My Third Interview (30-45 minutes in length)

Interview preparations:

Preparing for my third interview, I wanted to learn about yet another country different than my own and my goal was to receive as much information as possible. I had my questions in a list for both myself and the interviewee. I now know how to work my recording program on my computer, and have gotten better at transcribing the interviews. I messaged JB and asked when meeting to do my interview would work best. I got a reply right away about later that night, so we set it up for 8:30pm. As I thought about the time more, I decided to ask if we could meet earlier. That way we wouldn’t be too short for time, and we could talk more about the topics we came upon. I had my laptop charged, and power cord just in case my computer battery died also. I made plans to meet JB about 6 in the library. I was very excited about my third and final interview.

Interview report:

My third and final interview was probably my best interview. I felt like I was prepared more than ever and felt confident in my questions. Also, my interviewee was open and honest. I learned a lot about Rwanda and the culture it has within the country. Before our interview even started we were talking about everything. Earlier in the week I had went to a Lip Sync at the ballroom in Atwood, and I say JB with one of the fraternities. I am going to join a sorority this fall, and it was fun to be able to talk about his point of view, and the night of the Lip Sync. We all had a great night, and he did as well. I was surprised to learn about JB knowing English for his job back in his home country of Rwanda. I felt like I know much more than most about the country’s battles for independence as well. It was interesting to know that he is also a Christian, like me, and he prays before bed, or tries to anyways! That has always been important to me, and I thought it was interesting that he does too. I have enjoyed my final interview because it has installed the knowledge that we are all human beings, and our cultures are so very similar yet different. We all generally have the same goal, and that is to live our life as fully as possible. I liked talking to JB about life in general and how going out and doing activities and being in clubs is one of the best ways to get to know others, and in general live life to the fullest. I am thankful that I was able to interview JB, and I felt like we both got a lot out of the interview.

Country Report:  

Rwanda is located in central Africa; total area of the country is 26,338 sq km, which is slightly smaller than Maryland.[1] Population is about 10.7 million.[2] There are three major ethnic groups in Rwanda, the Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa. The Hutu is the largest, over 3/4 of the people belong to it. There are 4 common languages, including Kinyarwanda, French, English, and some Kiswahili. Kinyarwanda is universal. Rwanda is a Republic and gained its independence on the 1st of July in 1962. In Rwanda there is two rainy seasons, which range from February to April, and November to January.[1]  In the mountains there can be frost and snow. Natural resources include gold, cassiterite, and methane. Natural disasters that can occur in Rwanda are droughts and one active volcano.The volcano that is active is called Visoke.[1] Most people in Rwanda have an occupation related to agriculture.[2] Most of the land is grasslands. Rwanda has 3 military defenses which are the Rwandan Defense Force, Rwandan Army, and the Rwandan Air Force. [1]

(1) (2)    

[1]https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rw.html# April 1, 2012

[2]http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2861.htm April 1, 2012

   

Transcription:

J: Hello!

T: Thank you for meeting with me.

J: No problem.

T: Can you tell me your name and where you’re from?

J: My name is Janvier, and I am from Rwanda. It is in the middle of Africa.

T: Cool. I’ll tell you about myself and we can begin. I am from here, born and raised in Sauk Rapids. I have 3 siblings. A brother who is 5 and sisters who are 3 and 8.

J: Nice!

T: I’m currently doing PSEO here at SCSU to get some free college out of the way! So that is how I ended up in this English class. So far I really like it. It is nice getting out of the high school. It is a different place, especially from the schools, especially elementary schools. What is a typical day like for a child in your culture?

J: A typical day back home is, well we don’t have too much to do, so many kids do not have much to do so they wake up early morning, go to school, then they can come back home and play. Sometimes they watch TV at night before they sleep. Otherwise if they do not have school, they play like all day.

T: Do they play outside?

J: Yep.

T: What are some games that they play?

J: Most play soccer, they really play soccer. And then yeah, soccer is the popular one I guess.

T: Is it like a famous sport in your country too?

J: Yep!

T: What is a game like? Do you have stadiums like we do here?

J: Yeah, just a little bit. But, other than that it is like the same.

T: Okay. When you came here how was schooling different?

J: From Rwanda? Actually it is different from here because you have to do like a test to get into a university or high school. You have to do a national exam.

T: Oh wow. What is on it?

J: You need to do when you want to be a graduate, that kind of thing. You have to score really high, because they want to make sure you know what you do, when you want to graduate. It is not really hard, but it is kind of.

T: So like the ACT here? Just general knowledge?

J: Yeah the ACT actually.

T: Okay. Do you have any daily rituals that you do here with your beliefs? Well actually, I should ask first, do you have beliefs?

J: Yeah, I am a Christian. I pray every day, when I go to sleep. Otherwise, it’s really hard. Ya know? I try to do it. That is the main thing, if you’re able to do it.

T: I always pray before bed, that is the best time for me.

J: I just even put my alarm clock on my phone to remember! Just to make sure I don’t forget.

T: That is a good idea. What holidays do you celebrate in your culture? Are a lot of people Christian?

J: Yeah, a lot of people are Christian, and then the second one would be Muslim. We don’t have any other cultures actually. I mean other religion cultures. The strongest ones are Christian and then Muslims.

T: Does your culture put a lot of stress on religions?

J: Yep, sometimes.

