Today was a later day so I got to sleep in until 8 and then I got ready for breakfast. Again I had the same breakfast consisting of potatoes and bread. I initially wasn’t too excited for the site visits but they truly blew my mind. We first made our way to Cheetah Mobile. I napped on the way there and when we first got there, there were cheetah statues on the lawn that were so cute. Also the building was very modern and interesting. We entered the building and were immediately welcomed and introduced to everyone. We went to their main conference room which had a plush cheetah mobile stuffed cheetah for us along with coffee, Oreos, and graham crackers. We were then lectured on what Cheetah Mobile does followed by a QA session. Overall, it was a very interesting presentation. We then had a tour around the company. As we were walking out, unfortunately a fellow peer fell into the pond that surrounds the floor (similar to “The Office’s” Michael Scott falling in the Koi pond but not as severe). It was quite humorous yet unfortunate for his sopping wet foot. The floors consisted of places to work for the individual, many collaboration locations, and creative enhancement spots. For example, they had a rock wall, a slide, and a karaoke room. Although their air conditioning did not work, their workplace seemed friendly and inviting. We also learned that many workers can bring their children to work if necessary and their are many accommodating spots for families. Another thing we learned is that they have 2 hours for their break which is nice so spend for lunch and creative things like playing ping pong. After it was time to leave an impressive visit to Cheetah Mobile, we made our way over to Microsoft. We were first greeted with another impressive entrance with a screen that can detect your age. Although mine said I looked 24 when I am actually 19, I will take it considering I look much younger. We then entered an room and met Cataline. It was a Windows operation similar to Siri that had an easier conversation with a person and set up a person’s apps amongst other things. We learned a lot about their latest project of Hololens which seems to be one of Microsoft’s main focuses. It was really cool that it mixed reality with virtual things. We then did another QA session which was very informative. Right when we got back, we went to the Silk market. On our way to the subway, we saw a toddler defecating on a laid out padding on the sidewalk in front of KFC. Nobody seemed fazed by this but all of us were very confused. This market was famous for its fake brands and being able to haggle for better prices. Although I didn’t get anything, it was worth the experience to attempt to get a lower price. When we returned home to the hotel, my roommate and I got pizza, as we were missing American food.
