“Passengers, please prepare for lift-off… your flight to Germany-China-Ecuador-India-Vietnam-Philippines-Japan is about to begin…. For the next two hours, you will travel the world (all from the convenient and cozy armchairs of the Skyline Library reading lounge) to visit and learn from the local/global citizens of many faraway nations. Enjoy your adventure hearing what it’s like to live in various distant corners of our world. Don’t forget to have your Global Citizen Passport stamped in each country you visit! Bon voyage.”
This super fun simulation of world travel was a big hit on the afternoon of Thursday, Nov 14, at the Skyline Library. Students, staff, and faculty came together to tell the stories of their homelands to other curious students, staff, and faculty. As they gathered at the pretend airport gate, each participant got their picture taken, printed, and glued into a fancy little passport booklet. With their passports in hand, they then proceeded to sign up for “flights” on a timed schedule chart listed for various countries around the world.
China, Vietnam, Germany, India, Japan, Ecuador, and the Philippines were destinations that could be visited by “taking a flight” to a set of two big, soft chairs where a country representative would be waiting for you to arrive.
Once nestled into your new destination, you would have a one-on-one info session with a transnational citizen with unique perspectives of living in various countries and the United States. the Citizen of that country. During the interview, you could ask any questions you wanted about the place you were visiting. You would learn what it is like to live there and grow up there and some differences between living in the US and their home countries. Many topics could be discussed, like family life, school life, healthcare and politics, geography, history, archeology, anthropology, and food! (Lots of amazing conversations about food!)
This fun library event was a part of the PIF-funded Critical Global Citizenship Education (CGCE) project which is in its second year here at Skyline College. In celebration of International Education Week, Global Stories and Local Voices offered a unique opportunity for our campus community to share the diverse experiences of our lives worldwide. Volunteers offered up their personal stories, many happy ones and, at times, difficult ones, to educate one another on their real lives in various cultures worldwide. A few specific examples of stories I heard during the event are below. And I particularly loved having my Passport stamped and signed by each country’s representative! Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to Japan, India or Vietnam. I heard those visits were wonderful as well.
My first stop was… the Philippines! Skyline College’s Acting Vice President, Dr Newin Orante, hosted a travel experience to his home nation, the Philippines. He provided many interesting facts about the diverse cultures, dialects, and foods of the 7,000+ island nation. Having a long history of cultures shared from Southeast Asia and Polynesia, the islands were already very diverse before the Spanish colonized the area. The Philippines are so diverse that almost every region and even the families within those regions have their unique vinegar recipes! This makes the most famous Philippine dish adobe different everywhere you have it!
The civil war that coincided with President Marcos’ dictatorial regime caused many Filipinos to flee the country in the 1980s. Dr. Orante’s family had once moved to Tehran, Iran, but war broke out there as well, making his family go back to the islands before leaving again for the United States years later. Orante still visits the Philippines often and has helped host a summer travel program there for the Skyline community.
“Attention, passengers, we are now landing at your next destination, Germany!”
Suzanne grew up in East Germany, and when she was 10 years old, the infamous Wall fell, which had separated the country in two for many decades. She remembers the time vividly and believes that that experience gave her generation a unique perspective on the world. Suzanne moved to the US in 2012 and received official US Citizenship last week! She now has dual citizenship and is proud to be an active member of both nations. Suzanne shared her experiences navigating culture shock when she first arrived in America (she spent many years in Long Island, NY.) She mentioned the differences between the healthcare and childcare systems of Germany and the US and how they affected her parenting while getting her higher education.
“Next Stop: Ecuador! Bienvenido!”
Andrea is a current student at Skyline representing her beautiful country, Ecuador. Ecuador means “Equator” in Spanish, and it sits right on the Earth’s equator on the West coast of the South American continent north of Chile and south of Columbia. The country comprises four main regions: Coastal / Islands (including the famous Galapagos), The Andes Mountains, The Amazon Jungle, and the Insular Campo (an agricultural valley.) This place is a traveler’s dream! Fun fact: the highest altitude point on Earth is Chinboraso, an extinct volcano in Ecuador! The area also has the world’s highest active volcano at 25,000 feet.
Andrea recently discovered that her DNA shows her to be 46% indigenous to the Ecuadorian coastal region. Little is known about this distinct population, and Andrea is working with Anthropologists to learn more about her ancient “Valdivia” culture, which may be related to nearly Polynesian travelers.
Andrea says that modern Ecuador is still very macho, with a very male-centric society, but that it is also, at the same time, a very matriarchal culture where women are the heads of family life.
And the food! Learning about Ecuador’s food was the highlight for many participants in our simulated explorations of the globe! But there is no spicy food in Ecuador. And there is no actual national dish! Instead, every region has something it is known for cooking. Examples include Seafood ceviches, empanadas made from green plantain masa, tuna soup with yucca and onions, and (supposedly) the best cheese in all the world! One dish outshines them all, though, and is (in)famous across all regions of Ecuador – the Mayones plantain tree worm. These giant grubs are eaten alive, squirming, cooked, and sometimes squirming! Talk about a culinary adventure!
“Your Next Destination is China! With your host, Jiaxuan!”
Jiaxuan (19) is a second-year Biology student who comes to Skyline College from Hebei Province in Northern China. Her mom works at a pharmacy, and her father is a doctor. When home, she lives with her parents, her little sister, and their grandmother. She came to Skyline straight after finishing high school in China. She hopes to transfer to a UC school to study Bioengineering. Many of her friends went away to college in other countries like Japan, Canada, Australia, and Europe. Jiaxuan says that much of a child’s life is focused on academics in China. After that, there is often pressure to choose between working a career or getting married. She has some nice memories of taking dance and art classes when she was young.
When she arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area, she was very happy to find a lot of food choices from all over the world to eat! She had been afraid that she would only eat hamburgers and fries daily living here! She has visited Los Angeles and hopes to see more of California and the United States. She would love for her family to visit her, even though they are worried they cannot speak English. She is confident, however, that she can handle all of the necessary translations and hopes to host them soon in her new transnational country.
“Time to fly home! We hope you enjoyed your travels around the world!”
And what a journey we all had! Global Stories, Local Voices was a fantastic way to experience the world in the library on a cozy afternoon. Thanks to all who came and shared their lives with our curious adventurers!
Article by Jenny Vega
Photos by Shanie Silva and Jenny Vega