T: Okay, what about on school?

J: There are some schools that have some rules like that are to the religion thing. Like Muslim schools, they have to follow Muslim rules. If it’s a Christian school, they will have lots to follow, that kind of thing. It depends what school and what religion they believe, there are also some schools that don’t have any religion thing either.

T: Do you and your friends talk about religion a lot? Or is it something that you really do not talk about?

J: We really talk about it. Because we want to know we are on the right path, you know?

T: Yeah, definitely.

J: Yeah we talk about it every day.

T: Good! So a lot of people come here and really like the fast food and whatnot. What kind of food do you like most? Our country’s food or yours?

J: I would say my country’s food, because I don’t like fast food.

T: Oh really?

J: Yeah. The reason I do not like fast food is because I’m used to eating like a buffet. Back home we don’t have fast food.

T: Okay.

J: If you want to eat, you go to the restaurant or you go home and cook. We don’t have any fast food.

T: Is there any kind of dish that you miss the most?

J: Yep.

T: What would that be?

J: It would be Isomer.

T: What is that?

J: It’s the name of the food. It’s kind of like rice mixed with chicken. They put something like chicken and then put eggs on it, and they mix a lot. They mix like potatoes, like onions. Just a mix of everything we have. It’s so good, and maybe a little bit spicy. Really good.

T: Do a lot of people eat it? Like a famous dish?

J: Yep!

T: So going back to traditions, does your family get together a lot?

J: Yeah, sometimes. When the New Years comes, that is the famous one. At the end of the year we kind of meet, every family has to meet. We get together and talk and see what we have achieved. Something like that. We kind of hang out, to finish the year.

T: That is neat!

J: Yeah.

T: What different modes of transportation are used in your country?

J: We do have a lot, but the popular one would be buses, cars, bicycle, and then some people walk as well. It depends on where you are going. Most of the kids if they want to go to school, they want to go to school which is in the same area, close to where they live. So they can go walk. We have something that depends on the day. We have the morning shift and a afternoon shift for like when you have to go from 8:00 to 12:00, and then another one from 1:00 to 6:00, something like that.

T: Okay. What kind of government is in control of your country? How has it affected your life?

J: It is a Republic. I would say it affects my life right now; we have been in a big problem, like war.

T: With whom?

J: Like people getting mad and killing each other.

T: In your country?

J: Yep. Right now it is better, people are well instead of fighting and doing the crazy stuff, people are doing well. It’s a good government right now. You can create a business right now at home, you can do whatever you want. We have freedom right now.

T: How was it like before? Did the government take charge of what you all did?

J: Yes, actually before it was like they divided the people. That was what caused the genocide. If you type Rwanda in Google, you will see seriously a lot of people have been killed in Rwanda because of the ethnic groups and stuff. What happened exactly is that because we have been colonized by Belgian guys, they divided the people in kind of different parts so in the parts they made conflict with each other. They have been in trouble because of the conflict, like if I am in the part and they tell you you’re terrible, you’re a terrible human being, you’re not good. Those kinds of things make you angry and make you do what you don’t want to do. Actually the government before that was terrible also because they were following the rules of the religion guys. So what happened is they made conflict with each other. People had been killed. But right now it is okay.

T: There is some peace?

J: Yeah. You can do whatever you want right now.

T: That’s good! What do you think about everything here that’s been happening with the elections that are coming up and all the political information that you probably have seen? Are you following it much?

J: Not really. I’m not following it because I don’t really like politics that much. So I don’t want to follow anything like that. The only think I follow is that you have peace and everything is working well. Other than that, I don’t follow. I just want to know that everything is okay, that is all I care. If you have a good government that is all I need.

T: That makes sense. What could SCSU do to make your stay on campus better?

J: I would say provide more opportunities for international students, to meet and get to know each other. I would say providing more activities, and maybe provide more international food. I miss my food! Mostly providing more activities though, so people could get to know you really well.

T: How was your first week here? Were you blown away by the English language or could you understand pretty well?

J: No, I knew the language pretty good. Just a little bit hard though. I understood because back home I used to work, and where I was working I was able to communicate in English so, that is how I learned English.

T: Another student I have talked to said they cried when they first got here. I felt so bad.

J: Me as well! The first week I was shocked to see what was going on, because I was not used to it, this kind of environment.

T: What most surprised you?

J: You can meet with people every day, and you can say hi to them and get to know each other, but the next day you don’t talk! Ii was like oh my god what is this. You don’t talk! Usually back home when you say hi to somebody that means you already know them, which means every time you see them you’re going to say hi. You cannot ignore him or her, you know? If I meet someone and talk, that means we are friends now.

T: I see.

J: So I was used to that, and then when I came here it was different, I think back home it is in our culture, when you meet your friend you kind of hug, or when you meet your family members you give a hug too. But here is different!

T: Is hugs the typical greeting?

J: Yeah.

T: Do you ever do a handshake or anything like that?

J: Yeah we do also have that, but the handshake is not like a big thing. Usually hugs or kiss, just a little kiss.

T: Do most people do that? Even people you don’t know?

J: Yeah, I can introduce you to someone, like if we’re going somewhere, and I can introduce you to my friend and there going to give you a kiss.

T: When I went to Costa Rica they did that too, I thought it was really neat. I think it is more personal, and you feel like,

J: You feel like you’re with them already, not some stranger.

