The JUNIOR!!!

Happy holidays!

2011-12-25T04:22:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas and happy new year to all of you. I am currently in California to wait till Dec. 27 and then I will go back to Vietnam.

Xin Chào!!! Hiiii!!!

2011-12-03T22:02:00.003-06:00

Hi all,

It's been a while I haven't updated my blog. This semester is just as eventful and busy as any other semesters of my college life. It is hard to keep the blog update, but I will try to write at least one entry every week.

Right now I am so ready for this semester to end so that I can come home. Yes, you read it correctly. I'm going home back in Vietnam at the end of this month. I will fly over to California first, and visit some cities there. I look forward to visiting UC Berkeley as I want to apply for graduate program there. I will update you on my trip.

It is snowing outside. The scene is breathtaking. But you gotta be careful when walking around, it's pretty slippery. I fell on my way back from the SI session in the library. The SI session today was fun and interesting. I was helping the students with their projects for the Accounting class. I remember enjoying the whole process of doing the project: keeping track of my spending and saving, preparing my own financial statements, etc.

Anyway, I'm gonna stop right here and work on my Business Statistic project. Have a good night and the rest of the weekend. Talk to you soon!

September - reminiscing excitement

2011-09-06T22:54:00.003-05:00

So, school starts tomorrow. I have not written anything for a while, partly because I was busy with summer research, summer course, and then working. Now that everything is slowing down a bit, I think I cannot excuse myself for slacking off anymore.

Let's talk a bit about the summer. Well, I shouldn't have called it summer, as for me, the past 4 months was more like another term. As mentioned in previous blog posts, I got into the URGO Summer Research program. From May 23rd to July 30th, I worked under the instruction of Professor Stoller to study the convergence between the US GAAP and the IFRS (GAAP stands for Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and IFRS stands for International Financial Reporting Standards.) Basically, IFRS is an international set of standards that have been used by approximately 120 countries around the world, while US GAAP is used within US (obviously!) With the ongoing globalization process, the Boards (FASB and IASB) decided to work on a joint project to diminish differences between the two sets of standards. And my job is to study about this convergence, and see how GAAP, IFRS, and the convergence will affect different stakeholders. I really enjoyed the research experience, firstly because it was more like I got paid to study, secondly because I got to study something I'm passionate about. Above all, I see a lot of benefits from participating in the program.

Besides the research, I signed up for a summer class, which was the REL200, taught by Professor Dean Seal. Right after the class I wrote a reflection entry but did not have the chance to finish and post it up. I will try to work on that later. However, to summarize, I have to say that Professor Seal made it a very interesting class. Teaching a religion class, he did a good job of breaking away from the rigid textbooks and gave us a chance to discuss, explore, and exchange what we know about the world. I am really happy that I took the class, because it is one of the classes that when I submitted my final exam, I just wanted to say "Thank you. You changed my life a great deal." Look out for my specific post about the class. Probably it would help you decide whether you should take it with Professor Seal.

And then, the past two weeks I was super busy with the orientation for new international students. My responsibilities would range from picking up students at the airport to jumping on a light rail to create a Scavenger Hunt for the students. Luckily, I got to work with Roque McSweeney, who, in my opinion, is an interesting and respectable person. Roque is a senior this year, and though we have talked some times before, I haven't had a chance to work with him until this summer. He is calm and careful, which is totally opposite to me. And he also doesn't mind taking the early morning or late night shifts when I couldn't be on campus. When we were done last Friday, I felt proud to have the opportunity to work with Jim, the director of International Students, and Roque. I will dedicate another post to this experience later.

Anyway, this semester I take on another position - Supplemental Instructor. I am really excited about it. Even though I have been tutoring for a while, supplemental instruction is another thing. I think it is a good opportunity for me to go over old materials and update my knowledge as well. Besides, below is my courses for this semester:

- ACC322 - Intermediate Accounting I

- ACC324 - Managerial Cost Accounting

- FIN460 - International Finance

- BUS 379 - Quantitative Methods/Business/Econ

- HON340 - Junior Colliquium: Scholar as Leader

By the way, did you notice the title? Yes. September always brings me reminiscing excitement. It is exciting, but it also reminds me of the past Septembers, especially the September of 2009 when I first came to US. Time does fly.

I will go to bed for a refreshing first day at school now. Keep in touch! Feel free to comment and ask me questions ;)

Updates!

2011-05-24T23:51:00.002-05:00

Hi everybody!!!

So I am quickly jotting down some updates for you guys. My life has been pretty busy and full of events lately. I believe I should shares with you what this wonderful life has been bringing to me.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I got accepted to URGO summer research program. I had the orientation yesterday with all the summer student researchers and Dixie Shafer, the director of URGO, and Andrea Sanow, assistant of the URGO program. The orientation went really well. I know most of the people in URGO and made friends with some new Auggie. I also heard from Ali, Steve, and another student researcher who did URGO last summer. They provided us with really helpful stories and guidelines. I was inspired by how URGO shapes one's experience and I can't wait to see how the experience will affect me.
I got my permit last Friday, with the help of my friend Chue Vang who was willing to take me to the DMV on a rainy afternoon. One of the things that makes Augsburg dear to my heart is that I always receive the help that I need from various people I know at Augsburg. It is like a natural thing here that we lend out our helping hands to those who are in need.
Last Sunday a tornado hit North Minneapolis. My friend Uyen Nguyen lives in the area and quickly updated me with her texts. The pictures that Uyen showed me are breathtaking. I could not believe such devastating thing happened so close to where I am. Luckily she and her family did not get hurt. The news also reported that at least one person got killed and about 90 people were injured. Minnesota is still more fortunate than Missouri, where 2oo people died. Augsburg community has already taken the initiative to help out with restoring houses and relief activities. I would like to help out if I didn't have to do URGO.
Mentioning helping out, I will help out with the orientation for international student this Fall. I am still really grateful for all the help I receive from Jim and Anika and other people when I first came here. I hope my experience will be useful for future Auggie in their first days here. I work with Roque, whose background is pretty amazing and who seems to be a very nice person. I can't wait to meet new international students!!!

It is past midnight already. I am heading to bed. Long day is waiting for me tomorrow. Goodbye and good night.

Amazing Adventures Await Ahead

2011-03-19T23:03:00.001-05:00

Well, it's been long I haven't blogged. It's just a little bit more than half of March but I have already had tons of things to share.

First is some of my thoughts about Japan and their misfortune. I have to say that I have a lot of respect for the country and its people. I wonder if there is another country in this world where everything is so calm after such a tragic event. By calm I meant there is no turbulence among the people, no robbery, no violence. What Japan is showing to the world is its people's consolidation. I keep following the news, whichever news I have been reading, I see pictures of people helping each other. I read a news today written by a Vietnamese reporting from Japan. The author of the article use the word "orderly" to describe the scene of people shopping for food at the market. Amazingly, despite the calamity, all the market prices are stable, most of them are even reduced 20%. There is no such thing as people taking advantage of the mishap and making money. "Amazing" is the word I use to describe all the courageous Japanese and their determination in getting through all the turbulence. And I am praying for the nuclear power factory to get under control soon. Japan should be fine, as the country still has a lot to teach the world.

