Interview a Chinese

Interviewer: Thanh Dao
Interviewee: Jiayu Wang

Preparation:

 China is a big country and has a huge affection on the world. It's developing very fast and strongly. And even though the Chinese communication in St Cloud State University is large, I don't have any Chinese friend in here. Luckily, I asked my friend if he can introduced me one and he helped me. He gave me the number of Jiayu - the one I was going to interview. Jiayu asked me if I can go to the Shoemaker hall but I didn't know where it was so we decided to meet at ECC. Before come to meet him, I went to the library and print out the questions. I prepared the same questions I got for 2 previous interviewees.

After the interview:

I think I finished this project well. China is a big country with a large population and a long history. Also, Jiayu is a very friendly person. Even though his English is not so good and he couldn't answer some of my questions. For example, he doesn't know what "troublemaker" is and I found a hard time to explain for him. Anyway, he tried his best to answer all of my questions. I think he did enjoyed the interview and I did, too. Our conversation is not so long but it still gave me a lot of information. Now I understand more about Vietnam's neighborhood's people - Chinese.

Country Report:

China is a country in East Asia and the world's most populous country. It's the country has the largest population with the number of population has reached 1.3 billion. That's why the government in this country limited each couple can only has 1 child. China only has one single-party calls Communist Party of China.

China has has a numerous historical incarnations. The first unified Chinese state was established by Qin Shi Huang of the Qin state in 221 B.C. Their main religion is Buddhism. With the rise of Chinese nationalism and the end of the Cultural Revolution, many forms of traditional Chinese art have sparked interest in China and even worldwide. Dragon boat racing is one of the traditional sport in China but the young people in China prefer more soccer and basketball. Their capital is Beijing but the largest city is Shanghai. Coming to China, there are many places you can't keep like: Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, etc...

Work Cited: "China." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Dec. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China>.