T: Like they are accepting.

J: Yeah.

T: So, what about a secret that you can tell me about yourself that nobody would know?

J: Okay, I would say my secret is I’m the kind of person who is a little bit different if I see that you are a really easy going person, I will be as well. I am going to be an easy going person. If you are going to be a little crazy, so will I. If I find out that you are a little bit quiet, I will be quiet as well.

T: So you can adapt.

J: Yeah, it depends on who you are and how we talk. I’m going to find out then try to imitate you. Try to do; we’ll try to match you.

T: What is your fraternity like, are they crazy?

J: Yeah, they are really really crazy. We talk a lot of stupid stuff. Just hang out, and talk.

T: What do you think is being more you, outgoing or quiet?

J: For me, it depends on the situation I am in. Sometimes I can be quiet, and sometimes I can be really somebody who is really crazy. Not crazy like doing stupid stuff, but crazy like talk a lot. Try to get competitions going on.

T: What is something that you are for, like something you are really for, or against? Like some people are for gay marriage, or against abortion.

J: I would say something I am really against is someone who thinks that they are useless. I would say I am against those people. I’m kind of a person who encourages those people to do, what they think they cannot do.

T: We need more people like that.

J: That is how I am! If I find out you have something that you don’t use, I am going to encourage you to do that. I will be there for you and try to, you know, motivate you to do something that you didn’t think you could. I always try to help people.

T: What clubs or organizations are you in?

J: Kung fu, dancing, salsa classes, and I like soccer, and basketball.

T: Fun!

J: I know!

T: Does that take up a lot of your time?

J: Yeah, like my schedule every week is really busy. I do have a lot of things to do every day. It’s not like I sleep, I have a lot of activities to do every day. That helps me to get to know people and have an experience that I really would like to know.

T: Definitely! What is the most influential thing that you have done?

J: I would say going out. Most people here go out, every Thursday or Saturday. Then dancing also, because I really like dancing. I am an easy going person when it comes to stuff like that.

T: That’s good. Do you have any plans for tonight?

J: Well I was wondering what to do; a friend of mine told me he was going to go out. I’m not sure if I want to do that, but I don’t know. I’ll think about it, I’m tired. I worked then I had class, and I didn’t sleep well last night. So tonight, I’m not sure.

T: Well sometimes it is good to have a quiet night too!

J: I like to listen to classical music, think about a lot of things that I need to work on. Things like that.

T: Me too. Well thank you for your time!

J: Yeah no problem.

Comparing my first and second interview

               My first to my second interview was quite different. Although both interviews seemed to be equally good, I feel like I learned more in my first. That may be a difference between the German and Chinese culture too. For my first interview I didn’t know what to expect exactly, but for my second I started to get the hang of it. I feel like the questions were asked more freely compared to the first, I tended to follow only the question list in the first. I got a decent comparison from the first to the second based on culture. Schooling is fairly the same, both difficult. The cracking of an egg in the German culture was new for me, I had never heard of anything like that before. Also, that the Chinese student was not religious surprised me. It was a very big difference. Transcribing my first interview took a long time, because I was not sure how to use the program I recorded on, and how I was going to make the interview format. My second interview was a bit shorter, so it didn’t take as long. Also, I knew how to use my recording program. I am satisfied with my interview effort, but I am going to work on my next interview making my country report longer, and adding pictures. I think pictures, such as a map; it continues to give the readers more to look at, and catches their attention. Compared to other interviews, I feel like mine has been good. It is up in the top with the reviews of my classmates, and I feel like I am doing the best I can. I do need to give myself more time to complete my interviews, but that is something I am going to have to work hard on. I plan on doing my interview as soon as possible to give myself plenty of time to transcribe it and complete the other sections of the interview process/report.

Total Class Evaluation

Wenting Cai  Interview here 20 points
Nicholas Schleif  Interview here 20 points
Justine Barron Interview here 19 points

Region Presentation

Nicholas—Saudi Arabia
Ashley—Somalia
Tiffany—Germany
Justine—Saudi Arabia

Similarities

-We didn't have any problems talking to our interviewees.
-The person we interviewed learned a little bit about our culture.
-Each turned out more of a conversation than a formal interview.
-The schooling systems are similar among the countries: children go to kindergarten at young ages followed by an intermediate school, and then a high school.

Differences

-In Germany the major religion is Christianity, and the other countries are Islam.  This may be because western countries are predominantly Christian.

-In Somalia education is not a high priority unlike in Germany and Saudi Arabia

-Rice is a staple food in middle-eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and Somalia, but not in Germany
-Germany and Saudi Arabia have many fast food restaurants, but countries like Somalia mainly cook their meals.
-Germany's infrastructure is very developed resulting in networks of highway systems, the Autobahn, railway and metro systems.  Many people travel by bus, train or metro systems.
-In Saudi Arabia they mostly travel by car. There is also one train that goes throughout the country.
-In Somalia they rely mostly on walking, camel, and buses for transportation. 