Secondly, I have some good news to share. I got URGO summer research. URGO stands for Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunities. You can check out more information about URGO office by clicking here. I will do research on GAAP, IFRS and the convergence. Basically, US has been using its own accounting standards system, which is known as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (G.A.A.P) and in 2002 the FASB (Financial Accounting Standards Board) agreed with the IASB (International Accounting Standard Board) on a joint project to converge G.A.A.P and IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards.) Ever since a lot of projects have been carried out by both Boards to eliminate the differences between the 2 standards systems. Prediction is that the change will actually take effect in 2012 and companies will follow the new financial reporting method by 2014 or 2015. As an Accounting and Finance major, I believe this opportunity is one of the mose invaluable "adventures" for my academic and professional goals. My friend Lucia, who did URGO research last summer, told me that I would find myself grow a lot from doing the research. I totally agree with her. And I would like to pay homage to Professor Stoller, who gave me the topic for the research and consistently worked with me to complete the proposal. I literally wouldn't be able to get the research opportunity without his help. On receiving the news of being accepted, I sent text messages to Jim Porter and Penh Lo, the two people that have always watched over my steps ever since I got here. I also called my mom and Mrs. Janey Thorpe, the two women that show me so much love and care about my future a great deal.

Thirdly, I probably will move off campus next year and live with Mr and Mrs. Thorpe, and that should be another huge experience for international students like me. Never learning how to drive, I received the Driver's Manual from Janey a few weeks ago. The Thorpes are among the nicest and sweetest people I have ever met in my life. Glenn seems to be reticent, but everything he says shows how much he cares about the person he is talking to. Janey has such a motherly character that makes me feel warm and supported every time I talk to her. We talk on the phone and exchange letters frequently. Also, through my letters, Glenn and Janey knew that I have spent a lot of hours a week working to help my mom with the tuition and living cost, and they just gave me a generous offer: moving off campus and live with them. I was choked by how thoughtful and altruistic they are; helping people is one thing, but inviting people to live with you to help them is another thing, a way bigger thing. I learned that a lot of lessons about how to treat people around me, or people in need, await ahead. I should one day give away all the amazing lessons I receive to others. I am really thankful for what life is bringing to me.

Overall, AMAZING ADVENTURES AWAIT AHEAD. You never know what is out there if you refuse to step out of your comfort zone. Go out, make your own adventure, and see how wonderful this world is. There will be moments you get tired, upset, hopeless, etc., but as soon as you make up your mind this is not the end, you will find the way around.

Thank you, whoever is reading my blog, for following my adventure.

Run, run, time run

2011-02-27T21:34:00.000-06:00

Well, time runs faster than I thought, yet it continues accelerating. I see spring waiting at the conner and I can't believe that half of the second semester has already passed by. By the way, I am typing this entry while watching the Academy Award on TV. So, basically, a phrase that best describes this semester for me is "more free time." I recall how I used to struggle every single day to find half an hour to eat last semester. However, last semester is kind of a success for me. I got my first 4.0 ever in Honors class, and that one is not any class but one taught by Crockett. I also received an amazing recommendation from Professor LaFave not only for getting a 4.0 for the course but also for being #1 student in class. Upon receiving these pieces of good news, I felt satisfied as my efforts were paid off worthily.

I am taking 3 business courses and 1 Honors course this semester. Also, my supervisor in Residence Life just cut off a lot of programming requirements, which relieved my time burden. Hence, now I am here enjoying the Oscar and doing my hobby - writing. Wow, I did not know that Natalie Portman is pregnant right now. Anyway, she looks gorgeous as always. All the nominees for best actress are talented and beautiful though.

I finished my application for URGO summer research last week last Monday, the snow day (yes! I love snow day!!! Nothing is better than a day off.) I do not know if I will get the research opportunity or not, but I just love the whole application process. There were some moments that I thought I could not finish this application; yet, I love the journey more than the destination.

Ok, it's almost 11. Good night everyone. I will try to write more often.

Eternal Sunshine of A Spotless Mind

2010-12-14T18:44:00.000-06:00

Well, my 3rd semester at Augsburg is coming to an end :) And this time next week, I will be in my little home. I probably will be sleeping on my bed, with my little niece lying next to me. That is sweet :)

I had THREE exams yesterday. No need to say, I was totally stressed out, especially with the HON220 exam. But I felt great, right after I submitted the exam. It was an interesting experience for me, now that I am done with it and had a very special exam. But let me first talk about my accounting 1 and psychology courses.

If you are going to be a business major, take Prof. Steven LaFave for your introductory course. I like him a lot. He is a great teacher. He does not only teach us all the concepts in the book but also the real life experience that he's got. And I really get a hold on accounting and a general view on what an accounting major student is supposed to perform both in school and at workplace. I also enjoy his side stories. He is a very interesting professor. And he's quite got some rules to follow. By the way, I am considering switching from International Business and Finance to Finance and Accounting, thanks to Prof. LaFave.

Another class that inspires me a lot this semester is Psychology 105 with Ben Denkinger. The class meets only on Monday, from 6:00PM to 9:00PM. I realized that a night class does not work for me, especially a night class after 2 other classes that involves a lot of thinking. But, Prof. Denkinger is amazing. We laugh a lot and get to watch a lot of cool stuffs related to psychology in class. And my title for this entry is the name of the movie I had to watch to write a movie review for extra credit. I used to think that I will learn rigidly boring stuffs in Psychology class. However, I actually learn realistic and interesting things in this class. I will list Denkinger in my favourite professor list along with Prof. LaFave as well :D

I don't remember if I had told you about my experience with the HON220 course yet. However, let me tell you the story. The course is challenging in many ways. Firstly, would you ever look at everything as a computation? Wait, you don't understand the question? Okay, I was taken by surprise when I first read the few pages of Rudy Rucker's "The life box, the seashell and the soul." I was wondering how the author came up with the idea that everything is a computation, including human, plants, evolution, etc. Fortunately, I found the answer to my question in later chapters, where Rudy explained how to look at things a a computation. I was struggling to get used to the new knowledge; I usually found myself in a dilemna, a part of me started to accept the computationalized view, and the old part just kept saying "This is impossible." Finally, yesterday when I sat down typing my answers for the final exam, I realized I actually LEARNED and PRACTICED the new knowledge.

I believe that is all I want to chat about my study this Fall term. As I mentioned earlier, this entry's title is the name of the movie I had to watch for my PSY class. However, I have to admit that I do enjoy the movie a great deal, especially its suggestion for a way to erase selected memories. The suggestion sounds interesting, right? Just think of some bad memories that you wish you can forget, and Lacuna Lab can help you move on with your life without remembering these memories. On the second thought, we are comprised of all the events happening throughout our lives. Whether they are good or bad memories, they still make up our characteristics, our views on life, our behaviors towards others, etc. So, what's the point of erasing these memories when their consequences, we and our lives, continue to exist? I think we would relieve ourselves a great deal if we try to face, rather than to escape, what has already happened...

