My third interview

My third interivew

Preparation:

            This interview is my third interview; it is also my last interview. So I will try my best to finish it as good as possible. I believe that after two times of interview, I have already accumulated much experience, I believe the last interview must be better than the first two interviews. I also prepare the recorder and listen to the first and second interview again and again. After listening to these interviews, I found that I still have much disadvantage that I need to change, my English pronouncement still need to improve. After practicing the interview with some of my friends, I make an appointment with Kevin, one of my best friends from Brazil. We are all familiar with each other, so I want to choice him to become my last interviewee. Then I made an appointment with him in the same place of the library, I print my question list and give him one of them before the interview. I hope this interview will be much better than the first two interviews.

Description:

            This time, it is hard for me to find a Japanese student again, so I want to change interviewee from another country. Brazil is one of the best choice, because I like this country, the people in this country is nice enough and active enough, and the soccer game in Brazil is very popular in Brazil, most people play very well, that is why I like Brazil so much, because I also like to play soccer. My the questions of my third interview is almost the same as the second one, I ask him something about why he choice to study in America, his family, the religion in Brazil and the essential festival and food in Brazil. This time, I didn’t feel any nervous any more, I feel so good to ask the questions of my interview, because I have already practice the interview for a long time. I believe that this interview is real better than my first one and my second one. My experiences of the first two interviews help me finish it very well. I think I really receive a lot after three times of interviews, next time, if I have chance, I will interview different people from different countries, because it is beneficial for me.

Country Report:

Location:  Eastern South America bordering Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km, Colombia
1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km, Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km, Peru 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km

Capital:   Brazilia

Climate:  mostly tropical, but temperate in south

Population:  184,101,109

Ethnic Make-up: white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and
black 38%, black 6%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%

Religions:  Roman Catholic (nominal) 80%

Government:  federative republic

                     

Race and people in Brazil:

Brazil is a mixture of races and ethnicities, many original Portuguese settlers’ married native women, and then they create a new race, the name of the new race is “mestizos”. The family of Brazil is very large, and the extended family is quite close. The individual derives a social network and assistance in times of need from the family. Nepotism is considered a positive thing, since it implied that employing people one knows and trusts is of primary importance.

Food in Brazil:

The Portuguese arrived in Brazil in 1500 and brought their tastes and styles of cooking with them. They brought sugar, citrus fruits, and many sweets that are still used for desserts and holidays. The Brazilian “sweet tooth” was developed through the influence of the Europeans. Brazilians us many eggs, fruits, spices, and sugar to make sweet treats, such as ambrosia. They use savory seasonings such s parsley and garlic.

    

Brazil Scenery:

Brazil Scenery:

            Brazil is best known for its incredible beaches, world-class surfing and vibrant nightlife, Florianopolis is also blessed with natural beauty and scenery which words alone cannot describe. Florianopolis nature includes tremendously varied topography such as stunning coastlines, powerful waterfalls, expansive sand dunes, large lagoons, deep and winging forests, guarded coves and natural tide pools.

                 

Brazil Soccer:

The history of soccer in Brazil really starts in 1930, when they participated in the first World Cup and despite being knocked out in the first stages, the media coverage of the World Cup brought soccer in the light and in the eyes of every young Brazilian. Now, almost all the young people in Brazil like to play soccer, soccer is their favorite sports. And the Brazil national soccer team is also one of the strongest teams in the world.

  

Work Sited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Carnival

http://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/brazil-religion.html

http://www.foodbycountry.com/Algeria-to-France/Brazil.html

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/brazil-country-profile.html

http://www.soccer-fans-info.com/history-of-soccer-in-brazil.html

My third interview:

Interviewer: Longfei Ren

English 191

Interviewee: Kevin (His English name)

Interviewee's country of origin: Brazil

Interview date: 11/6/2010

Me: Hello, my name is Longfei Ren, I am doing a project for class English 191. I need to interview

Kevin: Sure, of course.

Me: Thank you. Could you please tell me a little about yourself, for example: Where are you from?  How old are you? How long have you been here?

Kevin: OK, I come from Brazil; I have already been here for about two years. I am 22 now.

Me: What is your major?

Kevin: Finance

Me: Can I know something about your family? Like how many people in your family, their jobs and how are your relations?

Kevin: Yes, of course. I have one old brother and one young sister in my family, so there are five people in my family. My old brother has already graduated from a big university in Brazil; he is a picture designer of a small company. My father is a worker and my mother is a doctor. I think everyone in my family have good relationship with each other, we all like to learn with each other and help with each others. My brother, sister and I all respect our parents very much. We like to play with them and help them do some housework. And sometimes my parents also try to communicate with us about our daily life and our study, so I like my family.

Me: Why you choice to study in America?

