Story by LYNN YANG Photos by PONNY MA & LYNN YANG
Tiger Media Network
On October 12, the Fort Hays State University International Student Services office organized a unique shopping and cultural experience event. This event not only gave students the opportunity to shop at Thai and African markets, but also took international students to participate in Wichita’s Asian Festival event.
On the day of the event, the ISS Office arranged a special bus to pick up the participating students, departing from campus in the morning to the Thai Binh market and D Best Beauty Supply & African Food market in Wichita.
In Thai markets, the shelves are filled with all kinds of seasonings, fresh fruits and vegetables, special snacks and frozen foods from Asia and Southeast Asia. This is exciting for international students from different countries who miss the taste of their hometown.
“I bought some Asian food back to the dorm, such as pork rolls, meatballs and other good dishes,” said Cambodian student Chhay Serey Vath. “It was a great experience to get all the Asian food I need there, and I hope there will be one here in Hays.“
Some students also chose to explore the streets near the supermarket.
Fellow Cambodian Seth Tharo Hour, shared his experience.
“We went to the Hotpot Place, K-Pot but since it is a new and famous place, the waiting time is like two hours so unfortunately, we did not get to eat there, which is really a bummer,” he said.
The next location included different types of shops, including massage, second-hand bookstores, the African market and Japanese and Korean markets.
“Japanese food is one of my favorites, and I found natto,” Natnaree Lertprasertsuk, a student from Thailand, said.
Xukang Liu, a student from China, enjoyed the shopping experience.
“We walked around and found a store that looked like a dollar store. The items inside seemed even cheaper than at Walmart,” Liu said.
After shopping, the students headed to the annual Asian Festival held at the Century II Convention Center in downtown Wichita. The festival attracts more than 10,000 spectators each year and offers a rich variety of cultural performances, beauty pageants, food stalls and craft vendors, showcasing traditional cultures from many countries and ethnic groups.
The performances included dances, martial arts and other art performances from China, Vietnam, India, South Korea, Japan, Lebanon and other countries, attracting a large number of audiences. The audience enjoyed the Chinese dance “Moonrise” by the East High School Asian Cultural Dance Club, as well as Chinese Kung Fu and Lion Dance performances by students from the Wichita Chinese School and Grace Wu Kung Fu School. The Thai dance “Spring River” (Situationship) was presented by the Asian Student Conference Dance Company.
The Asian Festival not only attracts many audiences with cultural performances but also has many stalls on site, providing food, handicrafts, jewelry, clothing and other cultural-related goods and services from different Asian countries, bringing visitors a comprehensive cultural experience.
In terms of food, visitors can taste specialties from various countries, such as Vietnamese and Chinese food provided by Yum Mi Express LLC, Chinese food from China Town Chinese Restaurant, authentic Indian dishes from Indian restaurant Astoria Indian Grill, Vietnamese milk tea provided by Feng Cha and Chinese buns from Tasty Bao. In addition, there are many cultural organizations and student groups, such as the Vietnamese Student Association and the WSU Asian Student Conference, which introduce their cultural backgrounds and activities to the public through stalls.
The international students who participated in the event not only watched traditional dances and martial arts performances from China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and other countries, but also tasted various Asian snacks.
“I think this performance is very exciting, especially the Chinese martial arts show at the end. The performers are foreigners from different countries.” Elaine She, a Chinese student, said. “This is a performance that shocked and astonished me.”
Vath believes that participating in such activities can not only expose him to different cultures, but also allow him to make more new friends and have the opportunity to get out of Hays and experience new places and things.
“I have participated in one back in my country. I just want to see how other cultures have it in other countries,” he said. “It’s good to join these events to meet other people and travel outside of Hays. It was a great experience, and it was great to meet other people too.”
Lertprasertsuk said they spent a lot of money because they couldn’t resist buying the delicious foods.
Chinese student Jinrui Zhao learned how to play a keyboard pendant from one of the performers, prompting them to purchase one for themself.
“I bought a keyboard pendant—actually, I ended up buying four, it cost me a lot, but it’s just too cute to resist,” Zhao said. “He taught me patiently and also attracted another foreigner to learn how to use a stick. It was a great experience.”