Well, I believe that is all I want to share today. I will keep you posted.

The Oktober

2010-10-27T19:07:00.000-05:00

So it's almost the end of October. The weather in Minneapolis changes everyday. About a month ago the weekend was filled with sunlight and heat. And then the week after that the weather just came back to the fall breeze (that's the week of Fall Leadership retreat!) And now, the whole week is filled with rain and wind. And very soon will come the snow.

I wonder if you have ever wished you could fly, and actually felt that you could fly. Last night I could feel the force of the wind trying to blow me away. At that moment I totally believed that I could have flown if the wind had been just a little bit more strong. It's totally a wet cold fall week. Besides, the leaves are turning to red. I usually have to walk through the skyway to the library, and the view is breathtaking. I just don't want the snow to come so early so that those leaves will have the chance to stay a bit longer. I cannot say that I dislike the winter, because I actually hate it. But I am not good with summer-all-year-round weather like it is in Vietnam either. So, winter is not the worst. The reason why I hate winter is because during winter all the leaves are gone, all I can see is leafless branches poking into the gloomy grey sky. It's all white and grey. But winter makes me appreciate spring and summer more, which is a good thing.

My life lately has been super duper busy. My friends rarely see me online, not many Facebook updates, not much news. Even my friends at Augsburg do neither. We just run into each other on the way to class or work, say "Hi, how is it going?", wishing each other a good day/ afternoon/ night and then hurriedly leave. But yeah, here comes the Fall break, which gave me a three-day weekend, but I already dedicate 2 days for volunteering at MAASU retreat.

I am not the kind of person that cries n makes others worried. But the last 2 months my mom caught me twice on the phone at the weakest moments. She called me when I was extremely stressed and as soon as I heard her voice, I started crying like a child, mumbling "mommy, I'm so tired and stressed." That made my mom so worried, so she kept asking me to quit my job(s). Only then did I realize crying is not a good choice, especially when I am on the phone with a person who is 8,000 miles away and cares for me a great deal. I calmed myself down, and talking to my mom with the best voice I could make up at that time that I have to deal with things like this to get used to the pressure; if I keep quiting when things get harder, where can I go and what can I achieve? So quiting midway is not a good option. Therefore, I am trying my best to keep going with everything, bad thing or good thing, more or less stressful tasks. But to tell the truth, there are many nights I wished I had been at home, resting, and sleeping by my mom and sister without any worries.

My classes are going well. I am taking Psychology this semester, Monday night, from 6 to 9. It is an interesting class, and my professor, Ben Denkinger, is very much an awe-inspiring teacher. I learn a lot of things from the class. I am also taking HON 220, which is supposed to be a maths and science class. Our texts are mainly the book "The lifebox, the seashell, and the soul" by Rudy Rucker, Quantitative Reasoning and the Data Deluge. I learn some quantitative reasoning methods and some interesting but also controversial concepts about computation. As always, professor Crockett presents a lot of thought-provoking ideas to us. Studying under his instruction brings me some memories about last year. I remember how struggling I was every time I had to sit down and finish his paper, and how terrible I felt to consume a great deals of pages of the books we were asked to read. Still, I have to read a lot, and some papers are not easy to finish. But in the end it is a great feeling to realize you get through everything and learn something.

Professor LaFave is an awesome teacher for accounting. I used to think accounting is a boring subject, but now I am absolutely in love with it. He told us a lot of stories from his real-life experience, a lot of useful reminders of how real-life work will be like. And I just love how he connects all the concepts systematically. Next semester I will take another accounting class with him again if possible. I also learn some good things in microeconomics class. And I am applying many economics concepts to my HON 220 assignments. Overall, I think I have been having a good semester so far.

One good thing about October is I have got to know many people, including international students, my floor residents, people whom I tutor, etc. I love the fact that right now I can say exactly the names of people who went on the retreat with me. We had some good time trying to learn each other's name, as well as how to pronounce it properly. In addition, I start to have some good conversations with my residents. There isn't the feeling of strangers talking to each other anymore, which makes me so happy. However, the sad thing is 11 residents of mine will go back to Norway at the end of the semester. And Stefan Tornseifer (he's from Germany), Nawar, Trine Lise, and other exchange students will leave Augsburg at the end of this semester as well. :( Just as I get to know them better, I have to prepare to say goodbye :(

Wow. It is a long long post already... And today is pretty long too. But I met Erin and Rosie (my old roommate's sister and mom) at the safe block. It was so much fun to see kids filling the dorm. I saw a little girl in a dinosaur costume, she is so cute, like other kids. But I noticed her more than other kids as I saw her sitting on her mom's laps. The scene reminds me of my childhood when I was little, my mom usually let me sit on her laps too.

Talking about mom, my misfortune friend in the previous post is doing a great job taking care of his family. We are both so busy that we can hardly talk. He tried to called me twice the past few days, but I either was sleeping or was working :( I hope I will be able to reach him on the phone after posting this.

Have a good weekend y'all! Below is my little gift for the fall to leave in the next few days :) Thanks for sparing some time reading my blog.

The fire red fall and me

My golden fall. I took this picture at the retreat :)

The little accompany I saw at the retreat.

The almost leafless tree and half of Quang lol

Stefan!! He takes great pictures and he is ver sweet. I'm glad I met him :)

Condolences

2010-09-20T04:48:00.000-05:00

I still remember a spring day in February '07 I visited my close friend's home with a group of friends. We gathered in front of his house, then his aunt came out. She gave each of us a pocket of lucky money, as it was during the Tet holiday in Vietnam.

2 in the morning, September 20th, 2010, when I was talking to my friend on Yahoo Messenger, he said his family is having a problem. A few minutes later, he said his family was robbed, his mom and aunt were stabbed, and they were taken to hospital.

A few minutes later, my friend said someone announced that his aunt is dead. He couldn't believe it. Neither could I. My sister gave me a link to a Vietnamese electronic newspaper. The paper said his aunt is dead, and his mom and sister were taken to the hospital.

My friend, my dear friend, who is studying abroad at a community college in CA, USA, is blaming himself for not being home. I repeat again and again it's not his fault, not at all. Bad luck happens without any advanced notification. It surely is not his fault. But how can I relieve him of this guilty feeling?

I am praying for his mom and sister to get over the surgeries. I am praying for them to be alive. My friend has lost his dearest aunt - his second mom. Please don't make him suffer any more.

My friend said he may come back to Vietnam once and for all. He will not come back here - as his father is old and having high blood pressure, he's the only man in his family, the only one that physically can protect his family. My poor friend...

I know what my friend is going through. I know, because I lost my oldest sister 8 years, 4 months and 16 days ago. I can feel his pain. As much as I wish nobody in this world had to go through the loss of their beloved ones, that is something impossible to come true. According to my sister's answer to my question "why do people have to die unexpectedly and so young?", "because of other people's negligence and cruelty." I wish people would stop hurting others, stop killing others, as we are all human, we can feel the pain, we can bleed, and we all will be heartbroken when our dearest people die.