               

My Second Interview (30-45 mintues in length)

Interview preparations:

          As I prepared I thought of the good and bad of my first interview. I knew that I needed to make the environment as comfortable as possible for my interviewee. I had previously talked to my interviewee during class, so I was able to contact her easily, her name is LZ. Setting up a time I thought would be difficult but it was not at all. We decided to meet on March 23, 2012 at 2:30 in the afternoon. We met in the Miller Resource Center, and I have also learned throughout this experience how to reserve a study room on one of the floors. We had a room on the 3^rd floor, and it was very easy to find and use. Before the interview we talked about classes and our schedule during the week. I had printed out the sheet of questions for my interviewee and during my social problems class at the high school; I was given some more ideas for questions. We had read an article about an outsider looking inside another society, and going from that perspective, gave me good ideas of questions that I was able to ask. Overall I used my checklist from my previous interview, and all was ready to complete my 2^nd interview.

Interview report:

          My 2^nd interview went very well. My interviewee was very open from the very beginning, which I assume to be part of us talking in class previously. I made sure to have an “icebreaker” conversation before I started asking questions and she seemed to have no problem answering. We talked fairly easily, and I felt like I learned a lot about the culture of China, and my interviewee. I was surprised to know that she was an only child, but she does have a cousin. School here is harder for her, because of the language change, which makes sense. I loved how open she was about issues that she doesn’t like here at SCSU and also in general life. I felt like we communicated efficiently, and I received a lot of information. I think interviews if they are done alone and in private really make the interviewee and interviewer connects and the interviewer gets a detailed first-hand look inside another culture which is important to realize. If I hadn’t taken this particular English class I wouldn’t have realized that even though there are many differences between cultures, we are all the same too. Overall I enjoyed my second interview and felt that it went well.

Country Report:

               China is in Eastern Asia between North Korea and Vietnam. China borders the East China Sea, Yellow Sea, Korea Bay, and the South China Sea. Population is more than 1.3 billion. Because of the geography of China, 94% of the population lives in the eastern third of the country. Its total area is 9,596,961 sq km. The climate of China is extremely diverse, in the south there is a tropical climate, and in the north it is subarctic. Highest point is Mount Everest. China has many natural resources, including coal, iron ore, petroleum, mercury, natural gas, lead, zinc, and many more. Agriculture includes rice, wheat, potatoes, pork, and fish.  Air pollution is high in China and also China has high risks of typhoons. They get on average 5 per year. Language is mainly Chinese or Mandarin. The capital city is Beijing, and it is the second most populated city, Shanghai is the first. Like the United States, China also has a national holiday celebrating independence. It is the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. This holiday takes place on the 1^st of October. Originally took place in 1949. This day is celebrated with government-organized festivities. China is a world leader in gross value of industrial output, a few including mining and ore processing, consumer products, textiles and apparel, telecommunications equipment, and petroleum. Its primary trading partners are USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, South Korea and Taiwan. A few military branches include the Navy, Ground Forces, Air Force, and People’s Armed Police.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/china-facts/

http://www.mapsofworld.com/china/china-facts.html

Transcription:

T (Me)

L (LZ)

T: So I’m Tiffany, thank you for meeting with me!

L: Yes.

T: I’ll tell you a little bit about myself, I am still in high school, doing PSEO trying to get some free college out of the way. I’ve only gotten two classes done, but some is better than none at all. I have siblings, two sisters and a brother. And, I play music, flute and saxophone. So, that is a little bit about me. What is your family like?

L: I am just a single child, in my family. Because in China most of the family just have one children. It is our policy. Because a child from much population, so they should control much population.

T: Is there anyone in your family that has had more than one child?

L: Yes, my uncle was the American that so he can have two children.

T: Okay. What is a typical day like for a child in China?

L:  A typical day. Like, we eat breakfast, and they go to school, and lunch, and then have a lunch nap in school. Then you have afternoon class. After that parents will go to school, to take them home, and then you eat dinner, and do class homework. After they finish their class homework, the parents will give them the extra homework.

T: When you came here were the classes harder, or the same for the education value?

L: I think it’s harder. Because maybe, our thinking is very high, but when we do it we can’t express ourselves, I think what we see and what we think is different. So the language is very difficult for us. And then the education I think the teacher don’t require us to do much, but we really should do very high, try very hard by our self. Try research after class, group meeting too.

T: What was your first week here? Was your mind completely blown?

L: I just cried through all weekend, I think. I already know the friends but I still, like, I am uncomfortable I think.

T: Like you should be in a new language I guess. Coming here did you come with a group of people?

L:  No just alone, so it’s very horrible.

T: Oh! Were you’re very nervous, or a little excited?

L: Very exciting.

T: That’s good! The transportation here I’m sure is different, what are the differences and what are the similarities?

L: The transportation, we have a bus, and the train and the subway. It’s in every city, and like here it’s just bus or taxi. I think it is very inconvenient.

T: Does anybody have cars?

L: Yes, my friend has. Sometimes I can have and have them take me somewhere. And the shopping mall is close, that’s amazing. I just feel there is nothing to do in the night. I really think.

T: Oh yeah.

L: It is very inconvenient.

T: What is one think that surprised you coming here, that you didn’t think you would see.

L: The American people are very enthusiastic.

T: Really?

L: It is very friendly! They do a lot of criticisms in the class time. Like they put their legs behind the other student’s chair, like in the class. But they just go to the outside and they are very free. Like in China we can’t do this. That really surprised me.  

T: For religion, do you practice anything here?

L: No I don’t believe any religion. In China, like my family, most don’t believe any religions. Just have like my grandmother and grandfather, that generation they might believe some kind of religion. They like hope their grandchildren and granddaughter can have a better life. So just for that. But in my generation, the younger generation, don’t believe.

