Today was our flight to Shanghai China. For many, this was one of the longest flights we have ever been on, a total of 14 hours. After we departed we passed time by watching movies, listening to music and sleeping. When we arrived in Shanghai the weather was humid and it was just the afternoon. We then took a quick bus ride to Putuo where our hotel is. It was a relief to have a bed after sitting in a plane chair for the long flight. We slept and then had dinner at Global Harbor Mall, which is the biggest mall in China and only 2 blocks from our hotel.
Lesly Jimenez
We took a flight to Shanghai on Tuesday April 16th, 2019. We arrived to the airport around 8am and got on our flight at 10:45am. It was a 14 hour flight, direct without stopping that involved a lot of sleeping and movie watching.
Kaitlyn Fernandez
On our way to Guttman in the morning I knew how long it would take to get to China, but I didn’t fully consider how difficult and tiresome it is. The plane ride, being 14 hours, consisted of many movies and naps in between. The plane was very dark because the flight attendants asked us to close the window the whole flight. Due to this, there was no sense of time. I felt as if I was in a time capsule and before I knew it, we were landing in Shanghai! When first entering Shanghai, the first thing I noticed was the scenery and nature. The green leaves seemed so green and the air felt different, yet I felt like I hadn’t left NY. I knew I was in another country, yet it took me some time to become aware of this.
Darious Serrano
Global Guttman gave me the opportunity to take my first flight & I enjoyed it very much. The flight was exhausting but I was able to make it through.
Génesis Peralta
On the day of our flight I felt very stressed do it to the fact that I was very anxious since I wanted to get to school on time so I could be able to make it to the airport. I was also anxious because I knew that the flight was 14 hours long so I though i wasn’t going to be able to handle it. But it didn’t even felt like 14 hours I was able to sleep, watch movies and eat so I guess that helped a little bit.
Marcell Weeks
My experience on the flight was very tired and I haven’t got up in 14 hours, I couldn’t feel my legs when i got up the plane. but I enjoy having the window seat to see all the people very small. And also that I enjoy watching some movies and watch tv show because it takes more time of the flight so it will be easy.
Liza Desmaret
The journey to China was amazing from the time on the plane to when we landed on Chinese soil. The immigration process was long and agonizing but after a while we got through. After that we had the opportunity to grab our luggage and exchange currency while heading to our destination at the Jin Jiang hotel. Overall it was an interesting first day in China.
Before traveling to China, we wanted students to become familiar with elements of culture and business in anticipation of the activities we would do on the trip (see CIEE brochure attached). While in New York, students worked in pairs and researched the following topics. In Shanghai during class time in the morning, they made the following presentations.
Before leaving for Shanghai, we organized the following activities for students:
Lesson on C-Pop and Chinese Culture – Dr. Angelina Tallaj
Jacqueline Aguilar
During this class meeting, we got the opportunity to learn about music and culture in China. Usually Chinese popular music is called C-pop as an abbreviation. Knowing this, we then went deeper into American music influences into C-pop. We had discussions on how Asia has become more “modernized” and has adopted influences from the United States. Recently, Chinese culture started using music tools that were never used before in China. In addition, we came up with examples on how US artists also get influenced by other cultures such as by including outfits and using different music features from different cultures including Asian ones.
First Video: Jay Chou’ s Blue and White Porcelain from 2008 exhibiting Chinese melodies, instruments and scenery.
Second Video: “My Swag’s On Fire” from 2017
2017
2019
Lesson on Chinese Economy and Social Issues – Dr. Sebastien Buttet
Jacqueline Aguilar
Today we had an intense crash course comparing the economy and standard of living between China and the United States. We learned about macroeconomics indicators such Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and GDP per capita which takes into account population size and measures standard of living. For example, the United States and China economies are of comparable size but Chinese standards of living are much lower than those in the United States as measured by GDP per capita. In the rest of the class, Dr. Buttet went over social issues plaguing China such as a poor environment and lack of freedom of speech. We talked about the trade war between China and the U.S and its impact on global economic activity. Finally, we watched a movie about the cultural revolution and the after-Mao years.
MET Museum Visit – China Wing
One of the first trip we did was visiting the China Wing in The MET museum to familiarize ourselves with Chinese features and the history of what ancestors contributed to China. We were asked to spend approximately one hour in this wing. We were given a booklet to fill out with questions such as comparing religious art and landscapes in the China Wing to the ones we were familiar with. We also had to describe the landscapes we saw, the colors and animals found throughout the wing as well as examples of humor in the art works. In the museum we also visited a very important feature for Chinese culture, which at first I did not know exactly why there was this pretty space inside this wing. I thought it was there for decoration. Then when we talked about it as a class, I learned that the place is a garden, which are very valued in china due to their nature that symbolize peace.