My friend is a strong-minded man. He is strong, as he cleared his voice and said "I won't cry any more. I will wait for my mom and sister to gain conscious and talk to me." My friend is so strong, I am proud of him. I am so proud of you, Lu. I don't know how you can get through this when I am crying. I wish there is something better I can do for you than listening and consoling you on the phone.

Cô ơi, con biết cô thương Lu lắm, nên chắc cô sẽ luôn ở bên Lu và tiếp sức mạnh cho bạn. Xin cô hãy cho Lu đủ sự mạnh mẽ để vượt qua nỗi đau này. Lu thương cô lắm, con nhớ lúc trước Lu từng tự hào khoe với con cô thương Lu nhất nhà, cô lo lắng cho Lu nhiều lắm. Con cầu cho linh hồn cô được siêu thoát và yên nghỉ.

Please pray for miss Hong, my friend's aunt, to rest in peace. And please, please, please pray for his mom and sister to be alive.

Great news for me

2010-09-07T20:39:00.000-05:00

I've just received a call from my dad. He said he will pay for my air tickets to go home and come back here this winter break. I am now so overwhelmed with happiness that the news brought to me. The mere thoughts of being at home, playing with my nieces, and having dinner with my family make my heart accelerate. I'm wearing a big grin on my face right now ;)

Lately I've been looking for tickets at a decent price but it's just impossible. When I come back to Vietnam, I have to interview for visa, and so, the total expense would go up to $2,200 which is approximately half the amount my family has to pay each semester. Therefore, it is such a pain for me to tell my mom I may not come home this Christmas, because I don't want the burden she's carrying to get heavier.

I don't know if I tell you earlier, but my decision to go to US was against many family members' ideas. Everybody told my mom not to let me go to US because the cost here doubles the expense my mom would pay if I went to Finland. I got accepted into one of the top 5 university in Finland at the same time I received admission letter from Singapore Management University - the top 3 university in Singapore. My mom is 60 years old, retired, almost brought me up by herself while having to support my sisters to go to colleges. My family of 7 people live together in a house. We are not poor, but sometimes we can hardly find a penny in the house. Therefore, my studying abroad for 4 years is a huge challenge and a big decision for my mom. Now that I am much older, I no longer have that childish feeling of shame whenever thinking about my family's situation. I am PROUD of my family, of my mom. My mom never fails to provide anything I need, even during the worst days. She bought the best food she could afford, gave me the best clothes I wanted, and worked every night from 11PM to 8AM to earn each penny for my education. And I remember those nights when we had heated debates about where I should go for college, I promised her in tears I won't let her down, I won't waste her money and her trust in me.

So, I work as much as I can while maintaining all my major classes' GPA at 4.0. I can see by myself that I grow up every single day, that my viewpoint differs from that when I was at home. The great adventure I chose to take has brought me so many valuable lessons and realization that I believe all the sacrifices my mom made will be paid off.

Above all, I'm glad my dad decided to support me in this. Otherwise I may never be able to make it home. And mom will cry. And sister will be disappointed, as her wedding is on December 26th :)

Home, I'm coming.

P.S: home is wherever my mom is XD

Freshmen's Move-in Day

2010-09-04T14:50:00.000-05:00

Wow. So we are done with move-in day of freshmen. I can't believe it! I am now overwhelmed with a bunch of feelings now: excitement, satisfaction, happiness, etc. I can't describe how amazing it is to work with other ResLife staff members. I'm so thankful that I've got the chance to work with everyone this year.

Yesterday I went to President Pribbenow's house with the ResLife crew and had a good time there enjoying the food, talking with people and taking interesting pictures. At the end of August we went camping at St. Croix Campsite for 1 day and a half. We had a lot of discussions, outdoors activities, played games at night and got to know more people on our team. It's a great feeling to feel acquainted with people, to recognize faces, call their names and get greeted by them. Being a part of ResLife does not just only bring me employment opportunity but also the chance to get involved in the great community that Augsburg tries to build. I have never felt this much of belonging. I belong to ResLife, to Augsburg, and the community around.

After we came back from the dinner, Mort team went together to move desks and chairs to international students' rooms. We fitted in an elevator, 13 people, stopped at each floor, said goodbye to each person getting out. The best part is when we gathered in a circle and sang for Kyleigh's birthday. I just wanted to hug each of them and say "I love you. Thank you!" because they are all so cute and nice.

And today is the move-in day for freshmen, as I said above. I think all of us have done a great job. My shift is the very last hours, so when I saw the last car came in, a great feeling of relief came to me. I looked around and saw all the colleagues that worked so hard all these days to make the students and parents move in more easily. And we worked really hard to finish the decorations on each floor in every resident hall. I'm proud of y'all, ResLife members!

I will upload pictures later. Look out for them!

ResLife rocks!

2010-08-30T00:15:00.000-05:00

So, are you guys READY for school????

I must say that I am VERY EXCITED for this school year to start. After a whole summer missing people around, I can't wait any longer for the move-in day. Today is my 4th day of training for Residence Life, and there are two words to describe these days: TREMENDOUS but FUN. I have never worked so much like this before; everyday I'm in training for approximately 12 hours including lunch and dinner time. I also got assignments to do at home as well. To tell the truth, sometimes during the training I feel really exhausted and almost drop dead. However, I think this training is worth all my efforts.

I understand as a student staff member, I am helping the college to provide my contemporaries a safe and comfortable environment so that we all can focus on other priorities. And to effectively play my role, I need to be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge. After yesterday, I am confident to fulfill my responsibilities as a Community Advisor and a Residence Life member. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of things I need to learn to do my job better, that's why at 10 AM today, I will go camping with Residence Life team. We're gonna have fun while learning more.

One of the reasons why this training is fun for me is that I am with my friends Rimi, Chue, Quang, Marie, Gloria and Sana. There are some names you may be familiar with if you read my blog from the beginning like Rimi, Sana and Chue. Quang is an international student from Vietnam, who transferred to Augsburg last spring and now works for ResLife as a Resident Advisor in Urness. I got to know Marie during those meal times with Rimi and Lucia; she has such a great sense of humor that you can't help hanging around her to feel relaxed. Marie is also very caring and sweet. My Resident Advisor from last year, Gloria, is now my colleague. She is one of the reasons that makes me want to become a part of ResLife. As I mentioned in one of my entries, I receive plenty of assistance from Gloria, who is also an international student at Augsburg. With this group of friends, I always receive support and encouragement. Also, we never spend a single day without laughing through the tiredness.

Friends are definitely important to all of us, no matter how old we are, what we do for a living, or how we are like. Therefore, making new friends and maintaining healthy, helpful and devoted relationships with other friends is a must. Joining ResLife, I have a chance to make friends with almost 40 more new friends, and strengthen my relationships with some other people I have already known but haven't had the opportunity to know more about them before. We all cooperate really well to help this training go on smoothly. I am so proud of being a part of this big team.

FYI: I will be CA for the 10th floor of Mortenson Hall. If any viewer of my blog is going to live on 10th floor, let me know! I can't explain how thrilled I am now to meet my residents =D

Now Imma go to bed for the camp. Thanks for reading!

