Meet Juandre from South Africa

We are pleased to introduce Juandre who chose to come to China after finishing his studies. He wished to deepen his knowledge on Chinese culture and experience the country by first hand.

My name is Juandre van der Riet. I'm from South Africa where I studied Food and Beverage Management at CPUT. I finished my studies, but decided to go on this internship , because it gave me the opportunity to study the Chinese language and culture. I am currently the Assistant Restaurant Manager at the Park Plaza Beijing, Science Park.

I came for a six month internship and have been here for three months now. I am going back to South Africa after my six months, but am considering coming back to China for work or travel opportunities. The language or the lack thereof was a challenge for me, but I did my best to learn as much as I could in classes and talking with my colleagues. We teach each other. I love history so enjoyed visiting all the historical sights. The challenges of the Chinese culinary experiences was also a highlight for me.

I chose to do this time in China because I enjoy learning about new cultures and it was also an opportunity to travel and see a new country. I would recommend students to try this experience, as I learned so much in my time here.