Tai-Chi Lesson
Jacqueline Aguilar
As the trip to China is coming closer, we were introduced to one of the most common exercises practiced by Chinese people, Tai-chi. It was really exciting learning about something we see often in the parks done usually by Chinese people. Tai-chi is one form of martial arts in Chinese culture. We had a guest coming who taught us Tai-chi. First we joined in a conversation about Tai-chi history and learned about some of the names for the movements. Later, we had the chance to practice some Tai-chi, and I found it very relaxing. It was okay when it was for a short time, but it ached after a while because our bodies are not used to doing those movements.
Steve Shulman, treasurer for the Tai-Chi society, teaches students Tai-Chi
Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA)/Chinatown Walking Tour/Lunch in Chinatown
Jacqueline Aguilar
In order for us to better understand the culture in China, we participated on a Chinatown walking tour in downtown Manhattan. It was my second visit there, and I liked it because it feels like you are in a little part of China. When we were in Chinatown as a group, we visited the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA).That is where we received an informative tour, learning about old features used in China, some traditions, tea house, and the evolution in history of Chinese migration to the United States. We learned how the perception of Chinese migrants by mainstream America has changed through time. The museum was not huge compared to the Met museum, but the lady giving us the tour spent a good amount of time to make sure we understood each section of the museum she showed us. We also were given a tour around the main streets that started what is now Chinatown. We noticed how some structures of the old buildings are different to those in other parts of New York. We learned that there were more buildings structured different but unfortunately, they are disappearing due to high pay rent and gentrification in Chinatown. In addition, we had our first lunch together experiencing Chinese cuisine at a Famous Sichuan Chinese restaurant. Personally, I was worried about how the taste would be. However, I liked the tea the waitress gave us at the beginning. It was a great start because I liked the tea, so I knew that the taste of the food was not going to be as bad. When it was time to order I wasn’t sure what to order so I let the rest of the group and our professors decide. Food did not take long time to come. First, I tried the pork dumplings and they were okay, then the rest of the food was placed on the table and we started sharing so everyone was able to taste a little of everything there. At the end my stomach was okay because the food was not bad at all and there was nothing that we did not know what it was. What we ate was meat that we were familiar with.
Jacqueline Aguilar
Mandarin Classes
Taking a Chinese course was exciting for me. We learned the basic mandarin phrases and words because we only met once a week. It was hard to pronounce each sound correctly. For me some words sounded the same but they meant totally different things. I learned to say my favorite fruit in mandarin, what is my name, and I’m American. I feel if we could had more weeks to practice then we could had learned more.
Preparation for the trip began as early as February, when students participated in a Beginner’s Mandarin course taught by Instructor Sharon Chen at SUNY School of Optometry. Students learned things like basic greetings, numbers, food, and how to ask for directions. The class ended with a party and were even awarded certificates of completion by Dr. Guilherme Albieri, Vice President of Student Affairs at SUNY Optometry. A big shout out to Marcell Weeks for having perfect attendance throughout the course!
Dr. Guilherme Albieri, Vice President of Student Affairs at SUNY Optometry, congratulates students for completing the Mandarin course.Marcell Weeks, with Instructor Chen and Dr. Albieri
Shanghai is one of the largest cities in China. It is an economic, cultural, and educational hub in the country and beyond. The Global Guttman trip to Shanghai provides a unique opportunity for our students to observe and compare how people live, study, and work in China.
Students, who are taking Contemporary Economic Issues with Prof. Sebastien Buttet or Issues in Global Learning with Prof. Angelina Tallaj, will be comparing and evaluating the ways people, enterprises, and government agencies in Shanghai tackle problems in economic growth and urban development, as well as exploring the interactions of politics, art, class, ethnicity, and gender on the processes of cultural formation. Throughout the semester, students will work on constructing and answering their own research questions – related to a topic of their interest – which address a cultural issue of significance in 21st century China. From April 16 to April 28, students will conduct fieldwork in China. By merging academic credit-bearing coursework with experiential learning, the trip to China will help our students grow as learners, professionals and human beings. Through immersion in a new culture, students will better understand their own paradigms while working towards adopting new perspectives.
Global Guttman is an innovative global education program at CUNY’s Stella and Charles Guttman Community College in NYC, offering short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs as well as campus-based global learning programs.
Since 2014, with the generosity of the Guttman Foundation, Global Guttman has offered 12 global learning programs to 120 Guttman students in Germany, Ecuador, Alaska, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Belize, Chile – and most recently in 2018, New Orleans and China. Additionally, the program offers on-campus global learning programming, for example, the Guttman Culture Club and the Pulitzer visiting journalist workshops.
Global Guttman offers Guttman students the opportunity to foster a deeper understanding of themselves in a global context, their sense of personal/social responsibility and to engage with complex ideas about global interdependence, while developing intercultural skills needed in a global workforce.
Global Guttman China 2019 