T: Oh wow.

L: Yeah.

T: Between your friends, do you talk about religion ever?

L: No. Never. Just sometimes about the person who believes religion, or just some crazy things. But that, we never talk much about that.

T:  What about politics?

L: Politics, we do.

T: Do you think here, in the younger generation, we don’t talk about politics as much as in your country?

L: We have a politics class during middle school and the high school saying we should talk about it.

T: Here I don’t think we really do.

L: Because it’s different social structure.

T: In America they have two party, who always fight. In China there is one party. Every four years they just elect by people. So it is different.

T: Yeah, so how is the government different here than in China, besides the political parties?

L: Just have one party, because China have lots of population, they can’t elect the president by ourselves so they elect, every province and the city we, like my parents just choose one person that they think can properly represent ourselves, so that every different province have like a 10, its according to the different population size. So we choose a person, and they come to our capital Beijing, and they choose, elect our president.

T: Do you like the American way or do you like China’s way better?

L: Because I don’t know, I think the American is better than China. But, American, during the election there is much fighting.

T: Definitely.

L: The cities can tell their opinions, but in China it is very difficult.

T: Are you involved in any sports on campus?

L: No, just in my free time I like to play the badminton or the racquetball. I like to play the racquetball.

T: Oh fun, I am not good at badminton.

L: And the ping pong.

T: Oh I’ve played that before too. In China what is the major sport?

L: Ping pong.

T: In school do they have after school activities?

L: Yeah, they do. The sports and they hand make something. Most of the class is like Math class and English class. Or maybe piano, or drawing class.

T: Do you feel like in China there is more of a variety or here is there more?

L: I think China there is more of a variety. But the difference is that in China the parents require them to do something, but here they do not. The children are interested to do something, so this is different.

T: So in China your parents pretty much structure what you do?

L: Yeah, require me to do like the piano and math class. As for me, I do not want to do this, but if I don’t do this my parents will say the other children will be better than you.

T: Do they have any control or say in what you do and classes you take here? When you came here did you choose your classes?

L: No, because they don’t know English so they can’t require me.

T: That’s good. What do you think is the biggest freedom that you have here?

L: I don’t need to sleep before 10 o’clock. I can wear what I want as clothes, and I can sleep very late.

T: That’s good! What is a typical week like here at St. Cloud State for you? Do you have a lot of classes? What activities do you do during the week?

L: Not that much, I just finish my classes and just stay at my dorm to watch a movie and the drama. Always the same.

T: Okay, do you like your dorm?

L:  Um, I am a single room, because my roommate just moved out so, it’s just one person.

T: Well that is nice!

L: Yeah.   

T: What is the worst thing about the dorms?

L: The shared bathroom.

T: Really?

L: Yeah.

T: What is the best thing do you think?

L: It’s convenient! Because I live in Hill case, it’s in the middle of this school. It is close to Garvey and to anywhere. I like it.

T: What is the one thing St. Cloud State could do better for you?

L: Provide more Chinese food.

T: More Chinese?

L: Yeah, more Chinese food!

T: Do you miss your food a lot?

L: The Chinese? Yeah, the Chinese food they provide here, the restaurants, they are very different than China. Almost, but still like too sweet, too sweet.

T: What is your favorite food here?

L: American or Chinese food?

T: American.

L: American, I don’t know. Actually, I like pizza. I never eat pizza in China, but it’s not because they don’t have pizza. In China they put lots of things on the top. In America they just have like pepperoni, simple, but like in China too much things. I hate the pizza, but when I came here I found the pizza, it was good.

T: That is good. What is the most popular dish in China, or the most popular thing to eat?

L: Most popular thing to eat. The American, the restaurant is very convenient to find, and it is cheap. And popular, different place have different typical food. In Guangdong they have very popular breakfast sandwich, the Chinese, it is very good.

T: What is the one thing in China that you don’t like?

L: Too much people, pollute the environment.

T: Definitely, we have that here, but I am sure not as much. What would be one thing that you could share with somebody here to explain who you are as a person? And like what your values are?

L: Uh.

T: Or something that you stand for, or something that you really do not like?

L: Like here in America?

T: Yeah.

L: The class is very good the instructor. They have us open our mind to let us become ourselves. The think I do not like is the life here is boring. Just every day, I know they have many clubs/activities outside, but it’s like the people just talk, talk, talk to each other, the chat. But in China we have the KTV that is on in a special room. When we go shopping we have very convenient transportation and it’s not like American where they just have one floor. They have a very big shopping mall around us. The food, when we eat food we can eat and it is very convenient. Here there is just a single house like this, but in China we have where they connect together.

T: Okay, so here a lot of people are against abortion or against racism. What is one thing that you really for or against?

L: I know some black people, they are very nice. But some I do not like some of the black people. Mostly because I have some friends that live in the dorm, but they don’t ask and just take clothes and just steal their stuff. I hate that they didn’t ask them first. So I kind of a little bit hate black people.

T: I see. That is understandable. So do you have any questions for me at all?

L: Um, no.

T: Okay, well thank you for meeting with me, and taking your time!

L: Yes, see you!

T: Bye.

