Travel Smart. Explore More.
The Trip That Started My International Travel Story
Some journeys stay with you forever.
Not because they were the longest or most luxurious journeys, but because they were the first.
For me, 19 January 2015 was one of those unforgettable days.
It was the day I took my first international flight, travelled outside India for the first time and began what would eventually become my international travel journey.
This was not a holiday trip.
It was an official business trip to China, focused on exploring the plywood industry, visiting manufacturing facilities and understanding the working culture of the Chinese plywood industry.
At that time, I had recently joined Magnus Plywood in June 2014. Only about seven months later, I got the opportunity to travel internationally.
I travelled with Mr. Mahesh Gupta, Managing Director of Magnus Plywood, and Mr. RPS Yadav, General Manager – Production.
For me, this was a completely new experience — my first international airport, my first international flight, my first visit to China and my first opportunity to see plywood manufacturing outside India.
15 January 2015 — The Beginning
The journey began at New Delhi Terminal 3.
I still remember walking into the international departure area with my passport and boarding pass.
Everything felt exciting.
The airport looked familiar, but the experience was completely different because this time I wasn’t travelling within India.
I was going abroad.
It was my first time flying internationally.
There was excitement, curiosity and a little nervousness too.
I was thinking about many things:
What would China be like?
How would the people be?
How different would the culture be?
What would the factories look like?
And how would the Chinese plywood industry compare with what I had experienced in India?
I had no idea at that time that this journey would become the first chapter of my international travel story.
Travelling with Mahesh Gupta Sir and RPS Yadav Sir
I travelled to China with Mr. Mahesh Gupta Sir, MD of Magnus Plywood, and Mr. RPS Yadav Sir, GM – Production.
Since I had joined Magnus Plywood only in June 2014, this opportunity came quite early in my professional journey with the company.
Travelling with senior professionals from the plywood industry made the trip particularly meaningful.
The journey was not only about reaching China.
There were conversations, observations and professional discussions along the way, giving me an opportunity to learn from experienced people while also experiencing international travel for the first time.
For me, it was the beginning of seeing the plywood business from an international perspective.
New Delhi to Hong Kong — My First International Flight
Our first flight was with Cathay Pacific, travelling from New Delhi to Hong Kong International Airport.
The moment I boarded the aircraft was special.
This was my first international flight.
I was excited to see the aircraft, the cabin, the service and everything that was new to me.
Even the simple experience of sitting inside an international aircraft felt memorable.
And then came another enjoyable part of the journey — the food.
Delicious Snacks on Cathay Pacific
During the flight, Cathay Pacific served snacks and refreshments.
For me, this was also a new experience.
The snacks served during the flight were delicious, and I remember enjoying them while looking out of the aircraft window.
Today, airline food may seem like a small part of a journey.
But when you are taking your first international flight, even a simple snack becomes part of the memory.
I was sitting there thinking:
“This is my first flight outside India.”
That feeling made the entire journey special.
Hong Kong International Airport — My First International Transit
After reaching Hong Kong International Airport, I experienced my first international airport transit.
For a first-time international traveller, Hong Kong Airport was fascinating.
The airport was large, organised and full of passengers from different countries.
I was seeing international destinations on flight information boards that I had previously only seen on maps.
But there wasn’t much time to explore.
We had to continue our journey.
Our next destination was Qingdao, China.
Hong Kong to Qingdao — Dragonair
From Hong Kong, we continued to Qingdao on Dragonair.
As the journey progressed, the excitement increased.
This was my first visit to China.
Everything around me was unfamiliar — the language, airport signs, people and environment.
After landing at Qingdao, the next part of the journey would be by road.
We were heading towards Linyi, one of the important plywood-industry centres in the region.
Meeting Teng Ping Arlene at Qingdao Airport
When we arrived at Qingdao Airport, we met Teng Ping Arlene.
She had come to receive us and became our local guide during the trip.
This was particularly helpful because it was our first visit to China.
There were obvious differences in language, transportation, local systems and communication.
Arlene helped us navigate the local environment and made the journey much easier.
What made the meeting even more relevant to our trip was that Arlene was also involved in the plywood trading and supply business.
So she was not only familiar with the local area but also understood the plywood industry and its business network.
For a group travelling to China specifically to explore plywood manufacturing, having someone with knowledge of the local plywood business was extremely useful.
Meeting her at Qingdao Airport became an important part of our China journey.
Qingdao to Linyi — My First Road Journey Through China
From Qingdao Airport, we travelled by car towards Linyi.
This was my first opportunity to experience China outside the airport.
At that time, the airport serving Qingdao was Qingdao Liuting International Airport. The newer Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport opened only in 2021, so it did not exist during my 2015 trip.
The road journey from Qingdao towards Linyi was roughly 275 kilometres, taking approximately 3 to 3.5 hours, depending on the route and traffic.
For me, those few hours were not simply travel time.
They were an opportunity to see China for the first time from the road.
I spent much of the journey looking outside the car window.
I noticed the highways, roads, buildings, industrial areas, transportation systems and the overall infrastructure.
Because I was travelling as a plywood professional, my attention naturally went towards industrial areas and manufacturing activity.
I was already thinking about the factories we were going to visit.
How large would they be?
How would their production systems work?
How would workers operate?
How would raw materials move?
How different would they be from Indian plywood factories?
I was about to find out.
A Memorable Qingdao Landmark
One of the most famous infrastructure landmarks associated with Qingdao is the Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge.
The bridge crosses Jiaozhou Bay and is approximately 26.7 kilometres long. It opened in 2011, so it was already in existence during my 2015 visit.