The interview

Me: Hi Jiajy, how are you today?
Jiayu: Good. How are you?
Me: I'm good. So how long have you been to St. Cloud State?
Jiayu: St Cloud State? About 5 years. This is my fifth year in here.
Me: Oh really? So are you a senior?
Jiayu: Yeah. I spent my first year in here to study English.
Me: Okay, so this is the fifth year in the U.S too right?
Jiayu: Yeah
Me: Okay. So today I'm gonna interview you about your country China. And could you please tell me briefly about your family? What is the value of family in your country?
Jiayu: Ah...there are 3 people in my family: my father, my mother and me. And most of time my father decides everything.
Me: So your father is the head of house right?
Jiayu: Yeah right.
Me: So is it related to gender matter? Does gender matter in your family?
Jiayu: Yeah, most of the time the man in family decides everything.
Me: Okay, let's talk about your home country. Where is your home country?
Jiayu: China?
Me: Oh I mean home city, hometown...
Jiayu: oh have you heard about Suzhou? It's the city beside Shanghai.
Me: Oh, could you please write it down for me?
Jiayu: Yeah sure
Me: Is it a small city or big?
Jiayu: Not small. Actually it's a big city. It's same large as Shanghai
Me: Oh so how does your home country culture different from the U.S culture?
Jiayu: Very different. Have you ever heard about Jiangnang? It's one of the traditional Chinese culture. We have some traditional garden there, and traditional clothes.
Me: Yeah I can see the differences between Asia and America. So could you please tell me about the highlights in your culture? Like what things will make people immediately think about your country?
Jiayu: Absolutely about large population right?
Me: Oh no, something like culture.
Jiayu: Culture? You mean like a part of culture?
Me: I mean like food and fashion...
Jiayu: Oh I think many Americans like Chinese food. Do you like Chinese food?
Me: Yeah, I like Chinese food. So do you know any history of the food in China?
Jiayu: We have a lot of different types of Chinese food actually. Like the foods in different provinces have different features. Kind of sweet, spicy...
Me: Oh okay so let's get back to your city. Could you please tell me a little bit about your city?
Jiayu: My city? It's a very beautiful garden city...
Me: Garden?
Jiayu: Yeah garden. I don't know how to say it... It has a lot of traditional gardens. We have winter there. Very cold...
Me: Ok. So can you tell me how a young person be considered troublemaker?
Jiayu: Troublemaker? You mean the son or...?
Me: I mean like bad people in your country?
Jiayu: Oh. They do bad things, illegal.
Me: Yeah, troublemaker is like something... Of course it's wrong if someone kills people but like troublemaker you know?
Jiayu: Well okay...Troublemaker.. I don't know what does that mean.. Just skip the question. Sorry about that.
Me: That's Okay. So what do you think about the music culture in your country? Is it significant?
Jiayu: Yeah a lot of people, like young people like American music: Pop, jazz. Some old Chinese people like traditional music.
Me: Do you like traditional music?
Jiayu: Some parts. It depends on different types.
Me: So is marriage important?
Jiayu: Yeah sure. China is a traditional country so they think marriage is very important.
Me: But the ratio of boys and girls are very different in your country right?
Jiayu: The ratio?
Me: Like the ratio of boys and girls are born. Many more boys than girls right?
Jiayu: Oh yeah.
Me: So is there still gender/ race discrimination in your country?
Jiayu: Not really. Because China is an open country. I think we're very open.
Me: Okay. So...
Jiayu: I like the food part
Me: Yeah. Let's talk about the food. What food you think is the best?
Jiayu: In China? There are many foods...
Me: What food you like best?
Jiayu: I like? Chinese chicken wings...
Me: Could you please write down the name for me?
Jiayu: Yeah
Me: Do Chinese people eat a lot? Like the meal size, is it bigger than America?
Jiayu: Oh no. Not so big.
Me: Do Chinese eat spicy?
Jiayu: One province of China which is called Sizhuan, I can write it down for you. Sizhuan province. All of food in there are spicy.
Me: Do you like spicy?
Jiayu: Yeah I like it.
Me: So did you spend all your time of high school in your home country right? So could you please tell me about the education system in your country?
Jiayu: Yeah. Education system... Okay. Do you want me to start from the high school or?
Me: Yeah elementary school.
Jiayu: Elementary schools in 6 years, so we start from 7 or 8 years old. And when we graduate from that school. We need to take a test, like a middle school test. And the only bad thing is school decides where you go. Where you go to the middle school depends on your test score. And then you spend 3 years in the middle school, and you do the test. then 3 years in high school. And we need 1 more test to go to college.
Me: To go to college?
Jiayu: Yeah, college or university. In China, test score decides everything.
Me: Is the test tough?
Jiayu: Yeah, very tough.
Me: So what's the most important subject in your country generally?
Jiayu: Most important subject..
Me: Like the subject you think you need to focus on it?
Jiayu: Like Math and Chinese, traditional Chinese.
Me: Are there many kinds of Chinese?
Jiayu: Local language? Yeah a lot of it. We got like 50, 60...
Me: 50??
Jiayu: Yeah 50
Me: Do students have to wear uniform everyday in school?
Jiayu: Yeah. Every school.
Me: Do you like it?
Jiayu: I don't like it. It looks bad. It looks strange you know. Strange color and strange haha...
Me: So can you wear short or flip flop?
Jiayu: Yeah I can wear short
Me: But you said like you have to wear uniform?
Jiayu: Uniform yeah. We have different types of uniform
Me: Can you wear flip flop to school?
Jiayu: Umm... No.
Me: Okay. Do a lot of people get a chance to attend college?
Jiayu: Yes. There are a lot of colleges in my country. It depends on your test scores you go to different types or levels of college.
Me: Let's tak about social. What are top 3 social pastimes/hobbies in your country?
Jiayu: Yeah. I think the favorite sports are basketball and football. I can't choose which one is more popular.
Me: So do you think people in your country generally reserve when they meet new people?
Jiayu: Oh no
Me: Are they friendly?
Jiayu: Yeah
Me: So how many children can each couple have?
Jiayu: Only one. We have the policy. Each couple can only have 1.
Me: So if each coupe has more than 1?
Jiayu: They will be punished like $5000. Maybe they will lose there job.
Me: Really? So what is your view on tattoo?
Jiayu: It's cool. But it's only for young people
Me: What's the view of your country about tattoo?
Jiayu: It depends on the generation. The old people they don't like it.
Me: So is it considered bad if a girl has tattoo in your country?
Jiayu: It still depends
Me: But you still think it's cool?
Jiayu: Yeah
Me: So if I come to China where would you suggest me to go?
Jiayu: Traveling? Beijing for sure. Beijing, Shanghai...and Suzhou, for sure haha
Me: Your hometown? Haha. So which age is considered adult in your country?
Jiayu: 18. Over 18 you can do anything you want
Me: Do you think people in your country are hard worker?
Jiayu: It depends on haha
Me: Are you a hard worker?
Jiayu: Yeah, I have to. haha
Me: So let's talk about religion. I know China is a big country but could you please tell me some religions in your country?
Jiayu: Lots of religions but the predominant is Buddhism.
Me: Buddhism? Do you have Catholic or Muslim?
Jiayu: No. Almost no. We have the Dao Jiao.
Me: So what's your religion?
Jiayu: Buddhism.
Me: So could you please tell me some holidays that you celebrate in China?
Jiayu: Um..Spring Festival.
Me: Is that the Lunar New Year?
Jiayu: Yeah. It's the like Christmas in America. It's the first day of Chinese New Year.
Me: So you have a day off that day?
Jiayu: Yeah we have a week off.
Me: So what do you do in the week?
Jiayu: In that week? We just visit some friends, and get some parties...
Me: Is it the time to spend with families?
Jiayu: Yes. We have families get together and have dinner the day before Spring Festival day.
Me: So could you please tell me about what thing you not like about your country?
Jiayu: The traffic. Everyday
Me: Maybe it just happens in the big cities
Jiayu: No. Every place. Because we have too many people in every city. When we all go to the school, I was always late when I was in my high school.
Me: So what think you like about your country?
Jiayu: I think my country's growing very fast, the GDP, the economy and some of the cultural parts...
Me: And what do you feel proud of your country?
Jiayu: It's developing very fast
Me: Oh okay. So do you have any questions for me?
Jiayu: Uhm.. no. haha
Me: Thank you so much
Jiayu: Thank you.

My record is here.