P.S: There will be a special entry dedicated to the fact that tomorrow will be a year since I first came here. Look out for it!

Summerrrr!!!

2010-06-26T16:22:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

How has everybody been doing with summer so far? I hope you all are having a great summer. It's been a while since I last updated on Blogger, and it's almost the end of June already, so I believe it's time to refresh this blog.

Firstly, for those who do not know, Augsburg school year ended on April, which means that Auggies have a four-month summer break. Isn't that great? I still cannot believe that I finished my first year at Augsburg already. Things went so smoothly that I feel like time flew by so fast. But the summer seems so long for me though, as I miss my friends so much :'( But it's good for them that they all enjoy themselves at home.

I cannot manage to go back home this summer. Plus, I think instead of spending money when I'm home, it'd be better if I stay here during summer and work to save money. So that's what I have been doing so far - working and saving money. It sounds boring right? But I try to make this summer more interesting by getting acquainted with the area around campus. After I while, I do believe Augsburg has a very ideal location for students to take advantage of urban setting and the convenience of transportation. These are some facts I figured out after a year:

The service of escorting students by the Department of Public Safety is a plus when considering choosing Augsburg. In winter when walking around is not easy, you'll be very grateful to be navigate around thanks to DPS. Dial x1717, give your name, ID and contact information, you'll be picked up by DPS as long as you are withing escort area. You can ask for a ride to the light rail station, Wells Fargo bank on East Franklin Ave, or to the hospital. Those venues are within striking distance of Augsburg, so during the summer, you can easily walk around.
The light rail system near Augsburg can help you get to Midtown, Downtown or Mall Of America. Dropping at Lake Street Station (a station from Franklin Ave Station, the nearest station to Augsburg), you can easily get to Target or Cub Food, Rainbow, etc. to shop for groceries and other necessities. I have to admit that Augsburg's location helps me a lot in surviving through the first summer away from home. It takes 20 minutes to go by light rail from Augsburg to MOA. Or you can easily go to Downtown Minneapolis by taking the train in the opposite way. You will find a bunch of interesting places and various recreation activities to do such as going to Minneapolis Institute of Art in Downtown, or have a walk around Nicolet Mall or enjoy beautiful evenings in Downtown streets where you can find a cafe and sit down talking with friends.
Located in the 4 corners of Augsburg are the 4 fast food stores - Taco Bell, Jimmy John's, Bruegger's, and Davanni's. If you want better food, you can walk for 7 minutes to Pizza Lucé on East Franklin Ave. I guarantee you'll like the food there. I remember the first night I came here, Jim, the Director of International Students, and Annika (the sweetest girl eva!) took me and 3 other Norwegian exchange students to Pizza Lucé. We had a nice time there, good food, introducing ourselves and sharing our stories. And last month, when I came back there, I felt awesome about how a year passed by.
If you don't want to take the light rail to shop for groceries, you can walk to the oriental market called United Noodle on East 24th Street where you can get ingredients for an Asian meal ;), or you can go to Seward Co-op for organic products. My summer roommate Kathy took me to Seward Co-op and I fell in love with the store right away. You know why? Because everything is so fresh that I feel as if my meals were much more delicious.

So that's the part about navigating around. As I said earlier, I am working this summer. I still work at the Institutional Advancement office as I did during the last school year. (Augsburg Tips: if you work 600 hours during the summer, you can get 834 free housing credits for the summer, which is equal to the amount you have to pay for staying in a four-person room in Mortensen Hall) Also, the Residence Life staffs are awesome as always, providing different activities for summer residents; therefore, as long as you have time and energy, definitely you'll find your summer is not boring at all.

I wrote this entry yesterday. I have just came back from carrying the flag for the Commencement of WEC students. I'm so excited about graduating in the next 3 years. Hopefully I can continue writing and updating my experience at Augsburg.

Thanks for reading!!!! I will get back to you guys soon ;)

Finalssss!!!

2010-04-18T14:49:00.001-05:00

Finals are approaching me with exceptional speed. I have 2 projects due tomorrow and Tuesday. Also, I have a quiz and a paper for HON111 this Tuesday as well. Rush rush...

Hope y'all study well for finals and try not to stress out... Woo hoo! Back to work :)

Mobile blogging

2010-04-10T11:48:00.001-05:00

Hey, I did not know that you can send sms to blog. This is awesome! This will help me keep you guys update with what I do. At Augsburg there are bunch of activities but I do not always have time to log on blogger website and write something. So here I am, with mobile blogging :D so EXCITED!!!

April

2010-04-06T23:54:00.001-05:00

It's April already, can you believe it???

April means that there is almost 3 more weeks and my first year comes to an end... Summer is waving at me, "Here I come" - it's screaming with joy.

At the end of this school year, I will have been here for 8 months. Reflecting on what I have been doing so far, I believe I learn and earn a lot of valuable experiences. Also, I wanna share with you guys the reasons why most of current students chose Augsburg.

First, let us have a flashback about what I have learned and earned since I am here:

- Living independently. I know some of my blog readers have already traveled far from home, or are now an international students in the States or other countries. The most specular experience about studying abroad is about living independently. Independence means that your family and your close friends, those that you think of with a smile, are not by your side or at least near you. Independence means that you gotta eat alone, no one will wake you up in the morning, remind you to do laundry or clean your room, or just to ask you everyday how your school is, etc. It may take 27 hours of flight for you to get to your beloved ones, or you may have to postpone your call until it's proper time in their time zone. Independence means you gotta find another place your home, some other people your family and friends. Independence has a relative meaning, as none of us can live totally independent. Being alive as a human requires interdependence, which means it is totally fine if you feel a little bit stressed out and need someone to chill out with you, and vice versa. At the moment, I consider Augsburg as my second home, my roommate my sister, her family my second family and my great friends here ones of my closest friends. I also found many people here my mentors, such as Jim Porter (Director of International Students), Penh Lo (Director of Asian Students), Marissa Machado (Associate Director and Coordinator of International Admission - she is one of the reason I applied for Augsburg at first), Gloria X. Morales (my Resident Advisor), etc.

- Seek for assistance when you need. As I said before, it's not simply living independently but interdependently. As an international student, you may find yourself in problematic or uncomfortable situations now and then. Therefore, stretch out for help, speak up and share your problems. There are things that you can solve on your own, but sometimes your ability is limited, then don't feel shy and share with others. In my own case, I have been through a lot of crises this year. Those crises came from many reasons and different places. At first I felt overwhelmed and did not know what to do. Then I started talking to my friends Lucia and Rimi, or my RA Gloria. They give me a lot of helpful advices, including talking to other people who can really help me solve my problems. And I did as being told: I seek for assistance, and I got assisted. I would have had my mind blown up if I kept on thinking about my problems on and on and felt stuck. At Augsburg, I am pretty sure there are many people willing to listen to your problems and help you out as much as they can, especially to help you achieve your academic goals.

- Sometimes taking action is better than thinking. It is important for you to think before doing anything. But it is more important for you to stop thinking and do something. If you hesitate, your chance or opportunity may pass. Or if you think too much, you are treating your mental life not so well.