Kevin: Because I love America, I like culture, the technology and the education in America. There are many famous university in America, the academic system in America is so good, I like the life in America, I can make many friends from different countries when I am studying here, that is why I want to study in America.

Me: Do you want to go back to your home country directly when you graduate from SCSU?

Kevin: Maybe not, because I want to find a job in America and work for a period of time. I like America, it is a good place for us to live and I can earn more money in America than in Brazil, I want to earn some money and then I will apply the graduate school.  In my mind, I think it is necessary for a boy like me to receive the higher level education and then I can get a good job and have a good future. On the other hand, if I get a good job and earn much money, I can invite my parents to go to America and live here, I think it is good for them because the environment in America is good.

ME: Can you tell me what do you think is the most important festival in Brazil?

Kevin: The Festival of carnival is the most important festival in Brazil, this festival is also very famous in the world.

Me: How do you celebrate the festival of carnival, can you tell me some traditional custom in this festival?

Kevin: Every year, almost all the people in Brazil will celebrate the carnival festival. There are four days of the carnival, during these four days, all the people in Brazil wear their most beautiful cloth and go to the street in Brazil, they sing together and dance together, no matter if they sing well or dance well. All the shop on the street will close, because the owner of the shops will also go to the street to sing and dance. Samba is the most famous dance in our country; many people in Brazil will dance Samba. Samba is the traditional dance in Brazil, it has the history for hundreds years. On those four days, different cities of different place will make different public activities to celebrate this festival.

Me: Can you tell me the main religions in your country?

Kevin: I think Brazil religion is the most important religion.

Me: How about you, do you have religion?

Kevin: Yes, I believe Brazil Religion.

Me: How about food, can you tell me some traditional food in your country?

Kevin: The food of different place in our country is a little different, sweet food is very famous in our country, we like to make some cake with sugar and fruit, ambrosia is one of the famous foods in Brazil. And the rice, beans, meat and fish are also very popular in Brazil, for me, I like to eat beef very much, and I also like to eat some rice.

Me: Can you tell me the weather in Japan; it is also as cold as Minnesota in winter?

Kevin: Of course, the weather in Brazil is much hotter than Minnesota; we have more rain in Brazil. The summer is much hotter and the winter is also warmer than Minnesota. We can surf on the wave in April. In the winter, there is no snow, so it is hard for us to play the snow fight.

Me: OK, Can you tell me the meaning of eye contact in your country?

Kevin: The eye contact? The eye contact in my country means you have already paid enough attention to the people who you are speaking with. So it is meaningful for you to keep eye contact with the people who you are speaking with. Especially the adult or the people who is older than you. So I always keep eye contact with other people. For me, I also like to keep eye contact with the girl I like. It also means respect to the people I like. When I make an appointment with her, sometimes we can keep eye contact for a long time, without speaking one word. And the atmosphere is very good, we all enjoy with the keeping of our eye contact. It is so enjoyable; I think the eye contact also means love.

Me: Ok, another question. Does your family play an important role for you to choice your wife in the future?

Kevin: Sure, in my country, many families help their children to choice their wife or husband, their advice is very important for their children to choice their spouse. But in modern society, many young people want to choice their spouse by themselves; some families will respect their choice. However, their family also plays an important role in their choice.

Me: Do you have a girlfriend now?

Kevin: Yes, I have.

Me: How do you date in your daily life?

Kevin: We like to study together and play together. She is also studying in SCSU, so it is easy for us to date, we almost date every day. Sometimes we cook together, she cook very well, I can just help her do some preparation for the cooking, for example, help her cut some meat or some vegetable. We also like to go to see some movie together or play some sports together. Anyway, as long as I stay with her, I will feel very happy.

Me: Will you go home during Christmas?

Kevin: No way, the winter holiday is very short, just 20 days, I can’t do anything if I go back home. So I choice to stay here and company with my girlfriend, I will call my parents frequently and communicate with them, but I really don’t want to go back in so short time.

Me: Do you like some sports or some games?

Kevin: My favorite sports is soccer, in Brazil, almost all the boys like to play soccer. I began to play soccer when I was a little child; I always play with some of my friends and some of my classmates or schoolmates. Now, I have already played very well, if you have time, we can play together, I think it is good for our healthy.

Me: Can you tell me something different between Brazil can USA?

Kevin: I think the biggest difference between two countries is the weather; the weather in different states of America is totally different, because America is very big. But in Brazil, the weather in different place is almost the same. On the other hand, America is strong in many fields, like technology, science, education and so on, Brazil still have many things to study from America, I think it is necessary for us if we want to improve the level of our life.

Me: Ok, these are all the questions I want to ask, thank you very much.

Kevin: You are welcome.

