a month to live and eat with a Chinese host family.
"Prior to my first working day, my host mother even showed me how to get to my work place by bus," she said.
The weekends are spent with city excursions, and on the evenings Wiedemann goes out with her family for waltz dancing or karaoke singing.
Her Chinese-language abilities are challenged as soon as herhost father brings out beer and rice liquor over the telling oflocal anecdotes, but Wiedemann is convinced that there was no betterway to learn more about China.
"But sometimes I feel rather restricted, for example when my family demands that I always have to tell them at what time I'd return home, because otherwise they'd become worried," she admitted.
Germany's Academic Exchange Agency provides financial support for interns and students who spent some time abroad. Job agencies provide services for those who don't speak Chinese.
Internships including language courses, lodging and professional care are offered through the internet for a fee.
"During my first job, my boss 'loaned' me to a department store to staff the information desk and he pocketed a handsome profit. It was good to have the backup of a professional organization that was able to move me to a new internship," said Munich native Claudia Trichtinger.
In her new firm, the 25-year-old is responsible for organizing electronics fairs, is required to travel frequently and even holds the title of "director."
"I have made incredibly exciting experiences in those six months, but my patience also was tested quite often," she said.
Trichtinger said she intends to return to China right after her current internship has expired.
