Week Two in Shenzhen has been delightful. I have been working hard at my company and building contacts for the projects I am working on and really enjoying my life in China. I have been working on promoting and building a client base in a number of Asia markets to try and help some companies break into these markets. The three projects I am currently working on are a Colombian Arabica coffee company, a Colombian candy company and a Hong Kong based capsule system coffee machine company. All have built great businesses in their respective countries, but are now looking to expand the Far East, which is very exciting.

At Ugari, it is our job to work with the manufacturers and distributors and deal with the trade logistics. The work has been really enjoyable and fulfilling so far, and it has given me a real taste for life in this business and working in China.

During my lunch breaks, I have been checking out the local Chinese restaurants and practicing my Chinese with the locals. After work, I have kept up with my Chinese studies as well as making use of the gym facilities at the Apartment One complex. I have also made it my goal to check out local Chinese and Asian cuisines in my area for dinner to really make the most of the dining experiences here in Shenzhen.

After a long week at work, I decided to spend the weekend in Hong Kong. I left early on Saturday morning and took the ferry from Shekou Port. Although it is the more expensive option (90rmb return) the metro is cheaper but takes a lot of time. The bus is actually the best option but I will save this for another time. The reason I decided to take the ferry was not only because it was quicker, but I also got to experience the scenic sea views by going through the Luo Hu Port, the only downside being that you ran the risk of being stuck in a long queue to go through immigration.

For the first 9am ferry to Central Hong Kong, it was necessary to get there at 7:30am. There was a great deal of pushing in the queues to buy tickets and getting onto the ferry, since it was a first come first serve seat process, but going through this process was said to be a common occurrence in China.

The ride was approximately an hour, it was smooth, pleasant and I spoke to some friendly local people on life in China and the future of China. I arrived in Central and took the MTR to Causeway Bay to meet a friend. We ate at Triple Os, a famous Canadian burger restaurant in the Hysan Place Shopping Mall. It was a little pricey (80 HKD) but worth it for the succulent burgers and tasty potato skin fries they offer.

In Times Square, they were celebrating Batman’s 75th anniversary with an exhibition of the vehicles, comics and figurines. Causeway Bay is certainly a bustling part of Hong Kong, with high energy, well priced shopping and superb restaurants.

For my stay, I booked a room in the notorious Chunking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui. Chunking Mansions is a housing and business project in TST with cheap hostels and mainly Southern Asian restaurants. The room is exactly what you pay for, essentially a cupboard with a toilet (around 200 HKD, although you can get cheaper hostels if you book earlier). For your first time, it may appear a scary place, but it’s cheap and essentially these rooms are to crash in after a long day of exploring Hong Kong.

In the evening, I met some friends for Pizza in Paisanos. I first went there a few years ago when they had a small shop in Central. It has grown to become a successful chain serving big slice, delicious pizza in Hong Kong. I also went to Lab Made Ice Cream, a recent craze in Hong Kong, which is ice cream made using Liquid Nitrogen. They have four new flavours every week and great compliments walking around TST.

I woke up early on Sunday to go cliff diving at Sheung Luk Stream. This is something I had been waiting nearly three years to do, ever since I first moved to Hong Kong. It is a little bit of a trek to get to but is a gem for thrill seekers. I took the MTR to Choi Hung station, two mini buses from there to Sai Kung, and hiked for around an hour to reach the cliff diving spot. It is somewhat of a secluded spot that is off the beaten track, but once you get there it is a paradise.

I spent my afternoon cliff diving with friends, swimming and then enjoyed beef noodles for dinner. It was a little late to have hiked back, so we decided to take a speed boat (130 HKD) back to Sai Kung, a beautiful end to an exhilarating day. I then took a bus to Sha Tin and the MTR back to Luo Hu, where I crossed the border and took the metro back home. Although a little tiring to get back to Shekou, the weekend was worth it and I will hopefully do it a few more times before my internship ends.

All in all another eventful week in Shenzhen, topped off by a wonderful weekend in Hong Kong.