A perfect city I will return to

It was the first time I went abroad by myself. I felt scared but excited at the same time. I didn't know anything about this city or about Chinese people. When I arrived at Pudong International Airport, it shocked me so much. I have never seen such a big and clean airport before. I lived in four different places in Shanghai in the two months I was interned there.

The apartment I stayed in the Pudong area was a bit quiet with fewer people living there. It was different when I moved to Wenshui Road, where I met many old local residents. Chinese people are so nice to foreigners. They always smiled and said nihao to me.

Indonesian university student Azalia Suci Mustika undertook a two-month internship at AIESEC Shanghai, Jiao Tong University in April.

Even though they knew I couldn't speak their language, they always tried to talk to me in Chinese while holding my hands, which made me feel so happy. It had been very difficult for me to get something to eat. As my Chinese is very poor, I always chose the place that offers pictures of dishes on the menu, to make it easier for me to order.

It turned out to be much easier for foreigners to know what the dishes are on the menu, which mostly are in Chinese without English translations in certain small restaurants. In Shanghai, I found thousands of places to eat. Most small restaurants serve noodles and dumplings as traditional dishes. I loved eating fried dumplings that I'd never had before and they were very delicious with meat inside, and crunchy on the outside, with a juicy taste.

I visited some tourist attractions, which also amazed me greatly. I went to the Bund about 20 times and never felt bored with the beautiful scenery. Most of the times, I preferred to take the subway and walk within the city, which was a comfortable place to walk around and enjoy the views. I was so surprised to see so many local girls wearing high heels while walking long distances. Some even ran in them!

Shanghai people are always dressed well and look gorgeous — no matter what age — by mixing and matching outfits. I felt so delighted that I'd made the choice to come to this city for my internship. I have learnt a lot of things, made many friends from different countries, obtained useful experience and enjoyed every minute of my stay here.

Shanghai still retains its Asian lifestyle but with a Western influence as well, which makes it the perfect city to welcome foreigners to live and work. Thanks Shanghai. My only regret is that a two-month stay is not enough for me. But I will come back very soon.