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/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.
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