- Being bold and straightforward. If you have any concerns about your comfortability, your safety, or privacy, be bold and straightforward and talk about it. You study abroad not only to get the academic experience, but also to get the social and environmental experience. Therefore, people here at Augsburg especially care about how you feel, whether you are comfortable living and enjoying campus life, or if you have any other concerns. You are here to study, and Augsburg will provide you with the best help. I learned this from many experiences, but the most memorable one is the Defense Seminary that Augsburg Asian Student Association held earlier this school year. At this Seminary, I was instructed to defend myself against different kinds of abuse, harassment, etc. The first thing they taught me was to speak boldly and straightforwardly to those that seem to be a danger about your having no interest in them and that they need to stay away.

- Going to class as regularly as possible and paying attention! This is very important. As college students, usually you are not obliged to go to class, but you had better keep in mind that you will learn something in every class and all you learn will help you in one way or another. Taking notes and contributing in class discussions will help you remember better what you learn. When professors are speaking, listen to them attentively. The process of learning is first attaining the knowledge - which is listening to lectures, second keeping the knowledge - which is taking notes, third maintaining the knowledge - which is revising before exams. In your major classes, all the things you learn in each class are connected systematically. For example, I learned about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in BUS242, and I was asked to name them in MKT252. Also, if you have any questions, just ask. I know professors are more than happy to be asked by you guys. For international students, since English is our second language, asking questions is necessary to make sure we understand the lectures correctly. I do not know if there is other way more suitable for you to study, but for me, this way is the best to get 100 out of 100 in essay exams of MKT and BUS classes. I do not receive the highest scores in class without studying at all :)

I gotta go for a group meeting. As soon as I can, I will continue this post. Have a great night everyone!

When you look at your family from outside

2010-02-13T19:35:00.000-06:00

It is the first day of Lunar New Year in Vietnam. I am now at the library after moving around trying to find a place to study. Finally I got here, a nice and quiet place of my own. Turning on my computer, I noticed the windows photo viewer on the taskbar. My niece's picture was right there in front of my eyes; hitting slideshow button, I looked at each picture my sister sent me last night. A feeling of sorrow welled up inside me...

In one of the pictures, my mom was reading newspaper as she always does every morning. My youngest niece was playing with the sun beams that penetrated into the room through the windows; "I'm taking sunlight for grandma", she said when my sister asked what she was doing. Next to my mom was sitting my other niece; she was having her hair tied up. That picture captured a very normal day of my family. However, for me, it is something so important and valuable. I'm looking at my family from outside...

Looking from outside means that you are just an observer, a sightseer. I'm looking at my family through photos, and listening to the stories to know how my mom is, how much my nieces are growing up, how my sisters are doing back home. I am not involved in any story being told.

But I know I will be back, with my family, with my beloved people. Hence, I wiped away the tears and calmed myself down. Family has always been very important to me, but since I left for US, family means something greater than importance. For me, family means where you belong and where your heart is. Family means a group of your beloved people among whom you find yourself protected and loved. Family means everybody going through a lot of things together, and it is a bless for anyone who has a kid in the family to witness his or her growing up everyday. Family means Father And Mother I Love You; from 7 thousands miles away, I am praying everyday for my parents to have good health and happiness. It is such a shame when my parents are down with sickness and I am not at home to take care of them. Family means no matter what happens, you are still happy that you are a part of that family.

This is the first time I do not spend Lunar New Year with my big family. 3 more hours and I will be talking to my grandpa, my uncles and aunts through skype. Although all I can do now is looking at my family from outside, I know my position in my family will always be the same and when I come back, I am still my mom's youngest daughter whom she loves and cares about with every inches of her heart.

This opportunity to go such a long distance to get here studying and experiencing new things gives me this significant view about family and how my family means to me. I promise myself I will make the best out of every second I am here as those seconds would have been spent with my family.

Happy Lunar New Year and Happy Valentine everyone!

P/S: this whole weekend is dedicated to homework and homework. I have 2 tests and 2 papers and 1 research due next Monday and Tuesday :D

Happy New Year!

2010-01-11T03:07:00.000-06:00

Hi all!!!

How's your winter break? I hope all is good. I myself had a great break, and now it's the first week of spring semester at Augsburg.

Let's first talk about the break. Winter break started on December 18th. I still remember that I submitted my third paper for Professor Crockett by 10AM that day, then rushed back to Urness to vacate my room and carry my luggage to temporary room in Mortenson. That night my roommate came picking me up and drove me to her house. I spent a few days there before going back to Augsburg to work at Institutional Advancement office. Before I left, the Wallners gave me a bag of gift, inside were a mug, a chocolate milk box, a spoon with milk chocolate and some chocolate candy bars. I still have not used any of them except the mug, because the gift is truly meaningful to me.
On December 22nd I left for Oklahoma City by noon. Thanks to the escort that Augsburg DPS provides, I reached the light rail station for free and then spent 1.75usd to travel to airport terminal (I have to say that I find the escort extremely helpful, and Augsburg's location near light rail station is truly convenient for students to go to such places as Target, Cub Food, Mall of America, Smiley Clinic, etc.) I reached OK by 7PM, met my sister's friend and then was taken to a Vietnamese Pho restaurant. There is no word to describe what I felt the moment I ate the food whose taste is truly from home country. During the 8 days in OK, I was lucky to enjoy more Vietnamese dishes that I longed for over the past 4 months. The family I stayed with is very kind and nice, and they have two girls at the age of 6 and 8, who remind me of my nieces. They also gave me 3 jackets as Christmas gift as they heard of the cold weather in Minnesota.
The night before I departed for Minneapolis again I bade adieu to each member of the family, the two little girls said they wish I would come back soon, which I myself hope I can. I reached Minneapolis in the afternoon. Rimi and Jamyang, two of my close friends at Augsburg, took the light rail and helped me carry my suitcases back to Augsburg.
The next day Sang Pham (a junior at Augsburg, also a Vietnamese immigrant) took Rimi, Lucia, Jamyang and me to Chue Xue Lee's place. We had a great night playing ping pong, singing karaoke, eating and cheering one another "Happy New Year". It is here at Augsburg that I meet people who I believe will be my friends for a lifetime. Later on I had a special guest, which made my already great holiday even greater.

