Meeting at the Oo Bar & Lounge, a rooftop bar in the One Boutique Hotel in Flushing, the student interns from the Cross Cultural Internship Program (www.theccip.com) shared laughs and discounted food and drinks. Organized by three members of the CCIP's Student Advisory Board, the gathering allowed the exchange visitors to unwind after a day at their internships while getting to know their fellow interns better.

The bar's happy hour runs weekdays from 5pm to 8pm and provides extensive views of Queens. "It was a lot of fun to just relax with friends and get a new view of the city," Tsun Kin Chow (Jesse) said. Jesse was one of the activity leaders and is interning at Sing Tao New York this summer. "Whenever I thought of living in New York, I imagined having a great job and enjoying the nightlife with friends, so this was perfect."

Yichao Ma (Katrina), another activity leader and an intern at Liberty Land Abstract, Inc., is enjoying all the new experiences that CCIP has allowed her to partake in. "I've already had so many firsts during my time here. Now I can say I sat on a rooftop in New York and had dinner with friends. These are the kinds of experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life."

Of course, CCIP is about more than just hanging out with friends. The program gives students from all over Asia a chance to experience American culture while getting a deeper education in their areas of study. Chuqi Ye (Owen), who is interning at Djam Insurance Brokerage Inc. and is a student at Macua University of Science and Technology, reflected on what he's hoping to gain while he's here.

"As I sat in the bar, I couldn't help but notice all the different cultures that were represented in there. That's something really unique about America and I'm excited for this opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds. I don't want to waste any chance to expand my understanding of the world."