My first interview

 

            Preparation for an interviewing process is relatively important as the interview itself. It enables you to acquire the knowledge of the audience and go through the interview questions. Approaching random people is not as easy as it sounds and that is why preparation came in handy. During the preparation, I went through the questions; prepared myself for the questions my audience would ask me. I arranged my question materials prior the interviewing date. I selected the place and the type of people I would ask questions.

            The place I decided to interview people was in campus. This is due to the close. The interview questions were asked on the Chinese people who live in this town. I had expected a harsh audience when preparing for the interview and I was surprised when the interviewees were cooperative and willing to answer the questions. The interview went on well as all the respondents were positive about the process.

            There are distinct difference between the Chinese culture and the American culture. From the mode of dressing, food, and the way they carry themselves out. What captured my attention is the way they great each other. According to the interviewees, the Chinese people have different ways of greeting people, the traditional greeting and the normal or rather the modern way of greeting. When using the traditional greeting, the Chinese people bow as a means of showing respect, they also bow when they want to part ways. The Chinese greet each other using the right hand, as the left hand is considered rude (Wang 45). This is a common culture that the Chinese shares with the American culture. In the Chinese culture, the young people are the ones who are supposed to offer greetings to the elders. In America, any person can offer greeting and the other person answers.

            Unlike the American culture where hugs and kisses on the cheeks are acceptable, the Chinese generally dislike body contact. They keep a distance of an arm’s length while talking to each other. This aspect I learnt when I offered a hug to one of my interviewees and he corrected me. The Chinese have an eye and a passion for art. A walk into three of my interviewees’ place of residence confirmed this (Wang 78). Beautiful designed pots, dishes and paintings characterized their living rooms. They have a passion for cooking as their cuisines are mouth watering and tasty. The cuisines range from sushi to Fujian. The American people generally like these Chinese delicacies, as they are tasty.

           

Interview transcription

interviewer	Interviewee
Where you from?	China
Where are you studying at SCSU	SCSU Because it is a great school with diverse culture
What is your language? How many languages do you speak? How many languages are in your country?	I am from China, I speak three languages English, Chinese and Spanish
Do you prefer your home country or here?	My home country, because of the rich culture it has, after all east or west home is best
How is the economy in your country?	It is stable as we are one of the developed county’s
Do you like the weather in St.Cloud? Please explain	Yes I do, the weather is appropriate for doing ones daily activities
What do you do for leisure?	I do charity at some children’s home
Could you please tell me about yourself?	I am a young generous and humble man
How often do you communicate with your family back at home?	Every evening, I view my family as prestigious and important, they help me in achieving my goals and dreams
What is the biggest holiday in your country? Please explain about the holidays (Activities, Food, Date, Origin, and etc,)	Lunar New year holiday is the biggest holiday in our culture. It occurs every first of January every year. In this holiday, people visit their friends and family. The dish cooked mostly is sushi among other cuisines
Tell me some important things from your culture ?	People greet while bowing to each other, hugs and kisses are considered in appropriate as personal space is vital
The biggest difference between the American culture and your?	The way people talk, the food we eat are different and the modes of greetings.
What are your goals for the future; after you graduate, what are you going to do?	Start my own charity organization
Do you have any questions for me?	What do you do for leisure?
I play soccer with friends	Interesting, pleasure meeting you
Same, thank you	welcome

Work Cited

Wang, Ling. Tea and Chinese Culture. San Francisco: Long River Press, 2005. Print.