This past weekend, the exchange visitors of the Cross Cultural Internship Program (www.theccip.com) took a bus to one of New York's best destination for shopping deals, Woodbury Commons. Opened in 1985, the sprawling outdoor outlet center covers more than 800,000 square feet and has 220 different stores offering discounts on some of the most famous brands in the world, including Armani, Burberry, Coach, and Gucci.

Helping to organize the day trip was Macau University of Science and Technology student, Yueran Yang (Jessie). "Manhattan is wonderful and lot of fun to explore, but everything is very expensive. I found a lot of great deals at Woodbury Commons, so I was able to buy gifts for my family and get things for myself. There were so many people there, it was like an amusement park."

Woodbury Commons is located roughly 60 miles northwest of Queens and takes about an hour and a half to reach by bus. Helping Jessie organize the event was Yinjie Hua (Joyce), a student from Nanyang Technological University. Serving as an activity leader involves a variety of tasks that include setting meet up times, ensuring transportation is arranged, and collecting any necessary fees.

"We've done some great things together," Joyce said of her time so far at CCIP. "We traveled to Princeton and went to the Empire State Building. Everything we do gives me a better appreciation of New York and America. I wanted to be on the Student Advisory Board so I could help plan the summer and see as much as possible while I was here. I'm learning a lot but also having so much fun."

Among the many activities planned for the CCIP exchange visitors this summer are three Broadway musicals and a trip to Washington DC to visit Capitol Hill. Each activity is led and planned by one or more of the students and many are optional for them to attend.