Lost Island Waterpark and Anne's farm

Dubuque trip

Last Saturday we went to Dubuque. The trip began with a guided tour of Crystal Lake Cave where we saw many beautiful crystal formations. We learned that it takes 100 years for 1 inch of growth. I wished I had been able to record to Amon's song, which was enhanced by the acoustics of the cave. Next we toured Cable Car Square and the Mississippi River Museum where we saw tanks of fish, turtles and reptiles of the Mississippi. There was an interesting "touch tank" where you could put your hand in the water and actually touch the fish. There were also lots of animal hides to touch, including that of a skunk! We ended the day with a dinner boat cruise on the Mississippi. A good time was had by all.

All the action is on facebook

 Prior to setting up this blog in Blogger I contemplated doing it on Facebook. There are definite advantages and disadvantages associated with each format, however I must admit defeat. Facebook wins. You can now visit us in both locations as our RA, Hasan Uner, recently created a Facebook group called "International Students of Kirkwood Community College". In order to view this group,  I believe you'll need to create an account and request to become a member. Don't worry it's quick and easy. 

When Linda and I were picking up the new Turkish students at O'Hare, one of them said "You are Anne Armitage! I recognize you from your Facebook picture." How cool. I didn't even need a nametag. These students found me and the Kirkwood Int'l student group before setting foot in the US.  

Trip to the Amanas

Last Saturday we went on a guided tour of the Amanas. Being a local, I had never considered doing this before and now I'm glad I did. The heart and soul of the Amanas extends far beyond the cute little shops in Main Amana. We learned a lot about colony life and toured a communal kitchen and dining hall in one of the smaller villages. This was my favorite part of the tour.

Amana Colonies Quiz

We're going to the Amana Colonies on Saturday. Here is a short quiz over a few historical facts found on the Amana Colonies website- see history page. The first person to post the correct answers, in the form of a comment, wins a prize!
http://www.amanacolonies.org/

1. What country were the original settlers of the Amana Colonies from?
2. In what year did they arrive in Iowa?
3. What was unique about these settlers' way of life?

Post your answers as a comment!

Prizes

Hey students, I mentioned the other evening that I was going to start giving prizes to people who post. Prizes might include: Hardees meals, Coffee Talk (coffee shop) gift certificates, kites, journals, stickers, school supplies and other surprises. To post to this blog, first you will need to send me your email address. Then you will need to create a Google account. You should be good to go after that. I realize you are younger and way more tech savvy than I, but seriously let me know if you need help. If you don't know what to write about, here are some ideas. You could talk about...
1. your hometown/family and friends and post pics if you have them
2. the culture shock you've experienced since being here
3. what you miss most about your country
4. what you like/don't like about the US so far

Ok, you get the idea. Let's hear from you!

Goodwill shopping spree

Goodwill was mentioned during orientation as a potential source for affordable winter gear. Since students seemed intrigued, we decided to stop at Coralville Goodwill on our way into Iowa City. Most of us found great bargains; and some true treasures. I think Rafael's find takes the cake. He found a pair of brand new, never worn Montrail hiking boots in his size for $12. I bought a pair of these shoes back in '02 and paid $130. They now sell for upwards of $150. Karen had her basket loaded with clothes, and Flavio found a Polo shirt, Gap shorts and New Balance sneakers. I bought 3 TVs and 34 coffee mugs for students' apartments for $59. I remember when there was a stigma associated with shopping at Goodwill. Glad those days are over!

Iowa City trip

On Friday we're going to Iowa City, an interesting college town 22 miles south of Cedar Rapids. Here's a good site that describes and shows photos of Iowa City:

http://www.downtowniowacity.com/eventsattractions.htm

At the end of the day we'll stop at Coral Ridge Mall, the largest shopping mall in the area:

http://www.coralridgemall.com

Welcome to our blog!

This is an exciting experience for me! I'm happy to be the director of this program. Students are still trickling in. It has been so interesting talking with all the different cultural representatives- you! I'm learning much. I found out that American bikinis are large by Brazilian standards. And South Africans like to eat meat. And Indonesians love Oprah. Not to generalize too much!

This is your blog, too. Please post when you have pictures and thoughts to share.