My last week in Shanghai!  I can't believe it's September already, where has the summer gone?  It's hard to believe that this time next week I'll be back in "Bonnie Scotland".  I have absolutely loved my time in China and will be sad to go but I'm also looking forward to being in familiar surroundings again and being able to eat toast!  (The Chinese don't really eat bread at all.) Although I will have to wait just a little longer before I have some, last week I decided to change my return travel plans and I'll be staying for five extra days so that I can visit Beijing and the Great Wall.  I am incredibly excited!  Tonight I'm headed to Beijing on an overnight sleeper train.  Then on Sunday I'll be walking on the Great Wall of China! 

At work for the past week things have been quieter than usual. Well for me, the rest of the team have been busy finishing all their individual tasks before the end of the month.  Unfortunately my task was already completed and as I'm only going to be here for a few more days, it would take too long to train in me the other tasks to assist.  So in the meantime I've been working my way through more of the online educational modules, trying to  learn as much as possible about the company before I leave.  Although the tasks and jobs I have been given over the past 8 weeks have not been as challenging as some of the projects of other Saltire interns, I have learned a great deal about working with people from other cultures and about how a company operates in a globabl capacity, communicating with and co-ordinating departments across many countries.

Outside of work things have been pretty hectic, with only a week to go, I was determined to fit in as much as possible.  So in the past week I've been for cocktails on a roof terrace, finally made it to the flower, fish, insect and bird market in the old town, visited the Expo again, done some last minute souvenier shopping and managed a 5 hour karaoke session!  Sitting on the roof terrace, under a canopy, sipping cocktails while watching the rain fall was fantastic. The old market was a huge contrast to the modern skyscrapers, though unfortunately the insect section wasn't running the day I was there so I've yet to see the cricket fights!  I did however make it back to the World Expo site and was able to spend an evening in the European and African zones, inlcuding a visit to the UK pavilion, where I was able to bypass the huge queue and go straight in by showing my passport.

The weather has undergone a huge change in the past week.  Gone are the 39.5 degree days and here instead are the typhoon warnings!  It has been considerably cooler and we've had much more rain.  In fact on Monday I found myself having to wear a jumper!  I have no idea how I'm going to cope with the temperatures back in Scotland!

Anyway it has been an absolutely fantastic experience and a huge learning opportunity, so thank you  indeed to the Saltire Foundation and IBM!

Lindsay x