And so, now it's almost the end of the first week of spring term. This term I take 5 classes, including:

HON111 - Honors Effective Writing, Instructor: Professor Colin Irvine. This class is a very important class at Augsburg, as it helps students enhance their writing skills, which is necessary for their success in other classes as well. As writing is one of my hobbies, I hope I can write better both academic and daily writings at the end of this semester. My first impression about Professor Irvine is that he has a good sense of humor and he is willing to help students.
HON130 - Liberating Letters: Humanist Tradition, Instructor: Professor Robert Groven. Professor Groven is also the director of Honors Program, and I really like his lectures. I am told by many upper-class students in Honors Program that this is one of the most challenging Honors classes. My impression so far about the class is that it is challenging yet very interesting, and covering a lot of knowledge about Western culture and history. Now I am reading Odyssey and Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth with Billy Moyer. I really like the Odyssey, as I am always interested in stories about Greek Gods and Goddess. This class is divided into 4 units, each of which covers a historical period. At the end of each unit, there will be a trial, in which students take turns in different roles: prosecutors, defenders, jury. Each trial will charge a character, or a concept, or an idea in the context the students learn in each unit. I'll update you guys with my first trial experience ;)
MIS260 - Problem Solving for Business, Instructor: Professor Nora Braun. In this class we mainly work with Excel 2007, and at the end of the semester, we'll have project that requires public speaking skills and knowledge from the course. One thing I notice is that in all courses, all professors encourage students to speak up, to practice public speaking, and various skills needed for future career and academic success.
MKT252 - Principles of Marketing, Instructor: Professor Rodney Greder. This class covers one of the most interesting parts of business area that I really like. All the concepts about marketing, customer values, etc. excite my curiosity to explore more. Now I am thinking about taking minor in marketing. In this class students are given a chance to write a marketing plan about real products and working with real customers. My group will be working with a group member's family business to make a marketing plan for his mother's bank. Though it's just the beginning of the course, I am already in love with this course. This course material relates much to my previous business course BUS242. A repetition of primary knowledge in business is very crucial for further study and working, I believe.
HPE001 - Foundation of Fitness, Instructor: Jared Evans. This is a pass/no pass class. I decided to take it with a view of enhancing my health and enduring ability. I am determined to set up a schedule of at least 3 days a week working out at the gym. Kennedy Center is where the gym located, and it is equipped with many machines that will help you maintain a good health.

All of my courses are highly demanding: to get 4.0 in these classes I have to get grades of 94-100/100. This semester is promising to be very challenging and busy. However, because those classes are interesting to me, I believe I can do well in those classes. Last term I got a GPA of 3.625, with two 4.0 in business and economics classes, 3.5 in HON120 and 3.0 in HON100 (which is a disappointment for me, as I did try very hard to study religion and Christianity). Hopefully this spring term I will enhance my grades much more :) I am also looking for a research project with URGO, and intend to apply for First-Year Resident Advisor position. I'll give you more information about these two later.

One last thing, I love Augsburg. I love being an Auggie. I love my majors. I love my friends here. And I want to say thank to many members of the faculty and staff who are supporting me and making me feel so welcomed here. At present some trouble is happening, I am hoping for the best to come so that I can fully have the experience of an Auggie from beginning to graduation. And I am grateful for all the help and concerns that people are giving me. I am keeping my chin up and try to work my way through everything. Hope all of us will have a successful and happy year!

Thanksgiving - how are you doing?!?

2009-11-26T13:30:00.000-06:00

Hi all!!! How's your Thanksgiving going? Hope you all have a great holiday.

I'm having a great time at my roommate's home. Yesterday afternoon I got here with her and her boyfriend. My roommate is Lizzie Wallner, she's from Minnetonka, MN, and she majors in Music Business. Her family has been preparing, arranging stuffs around the house so that I can feel comfortable when I'm here. And I must say, it's extremely cool here. They rearranged the room next to Lizzie's room for me to stay as her parents think that we have been sharing a room together for quite a while. The first moment I saw the room they arranged for me, I totally awed! Lizzie has a younger brother, Alex, who is in grade 7 and attending the same junior high school that she once attended, and a three-year-old sister, Erin, who I find extremely cute! Erin led me to my room, she stood next to the bed and said: "This is my bed. Now I sleep in a tent" and we all burst into laugh. Then everybody led me around to show me other rooms, and we started preparing for dinner. Rose, Lizzie's mom, loves cooking and she cooks really well. I love cooking too, so I helped Rose with some stirring and smashing cheese. Erin wanted me to sit next to her, with Lizzie on the other side. We all gathered having dinner, talking, laughing. After 3 months in US, this is the second time I have home-made meals, it made me feel SO good! After dinner, we cleaned up the table and dishes. Alan, Lizzie's father, took charge of washing the dishes, Lizzie dried them, Rose, Joe - Lizzie's boyfriend, and I packed the leftover into plastic box to reserve them. Last night was such a warm family gathering for sure. Afterward, we watched Mama Mia for a while. Erin danced and sang along the movie, it's her favorite, she looks so adorable! I went to bed at 8:30 last night as I was so tired (I got a quiz in my HON120 class in the morning, it took me a whole night before studying, I'll tell you guys later how my classes go).

I was sleeping warm and tight for more than half a day (I know, it's really a "wow!") and woke up at almost 11 in the morning. When I was ready to go upstairs, Lizzie's aunt and cousin were there already. I said hi to them and went to the kitchen where Rose was about to stuff the turkey. After she's done with the turkey, Alan, Rose, Lizzie and I had a walk around the neighborhood. They have a big lake which Lizzie told me is totally frozen in the winter and people can walk, skate or drive on it, which I find really interesting. Now we're waiting for the turkey to be done completely. Tomorrow Lizzie and Joe will take me to the mall and do some "Black Friday" shopping. I'll get back to you guys soon to tell the rest of my first Thanksgiving experience ;) I really appreciate the chance that Lizzie and her family is giving me. And I hope you all have something to share with me too <3

Happy Thanksgiving again!!!!

2 months

2009-11-03T08:30:00.000-06:00

Below is the note I wrote last night. I've posted it on my facebook, and I was encouraged, by Alison Raap, to post it here. I hope this will help prospective students at Augsburg, who are international or commuters, to have an insight into how it is like to live away from your family for the first time.

"It's been 2 months already since I first arrived here at Augsburg. Everything is cool here. I've got many new friends, I talked to many people, my roommate is great, and I enjoy student government meetings and my job at IA office so much. During the week it is a bunch of work and stress, sometimes I am so tired that I just wish I could have a bed and sleep right away. But the weekend is awesome, every weekend is awesome, always tons of fun, relaxing and interesting. Conclusively, I love living and studying here.

However, I can't help crying at times. For example, it was 2AM and I was still studying for the mid-term test of my HON100 class, a religion one. I am not religious, for crying out loud, though sometimes I do pray to Buddhas. And Christian, Bible, religious study are what I had never once encountered in my whole life before I got here. And so, the test drove me nuts, I worried I would miss some important points and fail the test. When I was studying, my sister suddenly sent me a message via Skype. We had a normal chit chat for a while. And just then, I burst into tears. I miss my mom, my family, my friends and my favorite activities in Vietnam. I remember at home mom would wake up several times at night to remind me to try to go to bed as early as possible every time I was studying for upcoming test at midnight. She would make me a glass of hot milk, stroke my head and ask if I was tired. Now that I am here and I do not want to make mom more worried, I cannot tell her I stay up all night to study. So I was sitting at my desk, with my desk lamp on, studying and crying, wishing my mom could give me a hug as she always did. Things at night are quiet. And the quiet makes me feel lonely, and during the intervals, I contemplate on what I should have been doing if I were in Vietnam. Right now, if I were in Vietnam, I would be sitting among my family and enjoy the lunch. I've just received a phone call from my family, they're all there: my father, my mom, my niece, my sisters and my nanny. Before, I would sleep over lunch time, waking up and eat my own meal when watching TV. I rarely joined family meals, except those with my whole family gathering at the table. I really enjoy such meals, and I wish I could have those meals every day now. I wonder if any in my family notices my empty spot, if anyone knows my wish to be there right now. I am 7 thousand miles away from home, I am not there when my mother is sick, when my father visits home, when my youngest niece walked her first few steps by herself, or when they all gather to celebrate special occasions.