 

Result of my classmates

here

Second International Interview

Country: Japan

Preparation:

            This is my second interview; I add three more questions on my question list. And then I printed the question list again. I also try my recorder again so that I can make sure the recorder is OK. By listening to the record of my first interview again and again, I have already found many disadvantages of my interviewing, for example, my voice, my announcement and the speed of my interview. I think my pronounce of English is also not good enough as an American student. And sometimes I speak too fast; it is hard for my interviewee to understand what I am talking about. So I tried to practice the second interview again and again with some of my friend. I believe I really have a big progress after trying again and again, not only for my second interview, but also for my English level. After practicing these questions, I tried to find another Japanese student. It is hard because there are few Japanese students we can find in SCSU.  Finally, one of my Chinese helped me find his Japanese friend, Lucy, a nice Japanese girl. I introduced myself to her and introduce the homework of the interview to her, she is happy to help me finishing my interview. So I made an appointment with her on the first floor of the library, the same place as the first interview. I choice this place because it is quiets enough, without interpret of others.

Description of my second interview:

            In my opinion, my second interview is better than my first interview. I didn’t feel as nervous as the first time. I have much experience which I learned from the first interview. After practicing of the interview, my pronouncement of English and the speed of speaking is much better than the first time. The questions are almost the same as the first one, so it is much easier for me to remember them, without looking at my question sheet again and again.

            Lucy is a very nice girl; she listened to my questions very carefully and answered them very carefully. She like smile, she like to say something very funny, so the atmosphere of the second interview is also better than the first one. As a whole, the second interview in very success, I and Lucy didn’t feel any embarrass at all. I believe that next time my interview should be more perfect, because I have accumulated much more experience. Next time, maybe I will choice an international student from other country, because I believe all my classmates want to know more students from different country.

Other record on Japan:

            On my first interview, I have already recorded something about Japan, this is my second interview, and I want to introduce some other information of Japan.

Science and technology:

            Japan is famous for its automotive and electronics industries in the world. And Japanese electronic goods are selling to many countries in the world market. Japan is one of the countries which have the leading power in the fields of scientific research, technology, machinery and medical research. In current time, Japan has already become the world’s third largest budget for research and development at $130 billion, and over 677731 researchers.

Japanese Tea Ceremony:

            The Japanese tea ceremony is also called the Way of Tea. It is an important activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called otemae.

Japanese Sports:

            The most common Sports in Japan include Football, Volleyball, Kendo, Basebll, and Figure skating. Some of the marital arts and Karate are also known by many people. There is no legally official Sport of Japan, but Sumo, is the national Sport in Japan, because of its Sumo Wrestling Association. Baseball is the most popular Sport in Japan, because it has a long history, and it was introduced to Japan in 1872.

Work Sited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_Japan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_tea_ceremony

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_in_Japan

Interviewer: Longfei Ren

English 191

Interviewee: Lucy (Her American name)

Interviewee's country of origin: Japan

Interview date: 10/30/2010

Me: Hello, my name is Longfei Ren, I am doing a project for class English 191. I need to interview at least three international students; do you want to become my second interviewee?

Lucy: Yep.

Me: Thank you. Could you please tell me a little about yourself, for example: Where are you from?  How old are you? What is your mother language? How long have you been here?

Lucy: Sure, I am a transfer student from Japan. I am 22 now, I have been in Minnesota for one semester, and this is my second semester in SCSU.

Me: What is your major?

Lucy: Accounting, I think.

Me: Can I know something about your family? Like how many people in your family, their jobs and how are your relations?

Lucy: I am the only child of my family, my mother and father love me so much. They told me that I am the gift of the god to him. I also love them; I think I am luck to be the child of my parents.

Me: You haven’t answered that what are your parents’ jobs?

Lucy: Sorry, I forget. My mother is a math teacher of an elementary school in our city, when I am a child; I am also one of my mother’s students. My father is a manager of a big hotel.

Me: Why you choice to study in America?

Lucy: Because my Japanese have the cooperation with SCSU, so it is easy for the students in my Japanese university to have the chance to study aboard. On the other hand, my parents thought that the basic system of education in America is better than Japan; I can learn much knowledge which I cannot learn in Japan. And I can also improve my English level, you know, it is hard for me to study English in Japan.

Me: Do you want to go back to Japan directly when you graduate from SCSU?

Lucy: Sure, I think I will go back to Japan as soon as possible when I graduate from SCSU.

Me: Why, Why don’t you want to live here?

Lucy:   Tell you the truth, I cannot adapt to the life in America. I don’t have the food here; the food here tastes so weird. And the winter here is so cold, I am almost frozen everyday when I just came here, it is terrible. I really miss my parents now. At the beginning of the life in America, I always call my parents over two hours every day and cry to them. Although I am almost adapt to the life and environment in Minnesota now, but it doesn’t means that I can stay here for a long time. I miss the beautiful life in my own country; I want to play with my friends in Japan, that is why I don’t want to stay in America when I graduate from SUSU.

ME: Can you tell me what do you think is the most important festival in Japan?