For someone travelling internationally for the first time, seeing the scale of Qingdao’s infrastructure was fascinating.
The huge roads and infrastructure gave me a strong first impression of China’s development.
I was constantly looking outside the car window.
I wasn’t simply travelling from one city to another.
I was experiencing China for the first time.
Finally Reaching Linyi
After several hours on the road, we finally reached Linyi.
After travelling from New Delhi to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Qingdao and then continuing by road to Linyi, reaching our destination felt special.
We stayed at the Pullman Linyi Hotel.
After the long journey, checking into the hotel was a welcome break.
But I was still excited because the real purpose of our trip was about to begin.
The next day we would start visiting plywood factories.
Pullman Linyi Hotel — A Comfortable Stay
Our stay at Pullman Linyi Hotel was another memorable part of the journey.
One thing I particularly remember was the breakfast at the hotel.
After travelling internationally for the first time and spending hours on the road, having a good breakfast at the hotel before starting the day’s activities was a great way to begin the day.
The breakfast had a good variety and was quite different from my normal breakfast routine in India.
It was another small experience that became part of my China memories.
Day 1 — Visiting Two Plywood Factories
The first day in Linyi was mainly focused on business.
We visited Linyi QianxihonfuW plywood factories.
For me, this was one of the most exciting parts of the trip.
It was my first opportunity to see plywood manufacturing outside India.
I wasn’t interested in simply looking at machines.
I wanted to understand the complete manufacturing system.
I observed:
- Factory layout
- Production flow
- Raw material movement
- Machinery and equipment
- Production practices
- Worker activities
- Quality control
- Material handling
- Workplace organisation
- Production discipline
- Department coordination
- Overall factory management
Because I was already working in plywood manufacturing, I naturally compared what I was seeing with my experience in India.
Some things were familiar.
Some were different.
And some made me think about how the same manufacturing challenges can be solved in different ways in different countries.
A Great Dinner Outside the Hotel
After a busy day visiting two factories, we went outside the hotel for dinner at a local restaurant.
After spending the whole day around factories and manufacturing, this was a welcome change.
The restaurant experience was excellent.
The food was different from what I normally ate in India, and trying local dishes in China made the evening memorable.
For me, the experience wasn’t only about the food.
It was about sitting in a restaurant in a foreign country for the first time, looking at the surroundings, experiencing the local atmosphere and enjoying the evening with the people I was travelling with.
It was one of those simple moments that made the business trip feel like a real international travel experience.
Day 2 — One More Plywood Factory
The second day continued with another factory visit.
We visited one more plywood factory, bringing the total number of factories visited during the trip to three.
Seeing three different factories gave me a broader understanding of the Chinese plywood industry.
I could compare their:
- Production systems
- Factory layouts
- Working methods
- Machinery
- Material movement
- Production discipline
- Management practices
For me, this was practical learning that could not be obtained simply by reading a book or studying photographs.
I was seeing real factories, real production systems and real working environments.
Understanding Chinese Working Culture
One of the most valuable parts of the trip was observing the working culture.
A factory is not only about machines.
Behind every production line are people, processes, discipline, management systems and workplace habits.
The China visit helped me understand manufacturing from a broader perspective.
I realised that productivity is not determined by machinery alone.
It is influenced by:
People + Process + Technology + Discipline + Management
This was one of the most important professional lessons I took from my first international trip.
Exploring Linyi — Shopping Mall and Local Shops
The trip wasn’t only about business.
During our stay, we also had the opportunity to explore Linyi’s shopping areas, a famous mall and local shops.
This gave me a completely different view of the city.
Until then, most of my attention had been focused on factories, production and plywood.
Now I could see another side of Linyi — its shopping environment and everyday life.
Walking through the mall and local shops was interesting because everything was new to me.
The products, displays, people and shopping environment gave me a glimpse of everyday life in China.
For a first-time international traveller, even a simple shopping visit became a memorable experience.
Business, Food, Shopping and Travel — All in One Journey
Looking back, my China trip was a combination of many first experiences.
It was my:
First international flight
First international airport transit
First visit to China
First road journey through China
First stay in Linyi
First experience of Chinese plywood factories
First international business trip
First experience of a Chinese local restaurant
First shopping experience in China
And all of this happened only a few months after I had joined Magnus Plywood in June 2014.
The Beginning of My International Travel Story
I went to China for an official business purpose.
But I returned with much more than professional experience.
I experienced my first international flight.
I travelled with Mahesh Gupta Sir and RPS Yadav Sir.
I met Teng Ping Arlene at Qingdao Airport, who received us, guided us during the trip and was also connected with the plywood trading and supply business.
I travelled by road from Qingdao to Linyi.
I stayed at Pullman Linyi Hotel.
I enjoyed delicious snacks on Cathay Pacific, a good breakfast at the hotel and an excellent dinner at a local restaurant.
I visited three plywood factories.
I explored Linyi’s shopping mall and local shops.
And I experienced China for the first time.
At the time, I didn’t know how important this journey would become.
I had joined Magnus Plywood in June 2014.
Only about seven months later, I was taking my first international flight and travelling to China.
Today, when I look back, that journey was much more than:
New Delhi → Hong Kong → Qingdao → Linyi.
It was my first step into the international world.
It was the beginning of my experience of seeing different countries, cultures, industries and people.
And most importantly, it was the beginning of my travel story.
15 January 2015
My first international flight.
My first international trip.
My first visit to China.
And the first chapter of my journey around the world.
This was where my international travel story began.