First interview spreadsheet and top 3

Spreadsheet of class

Top 3:
Yi Gu Interview here 19 points
Nicholas S  Interview here 17 points
Ashley K Interview here 16 points

First Interview

My first interview

Interview preparations:

My preparations for my first interview started in class when we made our list of questions that we could ask to be able to get to know our interviewees. I made up a checklist that I did use to make sure I didn’t forget any part of my interview process. I made sure I found an acceptable program to record my interview. I made sure to test out my webcam on my computer, and while I did that, I found out it only records in increments of 10 minutes, so I had to find a new program to record it on. I did find an acceptable program, and it worked just fine. I had forgotten to ask a classmate the last night of class before spring break started, so I had to find another interviewee, which I did with no problem. Her name is KW and she is from Germany originally, but now lives in Bulgaria. I met my interviewee on Thursday, March 8^th at 3:30 in the afternoon. We used a room at the Sauk Rapids-Rice High School, and it worked very well. It was private, and we had no interruptions.

Interview report:

As I interviewed KW, I was surprised at how easy it was to be able to talk to her. The interview started fairly well, and we were able to just start talking. I made sure to make a comfortable environment for her, and told her a little bit about myself before I started asking her personal questions. I felt like I was not able to move it along as easy as I wanted to with fitting in the questions, but that will come with practice. She was very open, and we were able to talk fairly decent. We didn’t have any problems communicating and I felt like I had a good and very informative interview. I would have loved to be able to talk with her more, because toward the end of the interview we started talking about politics and the conversations got into more depth and we started with talking more about our feelings. I liked that KW didn’t take anything too seriously, and was very open and was willing to answer any question I had for her.

Country report:

Germany is the 4th largest country in terms of surface area of the EU with 357,000 sq km, the capital city is Berlin, and it is also the biggest city. Germany is a big producer of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, and textiles. Potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar, beets, fruits, cattle, pigs, and poultry are their main products of agriculture. Natural resources include copper, uranium, salt, nickel, timer, and coal. The main language is German. The biggest religions are Protestants and Catholics. The unemployment rate is around 7.1 percent. Unlike the United States with our president heading our government, the chancellor, or prime minister, head the executive branch of the federal government, the chancellor exercises executive power. The Germany economy is the 5^th largest in the world for purchasing power parity. Gross domestic power is growing, and unemployment rates are dropping. Germany is growing and doing well, also keeping close to the United States.

Cites:

http://www.nationmaster.com/country/gm-germany

http://www.internetworldstats.com/europa.htm

http://go.hrw.com/atlas/norm_htm/germany.htm

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3997.htm

Interview transcription:

T (Me)

K (KW)

T: Hello, thank you for meeting with me.

K: You’re welcome. How are you?

T: I’m good, and you?

K: Good. Thanks.

T: So, I am doing this interview for my English 191 class at SCSU. It is on another culture and how they compare to ours. Where are you from?

K: Originally from Bonn, Germany, but I live in Sofia, Bulgaria.

T: Okay. So, to start off, I will tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Tiffany, I am 18 years old. I have 3 siblings, a brother who is 5, and two sisters who are 8 and 3. They are all in either school or preschool. I love school, which is partially the reason I am in PSEO. SO, here we start school around 5 or 6, what age do you normally start school at?

K: At 6.

T: Is that in both countries?

K: Yes, well in Bulgaria sometimes its 7.

T: What is a typical day for a child in your country?

K: Well, in Germany normally school starts at 8 o’clock and goes till 1. Sometimes for older children less days a week till like 4, but normally they get out at 1 o’clock.

T: It is like class after class in Germany?

K: Yeah, normally its 7 – 8 periods per day, which are 45 minutes. The schedule is also different, and they are different every day.

T: Do you get to choose which classes?

K: There is a certain amount of classes you have to have, so actually you just have a set schedule. And when you go home there is no school sports in Germany, so if you want to do sports you have to find a club or something. Yeah, it’s kind of stupid.

T: Are the teachers the same in Germany as they are here? Are there a lot of differences between them there and here in the United States?

K: I would say teachers in general here are nicer, because in Germany a lot of times they don’t really care if you go to school or not, and it seems like here they care a lot.

T: So what are the big famous sports in Germany and how would you describe them? Are they hard to get into?

K: In Germany I would say Soccer is the big sport, and in Bulgaria too. We don’t have football and stuff. Volleyball is also in Germany, a big sport, but I think everyone can take part in a sport if they want to. It’s not school, so it doesn’t matter how old you are actually.

T: And what about the famous sports, like do a lot of people go to them and where are they located at?

K: In Bulgaria they have like one big soccer team, so all people just know them, and in Germany it’s only if there is a championship or something a lot of people will like it. They watch it all the time and it’s really crazy. Normally it’s just like here with football. People like it and watch it a lot.

T: Do they have a big arena?

K:  We have some in Germany, I don’t know how many but there are some in the bigger cities. Bulgaria is just one or two in the capital city.

T: So coming here how has school work changed? Is it easier or harder?

K: It’s a lot easier. First, you can take your classes for what is fun for you, and then the homework. Well, you get homework is not that hard and tests are all multiple choice. In Germany we will never have a test like that.

T: Oh really?

K: In Bulgaria they actually will have a lot of the multiple choice tests, but in Germany you will always have to write in the answers. It’s never multiple choices, it’s always writing four pages about whatever the topic is. So it’s really hard.