To have an auspicious future, I am giving up many precious things: the few years my old mom and dad may have, the possibility that I can help educate and take care of my nieces, the responsibility as a granddaughter to my grandfather, the times when my big family gather. I will try not to waste my time any longer. Every second I am here now, I would have spent with my family, and it is all invaluable in a lifetime. I hope sacrifice will result in good consequences and at the end of 2010 I can make it back home.

To my most beloved ones of my life, I love you all, and I miss you so much, dear mom, dad, sisters, nieces and nanny. I'm doing fine, and I will be fine. Hope you are all well :)"

Homecoming 09

2009-10-04T00:24:00.001-05:00

This weekend is Augsburg's Homecoming and there is just one word to describe this occasion: FABULOUS!
During the week, we have had a lot of activities to prepare for the weekend. The Augsburg Super Fan T-shirts are sold ($7 each for Auggies), decorations are everywhere and meetings and reunions took place almost everyday.
On Friday night, October 2nd, the Homecoming party was held at Kennedy Center, room 305. I have been there with my friends, who are also international students at Augsburg. We have had a really good time dancing and enjoying the music. Here are some photos:
My friends' names and their nationalities from left to right: Son Tran (Vietnamese), Ella Robinson (American), Lucia Gayoso (Argentinian), Me - the girl in purple dress, Sana Tanveer Malik (Pakistani), Dat Nguyen (Vietnamese), Rimi Bhowmik (Bangladeshi), Jamyang Phuntsho (Bhutanese)

And the following morning, we had many representative booths at Murphy Parks with a variety of foods, drinks and activities from different clubs and associations. For example, at the booth of Augsburg Asian Student Association, we were given three balls each person and had three chances to make the cans and bottles fall down by throwing those balls. The winners were awarded with little bags of candy. At another booth of the campus ministry, we had a chance to try apples dipped in caramel, which are absolutely delicious. We also had hennas for $3 each on our hands and wrists. Auggie and alumni gathered and had a great time together.

Afterwards, we went to the football game between Augsburg College and Hamline University. During the break, the dance team of Augsburg performed a lively dance.

In the evening, there were even more fascinating activities: The Block Party, fireworks, and homecoming run. The atmosphere around the campus is full of excitement and joyfulness. And I enjoy homecoming so much!!!

A little more introduction about me.

2009-09-21T19:18:00.000-05:00

I take double major in International Business and Finance. I have 6 classes this semester, 2 of which are non-credit class. They are:

AUG101 - Q: This class is designed for first-year students to identify program goals and learning outcome and it is a non-credit class. I am instructed by Professor Phillip Quanbeck II. He is truly inspirational. Also, I really fancy my two AugSem Leaders: Amanda and Ashley. They give us a lot of useful information about Augsburg, classes, professors, interesting places in Minneapolis. To the best of my knowledge, students are put in different AugSem group in accordance with there (intended) majors or interests. My AugSem class is a gathering of most students in the Honors Program. I will tell you more about Honors Program later.
HON100 - Y (Christian Vocation and Search For Meaning I): This honors class is about religion. And this class is also under the instruction of Prof. Quanbeck. In this class, in addition to Bible Access, we study some other interesting books that look at religion at different viewpoints.
HON120 - V (The scholar citizen): Another honors class, and in this class we learn how to think critically and to write academic papers. Our instructor is Professor Crockett. This class is truly an intellectual challenge to all of us, as our reading materials are very complicated and mention many abstract and confusing topics. Hence, at first I was quite panicked, but after discussing the problems with other students and professors, I figured out that the best way to study in this class, and any other class that you have problems studying, is to talk to your professor if there is something confusing or unclear. Now I feel much better about the class, and enjoy it a lot even though reading a whole chapter in one day or two is really challenging.
HON120L - V (The scholar citizen theater lab): I am under the instruction of Erica Huls, who is an Honors graduate. She is an amazingly energetic and lively person. In this class each of us will be assigned different positions in the process of making a play that suit us. On November 21st we will have an official play at the Christensen Symposium. I am very excited about this and I have registered for the positions of prop master, producer, and costume design. And this class is a non-credit class.
ECO112 - A (Principles of Macroeconomics): This is one of my favorite class. My instructor in this class is Mr. Daniel Norgard. I do quite well in this class and understand all of the basic concepts of macroeconomics that have been taught so far. One of the interesting facts is that my instructor and I join the same swing dance club. And it's an exciting experience to dance with him, my instructor.
BUS242 - A (Principles of Management): This is another favorite class of mine. I really like my instructor, Professor Zapp. She is a Polish and she possesses a great sense of humor and aesthetics. The professor is strict and disciplined, but her classes are always fun and interesting. I am a leader of one of the four teams in this class. And I learn a lot from working with my teammates, such as how to work with people that have different timetables, or how to assign different tasks based on each person's ability, etc.

So, they are some main points about my classes. As I mentioned before, I'm in the Honors Program (you can learn more about this program by click here). The participation is required for all President Scholars, and I am one of them. It's a real honor to receive the international President Scholarship and to be in the Honors Program. Though it's challenging, it's worth my time and efforts.

About the President Scholarship, I am required to maintain a GPA of 3.5 and above to keep this scholarship. In the meantime, my study is going on well. Also, I have joined a lot of clubs and activities. I am a member of Augsburg Asian Student Association, Swing Dance Club, International Student Organization and I'm running for First-Year Senate. The election period will take place form 7:00 AM September 25th - 11:59PM September 27th. I'll keep you update with the election result. Also, I'm a student representative for IGNITE project and I'm working as Augarithms Student Assistant for Mathematics Department

Now it is Thursday night, and I do not have any class tomorrow. However, I gotta stop now to do some homework for next week because this weekend I have a lot of fun and exciting plans, one of which is shopping for Halloween with a group of international students. I have never had any experience about Halloween before, and so, I want to make this experience unforgettable. I will upload some pictures about Halloween day for sure.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about one of my favorite activities for the weekend, it is going to Target, Mall of America and Downtown. They are shopping centers for different purposes and products. Sometimes I just go to those places to have a relaxing time, walking around and having fun with my accompanies. One of my most unforgettable out this activity is a seven-hour-straight shopping at MOA with Đạt and Sơn, the other two Vietnamese male students at Augsburg. Under are some pictures we took on that terrifying shopping day:
Do you see those bags????? They're not all mine :P Don't freak out :P

The guy sitting next to me is Sơn. He's also a freshman. And what he was doing is checking the bills ;))

This picture was taken on the light rail on the way back to our campus. We were all tired but willing to take a lot of pictures.

Last photo - I was reading Nicholi's Question of God, an interesting and thought-provoking book.