What am I doing here in Iowa?
That’s a question I often ask myself when my mind wanders or when I think about home. Sometimes, I don’t find an answer other than “school” or “nursing”, especially when everyone else around me is either from Iowa or from one of the neighboring states. A lot of times, I wonder how different my life would be if I was still home or somewhere else.
But then I think about the present, how I am now, and what I can do to make the most of my time here. I think about the friends and memories I’ve made in just three months, the community I’ve found, as well as the fun I’ve had and will have in the future. Those thoughts alone are enough to make me realize that it’s not so bad being in Iowa. Although I still sometimes consider Iowa as a “foreign territory”, I’m warming up to it more as I spend more time here.
For the third post of this series, I’ve once again written down all the Asian-related activities I participated in November. Although a little lackluster compared to the previous posts, I hope this is still interesting enough for this month.
Organization for the Active Support of International Students
@oasis_uiowa on Instagram
Multicultural Showcase
OASIS is a student organization that targets international students, and every year they host their Multicultural Showcase which includes performances by other clubs and organizations on campus. The showcase was very entertaining with performances of singing and dancing, as well as a short Kahoot game during the intermission. I had a few friends who were in one of the performing groups, so I got to watch them dance to K-pop songs with other H-Wave (@hallyuatiowa on Instagram) members.
Vietnamese Student Association
@uiowa_vsa on Instagram
Apple Orchard Social (joint event with FSA)
FSA: @uiowa.fsa on Instagram
On a Saturday afternoon, some VSA and FSA members drove to Wilson’s Orchard & Farm for their annual collab social. After waiting for everyone to show up, we took a group photo by the stairs for the Instagram post. This social was just a time to spend with friends and new people at the orchard, so we hung out by the playground, went back to the benches, and got food and drinks (thanks Jaden for the slushie!). The social was a great start to autumn for me (I’m slowly learning that autumn doesn’t really exist in Iowa, but let me have this), and it was also my first time to an apple orchard! We even got free pizza from the owners for being the last ones to leave!
Guest Speaker GBM
The next VSA event was the guest speaker GBM. The guest speaker An Phan came from Des Moines to share her experience with Vietnamese culture. We got to hear how she grew up, her time in college, serving in the military, and more of her journey. Surprisingly, I found myself relating to a lot more than I thought I would, despite major differences from my point of view. She ended her speech with questions and advice, and we all took a group picture to end the GBM.
Molly’s Cupcakes Social
Molly’s Cupcakes: @mollyscupcakesic on Instagram
On a Monday night, I walked into Molly’s Cupcakes for VSA’s social, and also to get a cupcake for the fundraiser. This social mostly involved playing games with other people, so I got to watch and play a few rounds of Tapple and Spot It. Although things got heated sometimes due to the competitiveness of people, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming and everyone had fun.
Minute to Win it GBM
The last VSA event was the Minute to Win it GBM, which also marks VSA’s last event of the semester. After the usual GBM presentation, we were divided into six teams, which got hectic because my team was initially missing 3 members compared to other teams. We played a series of rapid-fire challenges, like using chopsticks to put Skittles into cups (I got second place with 24, so that’s a win in my books), scooping cotton balls with no hands, math problems, and other fun games (we do not speak of my embarrassing attempt at the Oreo challenge). This GBM was fun not only because of the games and challenges but also because some of my friends who aren’t in VSA also came to play with us! My team won overall with 5 points, which was a great way to end the semester for me.
Other Activities
The Bep Teahouse Soft Opening
@thebepteahouseiowa on Instagram
On Veterans Day weekend, two of my friends and I The Bep Teahouse’s soft opening. We were all really excited that another boba place had opened up downtown. Although they weren’t serving food then, we still got to try some drinks from their plentiful menu. The drinks were all very delicious, but the store’s interior was also very pretty and aesthetic. We stayed there for almost two hours before I had to go to work, but I ended up coming back the next day with a friend again just to take advantage of the soft opening (I’m aware of my money spending).