T: Do the students normally do well at that?

K: Well, in Bulgaria I would say, well it’s hard to say, but in Germany I’d say it’s really hard to get A’s. It’s actually 1 to 6. Not a lot of people get 1’s but 2 or 3 are like a B or C, and that is more common. Few people have bad grades or fail and test, it’s interesting. In Bulgaria it is easier to get good grades just because it is also A B or C grades, you can guess sometimes.

T: Are you in school for a whole 12 years like the system here?

K: Yeah, 12 years.

T: Okay. So here a lot of people like to eat, which countries food do you like most?

K: Um, I would say Bulgaria actually, because it’s just the traditional food and it is really good.

T: What is a normal traditional food in Bulgaria?

K: Uh, well there something called Banitsa and it’s just really basic.

K: Okay, well I tried to make it here but it didn’t work because I didn’t have the right ingredients because they don’t have some of the stuff I use. They didn’t have a wrap, it’s like a sheet, very thin, and it looks like paper.

T: Is it kind of like a tortilla?

K: It’s just very thin and doesn’t take like anything really. They just use it because, there are also egg whites, cheese kind of like feta cheese, you call it here, and we call it just white cheese. Um, it just is like layers of this and stuff and it’s really good. I don’t know how else to explain it.

T: Okay, what are the similarities and differences between the United States and Germany?

K: Well, in Germany I’d say there is not as much fast food as here. I mean in Germany we also have like KFC and McDonalds but it is different. The difference between here and Germany is not that big but ….”

T: What do you normally eat in Bulgaria?

K: Well, we also have like fast food restaurants but normally people cook at home because there is not much difference.

T: So there is not much of a difference between fast food there and here?

K: Well, we have a lot, but there is also like Italian restaurants and other like that. Same as here, the difference in places.

T: So, you said earlier when we talked about setting up this interview you use the bus to get to and from school. What modes of transportation do you use in Bulgaria and Germany?

K: Well in Germany you, well in Bulgaria too, you use the public transport because we don’t have school buses.

It’s normally bus, train, or underground. In Bulgaria I actually go by bus and train.

T: Do more people go by bus or train than drive?

K: Well in Bulgaria a lot of people drive but if you go to school you cannot because you have to be 18 to drive, so you can’t drive to school. So normally people go by bus or take the train.

T: Do a lot of people have cars?

K: Well, in Bulgaria I think yeah almost everyone has a car. A lot of people walk too because it’s a big city and a lot of cars and there too much traffic. In Germany it’s a lot of people don’t have a car because even though they go everywhere they don’t think they need it. It depends where you work too. If you work far away you probably will have a car but if you don’t you won’t.

T: So coming here must have been a culture shock a little bit, right?

K: Yeah, a little bit.

T: Do you have any daily rituals in regards to your religion or beliefs that you still practice here?

K: Well I am not that religious actually. I don’t do anything different here.

T: What is the main religion in Germany?

K:  Well they have Christians, most are Christian or protestant. In Bulgaria most people are Orthodox, so that is what I am. It is pretty much the same, there is not much difference.

T: What religious holidays or cultural events do you or others celebrate?

K: We have the same like Easter and Christmas as you, but in Bulgaria we have some holidays for like famous people a lot.

T: Really?!

K: Yeah because Bulgaria was 500 years beneath the Turkish people so there was like a lot of people who were fighting for our country so that is why we have all these holidays to celebrate them.

T: How do you celebrate them?

K: Well we don’t really do anything too special we just have a day off of school, which is really nice.  Actually there is this famous writer in Bulgaria, on his day at 12 o’clock there’s like a sound in the whole city and everyone stops for one minute. It’s kind of weird to see everyone stop for just one minute on the street, and then they just continue on.

T: How do you celebrate Easter?

K: In Germany it is the same. But in Bulgaria it is also like the same but maybe a little different because we, when we dye the eggs we have to dye the first one red, that’s the tradition. And then at 12 o’clock, midnight, you go to the church with the egg and then at midnight you, how to do call it…you crash the eggs! Like with each other. We always play this game in Bulgaria when two people have eggs and you crack them together and the one who loses and in the end there is the one winner egg.

T: Oh really? That is neat!

K:  Yeah I know. I love it.

T: Does your whole family get together and do you all play games or something?

K: In Bulgaria we get together sometimes, actually we get together on Christmas, which is the main time. And then when we all get together for my grandparents birthday. On Easter too, but normally we don’t get together all that much.

T: Do you not have many family get togethers like we do here?

K: Not really, I don’t know if it’s just my family maybe, but I think families just get together more around Christmas time. Although here it is like the families get together every week!

T: Do you at least communicate with your family a lot?

K: Yes. On Skype and the phone.

T: Who are you closest too?

K: My mom. Some of my family lives in Bulgaria, some in Sofia and some in Germany, so it is kind of split up. So that makes it harder to stay in touch and get together.

T: How are you with your host family?

K: Oh, pretty good. Its okay, it is different because well they don’t have any kids and the dad is around too. My dad actually lives in Germany so I just live with my mom. So now I have a dad and a mom, and a dog and a cat! It is kind of different, but it’s okay, I really like it and them.

T: Do you do a lot with the family, stuff together?

K: Yes, in the beginning we did a lot, we went somewhere on the weekends. They have a lot of family here, and we get together a lot actually. Once or twice a month, which is new for me too.