Lucy: In my opinion, the Japanese New Year is the most important festival in Japan.

Me: Why Japanese New Year is the one of the most important day in Japan?

Lucy: New Year means the first day of one year, just like the New Year in China, almost all the family celebrate the New Year. Another important reason is that almost everyone has a long holiday during New Year, especially the students in the school, so we have enough time to prepare for that day.

Me: Do you have some traditional customs to celebrate the New Year?

Lucy: During the first day of the New Year, almost all the single shop will shut down. Everyone has already prepared everything to celebrate the New Year. The children will wear the new cloth and go to see their family; it means good luck in the new year. Japanese will cook delicious during that festival; Osechi Ryouri is one famous food in New Year. During the New Year, many people in different cities of Japan will take different activities to celebrate this festival, so you can see different kinds of performance during that day.

Me: Can you tell me the main religions in your country?

Lucy: I am not sure, but many people believe Shinto and Buddhism.

Me: How about you, do you have religion?

Lucy: For me? I believe myself! Haha, just joking. I don’t have any religion.

Me: Why not?

Lucy: In fact, only one small part of the Japanese has religion, most of us don’t have any religion, I am one of them. I never think of having a religion, when I was a child, I knew that I need to realize my goal by my hard working. No one can help you expect yourself, so if I want to get something, I will try my best to get it by my hand and my brain. I believe that the god will pray the girl who works hard every day, so no matter everything I am facing, I always try my best.

Me: How about food, can you tell me some traditional food in your country?

Lucy: Sushi and Tempura is my favorite, especially Sushi. Sushi is made of rice, meat, fish and vegetable. You know, most Japanese like to eat rice and noodle. And our almost all the Japanese like to eat fish. I think maybe the reason is that Japan is the Island country. For me, I also like to eat fish and shrimp, but I don’t like the fish in Minnesota, I don’t know why. Soba is also the traditional food in our country, but I don’t like that. Many Japanese like to drink wine, the wine is made also made by rice.

Me: Can you tell me the weather in Japan; it is also as cold as Minnesota in winter?

Lucy: No, I think I have told you before; Japan is never as cold as Minnesota in winter. In my hometown, the winter is much warmer than St Cloud; the summer is a little hot. So I like the weather in Japan.

Me: OK, another question, Can you tell me the meaning of eye contact in your country?

Lucy: Eye contact, in my country, if you keep eye contact for a long time when you talk with someone, it means that you respect others. My mother always taught me that I must keep the eye contact with the people who I am talking with. Don’t look around when you speak with others. However, I think it is weird to keep eye contact with a stranger. For those people who have never talked to me or the people who never known you, it is so embarrass to keep eye contact when we speak with them. But if you keep eye contact with your boyfriend or girlfriend, it means that you love your boyfriend or your girlfriend very much. So it means different when you speak with different people.

Me: Ok, another question. Does your family play an important role for you to choice your wife in the future?

Lucy: Sure, of course. For most young people in Japan, they must listen to the suggestions of their parents when they want to get marriage with your spouse. However, I believe most family in Japan will respect the choice of their children; they just give their children some suggestion. Anyway, our parents have more experience to something like this, so we all need to listen to the suggestions of our family.

Me: Do you have a boyfriend now?

Lucy: Yes, he is my schoolmate in my Japanese university.

Me: How do you date in your daily life?

Lucy: I think we always eat together and play together, no matter what we eat and what we play. For me, as long as I stay with him, I will be very happy. Sometimes we travel together to different place, for example, Fujiyama or Tokyo. We all like to ride bike, so we often ride bike to go to different place around our school. Sometimes we may forget the way to go back to our university, but I really feel happy to be his girlfriend.

Me: Will you go home during Christmas?

Lucy: No, because the winter holiday in SCSU is so short, just about 20 days, so I can’t spend too much time to stay at home or stay with my boyfriend. Although I really miss my parents and my boyfriend, but I have to wait until next summer.

Me: Yes, that is true; the winter holiday here is too short. Do you like some sports or some games?

Lucy: I am not good at some sports; I think most sports are not suitable to girls. Sometimes I like to play some PS3 games, because my boyfriend like to play PS3 games, sometimes I play with him. Now, I have already played some PS3 games very well, even sometimes my boyfriend can’t beat me in some games.

Me: Can you tell me something different between Japan can USA?

Lucy: Sure, I think the weather in USA is much better than Japan; there is little pollution in United State, although the winter here is so cold, but the air in USA is so clean. On the other hand, the density of the population in USA is much smaller than Japan, sometimes I even can’t find one person on the road, and I can just see many cars. But in Japan, the density of population is bigger; you can find many people on the road. Those are the two biggest differences between two countries that I can find.

Me: Ok, these are all the questions I want to ask, thank you very much.

Lucy: You are welcome.