My Second Interview

1.

            The morning of Friday, October 25 found me set for my second interview. The documents on which the questions had been printed on were neatly organized in my satchel and ready for use. It had been quite easy for me to find the interviewee since we shared the same subjects at school. I had asked her to help me with the project, and she was more than eager to share a part of her life with me. The interview was at ten o’clock that morning in the SH Building. It was a laid-back interview, informal, and I recorded the interview in my notebook, as well as on tape. My interviewee was X W, a transfer student from China, and I was surprised by her punctuality. She was already at the venue before I got there, yet I was ten minutes early. The interview was sated with witty remarks, laughter, a lot of exposure about X, and the culture of her people.

            I met with X at the SH Building after my Psy class on October 4. We talked for almost an hour, and I think the interview was a great success. She was amiable and good-natured, and a far cry from shy. X explained her culture at length and even made a few jokes about how backward she felt on her first few weeks in the United States. She, however, managed to fit in after overcoming the culture shock. It is not as if she had a choice; she had to fit in and work hard, “harder than ever,” she said.

2. About China

X is from Canto, the capital of Guandong Province in China. Canto is a major port on the Pearl River, and it is the commercial, transport and industrial centre of South China. According to history, it has been serving this purpose for the past 2000 years. Canto was originally a centre for the distribution of rare tropical produce. The languages spoken include Mandarin, Cantonese, Wu, and Haka. There are other languages that are also spoken, but they differ from province to province in China (Guangzhou Travel Guide).

The people of Canto are collectivists; they place more value in cooperating and individual modesty than in self-reliance and capitalism. They make few lifelong friends and work hard to keep these friendships alive with a certain level of nobility and sacrifice; they could take a bullet for one another if it came to that. The Chinese put relationships first before business; they cultivate bonds with their business partners first, before making business deals. Direct confrontation is unfamiliar with them. Hence, they avoid open criticism and solve their problems under the table. This is because they despise embarrassing one another (Overview of Chinese culture 19)

The Cantonese people prefer tea in the morning to any other beverage.  The staple foods there are bean sprouts, scallions, rice, and cabbage.  Since they hardly ever eat beef or pork, tofu serves as the main supply of protein. The religion in the region is not quite clear; actually, there is no official religion and the people claim no religious affiliations or identify themselves as atheists. However, one cannot ignore the rich mystical and spiritual history of the region; there are myriads of spiritual figures of Buddhism. On his birthday on September 28, every year, there is a pilgrimage to Confucius’ birthplace in Shandong Province. People also visit Taoist temples to pay tribute to the goddess of mercy, Guanyin.  The biggest festival of the year is the Spring Festival, which marks the commencement of the lunar New Year. It is held in the period between mid-January, mid-February, as well as serves as an opportunity for people to honor their ancestors. Children are given cash in red envelopes believed to attract good fortune and houses are cleaned thoroughly to signify fresh beginnings (Gainty and Lin 27-28).

Works Cited

Gainty, Christopher and Hua Lin. Cantonese Chinese I. Concord, MA: Simon & Schuster, 1999.

http://www.supadu.com/images/ckfinder/133/pdfs/Booklets_Guides/Chinese-Cantonese_Phase1-Bklt.pdf

Guangzhou Travel Guide. 2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2013

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/guangzhou.htm

Overview of Chinese culture. Culture. N.d. web. 28 Oct. 2013

http://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/guidestoolkits/ethnographicguides/China/chapters/chapter2.pdf

3. Interview Transcription:

M: Me

X: X 

M: Hi, Can I have an hour or more to ask you some questions?
X: Sure take your time.
M: It's a nice weather today isn't it?
X: I think It is a cold weather.

M: So,where are you from?

X: I’m from Canto, the capital of Guandong Province, South China.

M: Is the weather cold there ?

X: No, the weather is nice over there. Where are you from?
M: I'm from Saudi Arabia. The weather is very hot It's reaches 50 degree at noon in the summer time.
X: ooh It's really hot to live there!

M:It is good for you because the weather is nice in your home country ,and  you came from one of the biggest countries of the world and the so what do you think about that?

X: oh yeh and I'm proud of being Chinese. 

M: hmm why are you studying at SCSU?

X:  The majors offered here are unavailable in my country, and I like the exposure. They say that once you make it in America, you can make it everywhere.

M: What is your language? How many languages do you speak? How many languages are in your country?

X: I speak three languages; Cantonese, Mandarin, and English and I am very fluent. I do not know how many languages are in my country; never been curious about that.

M: Where do you prefer; your home country or here? Why?

X:  In terms of education, I prefer it here, but in terms of family and heritage, I prefer my home country.

M: How is the economy in your country?

X: The economy is rapidly growing, and more business ties are being made overseas.

M: Do you like the weather in St. Cloud?

X: I really cannot complain; the weather is uncontrollable. However, it is safe to say, I like it.

M: What do you do for leisure?

X:  I play tennis and read pretty much anything.

M: I love playing tennis too, who is your favorite player?

X: Nadal is my favorite player, do you know him?

M: Yes of course I know him his name is Rafael Nadal from Spain and he is my favorite too.

M: Could you please tell me about yourself?

X: I am very outspoken and athletic. I improvise what I have to get what I want, and I secretly eat ice cream at midnight.

M: How often do you communicate with your parents back home?

X: I call, and Skype them as often as I can, tell them about my progress at school and promise to visit.

M: What is the biggest holiday in your country?

X: The Spring Festival takes the cake. It marks the start of the lunar New Year and lasts fifteen days. There are fireworks and parades adorned with dancers dressed as dragons. It is usually celebrated between mid-January and mid-February.

M: In what ways might it be difficult to practice your religion here in the US?

X:  It is not difficult at all. I believe in God, pray, and do the right things.

M: Tell me some important things from your culture.

X:  Tea is the most favorite beverage and the friendships we make among ourselves last forever.

M: What is the biggest difference between the American culture and your culture?

X: Americans use each other then forget about each other. The Chinese people create bonds with their friends and keep them at heart for the longest time.

M: What are your goals for the future; after you graduate, what are you going to do?

X: I have already acquired US citizenship so I will immediately start looking for a job that befits my qualifications and build a future for myself here.

M: Do you have any questions for me? I have asked so many of you!

She laughed and offered to interview me next time. After the interview, I carefully kept my voice recorder and my notepad in my backpack. X W offered to buy me ice cream and we had a good laugh about it since it was a mutual indulgence. She was pleased that I displayed genuine interest in the Chinese culture and her.  She jokingly invited me to the spring festival next year as we strolled towards the library.