T: What are typical greetings in your culture?

K: Normally it is a "hi." We just say that or something. Well in Germany it is just hi if it is your friends. In Bulgaria, when translated, it is also hi.

T: Do you hug or shake hands like we do here?

K: Friends do. If you don’t know anyone, you will shake hands though. Just like here. Hug if they are friends or family too.

T: Okay. What do you think SCSU could do to make your stay here better?  Is there anything?

K: They actually do a lot already, for example they take some fees for the students. One thing they could actually do for foreign exchange students is introduce them. For example, no one would know that I am a foreign exchange student in the beginning, so I never knew who to talk to. When people know that you are an exchange student they want to talk to you more.

T: Was it hard to make friends and the adjustment coming to school here?

K: In the beginning, yes kind of. The people are different here.  It was very hard for me to talk to people until I got to know them better, but it got getter.

T: Was it hard to understand any of the teachers sometimes?

K: Actually, for me it was pretty easy. The English wasn’t too bad.

T: That’s good! So right now we have a lot of political things going on right now with the Super Tuesday, and such to figure out who will be in the race for the presidency, what kind of government is in charge of your home country and how has it affected your life?

K: In Germany we are democratic; a lot of people know a lot of stuff about politics. People are more involved and in school when you are 16 you are taught a lot about it. Most kids know exactly what is going on in the world. In Bulgaria, yeah, people don’t really like politics much because it just isn’t good.

T: Do people get in fights about it a lot?

K: Yeah, actually in Bulgaria more. Sometimes you can get in a fight with someone on the bus about politics! There are also communist parties, so the older people and other get in fights. They don’t like each other, so I have seen fights before.

T: So is it a subject that people don’t like to talk about if they get in fights about it?

K: In Bulgaria they do talk about it but you wouldn’t really talk about it in school. Maybe if you had friends that were interested in it then you would, I guess. In Germany everyone our age wouldn’t talk about it too much.

T: So with that, coming to the United States, has that been a change for you, or not so much?

K: Well I think it is a change, but it hasn’t been hard for me. I’ve lived in different countries and moved a few times so I think it is easier for me to adjust. It was quite a change, but a good one. With the transport though it is different, it is harder for me to get somewhere.

T: Could you tell me a secret about yourself that very few people here know that also shows me who you are and what you stand for?

K:  Um, I do not know.

T: Was it hard to get to know your host family?

K: Not so much, because I talked to them before I came here. It wasn’t that hard, they are really nice and open so that helped.

T: What is hard to adjust to their schedule?

K: It is pretty much the same actually, I get up at the same time as I did before, I just have some chores and stuff, but I did at home too. So that is not a big difference.

T: Is there anything that surprised them about you?

K: Probably that I can cook, I have cooked some Bulgarian stuff for them.

T: Do they like it?

K: Yeah, I think they liked it.

T: That’s good.

K: At least they said they liked it!

T: So here some people are against abortions and some are for it. What is one thing that you are for, or against, that tells about who you are?

K: Racism, I am very against that. I do not like when people judge other people for some reason. Especially if it’s about your culture or where you are from of something.

T: What is something that you are for?

K: That’s a hard question…

T: What is a good value do you think every person should have?

K: To be open-minded. That is the opposite of racism I guess, but yeah.

T: That is a good one. So, do you have any questions about me that you would like to ask? Like, do you understand everything here, or is there anything that you would like to know more about?

K: Do people here our age care and know a lot about politics? It doesn’t seem like it.

T: No, not really.

K: Do you have a subject that you learn about politics or something?

T: We have Economics, where we learn about trade, exporting, and importing, things like that.

K: Do you have any classes that talks about stuff that is going on now in the world?

T: Yes, it’s called Social Problems, it is required to graduate. We watch the news every day.

K: Oh really, I didn’t know that, because we have politics in 9^th grade, we have to take it.

T: Yeah we really didn’t, we just had Social Studies or History. Politics doesn’t really get talked about much between kids, unless your friends are very into it.

K: The elections are this year, right? So don’t you talk about that too?

T: Not too much, I think it all depends on your family too. If your family is into politics, then you more than likely will be too.

K: Yes, my mom asks all the time about what people are saying about the elections this year, and I don’t know what to tell her. I say people don’t talk about it much. I haven’t heard anyone talk about it actually.

T: I don’t think it is a big thing for kids to talk about, although it should be. Most kids would rather talk about where the party is this weekend, or what their plans are.

K: That’s weird. I don’t know. I like learning about politics, because I think it is important to know.

T: I wish people would talk about it more too.

K: In the US, do they show more about them or what is happening throughout the world?

T: A lot of it is about the United States, but they do have segments about other things that are happening in the world. In the newspaper though there is always a portion that shows the events going on around in the world.

K: Yeah, when I do watch the news, I hardly see anything about what is happening in Europe or something.

T: Yeah in the newspaper is where you will see more.

K: That is interesting.

T: Yes, it is. Oh, and if a person would go to MSN.com, there is always events that are going on in the world being wrote about. That is where I go most of the time for my information.

K: Okay, in Europe we always know what is going on in the world. I like it.

T: I wish we had more. I feel like at times the United States is self centered.

K: I’ve heard that before.

T: Do you have any more questions?

K: No I think that is it.

T: Okay, well thank you so much for meeting with me.