Tag Archives: laos

HMoob (Hmong) around the World Part 3: Lost in Malaysia

Date
Posted by
Comments0
HMoob (Hmong) around the World Part 3: Lost in Malaysia

By: Kevin Phoojywg Xiong

Kevin in Vientiane, Laos (Winter Break 2018)

Hi! My name is Kevin Phoojywg Xiong and I went on the Laos, Thailand, Malaysia (LTM) Winter Break 2018 study abroad program. Every year, I would be encouraged to go by friends who had gone before. In 2018, it was my 4th year at SCSU and I felt it was my time. Some main reasons I wanted to participate on the LTM experience was because I had grown to love making curry and this was an opportunity to eat authentic curry in other countries. Also, my parents and grandparents were born in Laos and Thailand. Although times have changed, I was interested in speaking with other Hmong kids my age who grew up in a different culture, and who were born in another country.

Continue reading

HMoob (Hmong) around the World Part 2: Testing Boundaries

Date
Posted by
Comments0

By: Larsa Yang (Class of 2016 & 2019) and James Yang (Class of 2020)

Korea University, South Korea, Fall 2019 (James Yang – Left) and Akita International University, Japan, Fall 2017 (Larsa Yang – right)

Larsa’s Story:

Hey, my name is Larsa and I studied abroad in Japan for a full year and participated on the short-term program to Laos, Thailand and Malaysia. I wanted to study abroad because I was really tired of the everyday life in Minnesota. Minnesota is cool, but I think there are so many other things you can learn by learning from others outside of Minnesota and even the US. Study abroad encouraged me to think culturally about a lot of things that would’ve never occurred to me if I never traveled abroad. I purposefully took a leave of absence from my graduate program to study in Japan as an undergrad. Do I regret it? Not at all, I loved my experience. If anything I wanted to push myself to become a better person, and that’s exactly what happened. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

Check out some of Larsa’s education abroad photos:

Continue reading

HMoob (Hmong) around the World Part 1: A Whole New Perspective

Date
Posted by
Comments0
HMoob (Hmong) around the World Part 1: A Whole New Perspective

By: Kameiko Vue (Class of 2020) and Tonny Yang (Class of 2017 & 2019)

Kameiko Vue in Vientiane, Laos (left) & Tonny Yang in Penang, Malaysia (right)

Kameiko’s Story

I took part in the South East Asia (SEA) study abroad program in the winter of 2017-2018. This study abroad trip included going to Laos, Thailand and Malaysia. I wanted to be a part of this trip because I wanted to explore the world and enrich myself in the culture, people and food. Because of this trip, I experienced riding on an airplane and traveling out of the country for the first time ever. Not to mention, I built ever lasting friendships with individuals that I will cherish forever.   

Continue reading

Presence

Date
Posted by
Comments0
Presence
Tessa Takash

On my fourth day abroad in Southeast Asia I left my phone on the beach while swimming and, surprise, it was stolen. After my initial mourning I adjusted to my technology-less life and found a silver lining: I learned how to be present.

Without my phone I:

  • Was able to make profound connections with my peers by tagging along on all of their adventures and asking them questions about their culture
  • Enjoyed sunsets on the Mekong River without feeling like I needed to capture the perfect picture (none could do it justice)
  • Took in my new surroundings – the vast arrays of fresh tropical fruits, the colorful knickknacks on every street corner, and tuk tuks blazing by
  • Put my control freak tendencies in check by letting go of planning every detail of my day
  • Got lost in the pure chaos of New Year’s Eve in Bangkok

Continue reading