Classmate Project

Adjusting to Missouri

A photo essay on Yi Wen Tan

Yi Wen Tan describes Columbia, Missouri as slow but friendly compared to the fast-paced, hard-working and crowded atmosphere of her home city-state Singapore. Tan arrived at the University of Missouri as a one-semester foreign exchange student in January 2008.

Tan admits that she’s a pretty quiet person. “That’s me, I’m an introvert. I would much rather talk to one or two people than a group,” she said. Despite her reserved nature, Yi Wen has been busy at school, participating in numerous events on campus and exploring the city.

Her native country imposes stricter rules on publications than the U.S., which has an effect on the attitudes of her journalism professors at home. “Journalists don’t dare to push the boundaries because the risks are too high,” she said. She is more accustomed to a learning environment with the same sense of censorship; teachers in Singapore do not develop friendly relationships with their students or promote casual discussion.

In Singapore, Tan’s Chinese heritage is the majority of the population. “Being a minority is strange, but not uncomfortable,” she said about moving to Missouri. Yi Wen maintains a friend group that is ethnically diverse, which makes the transition into Midwestern weather, food and culture easier.

Yi Wen Tan waits for a serve from junior Travis Allen during a table tennis match at the University of Missouri Student Recreational Complex. Tan played the game competitively in Singapore when she was younger, but knows very few people who play in Columbia. She usually finds a willing stranger to compete with in the late afternoons when the gym is busy.

Yi Wen Tan listens to Fundamentals of Photojournalism TA Ann Hermes as she discusses editing a picture story. “I think we learn more because of the interaction,” Tan said, “teachers here are approachable.” She explained that students in Singapore censor themselves and are often tense about speaking in class because fellow students are quick to judge. “Everyone wants to be perceived as intelligent,” she added.

“One thing we all have in common is that we hate American food,” Yi Wen joked about her and her friends that often eat lunch at the Pavilion at Dobbs. She said one of the hardest adjustments is the cuisine, which lacks the amount of spice she is accustomed to.

Yi Wen Tan ambivalently assembles the ingredients for sushi in the lounge of her dorm. “The last time I tried this, everything fell out the side,” she said as she carefully spread the sticky rice along a sheet of seaweed.

Friends prepare a snack while others get dressed for an international fashion show. Yi Wen lives on the international floor of Laws Hall at the University of Missouri and has become close with foreign exchange students from France and Japan.

Yi Wen sometimes runs when she visits the University Missouri Student Recreational Complex, but prefers swimming and playing table tennis. “I like being in the back row,” she says about the gym’s numerous lines of treadmills and other exercise machines.