My first interview with Ibrahim Al
1. Interview
Preparations
l Description
of preparations:
At
first we wrote the objective in the class, and the objective answers the
questions of “why”, with “whom”, and “how”. After that we wrote ten more
questions about we want interview or interesting for international students.
Before beginning the interview, teacher teach us how to do the interview and
how to communication when we as question to international students.
l How
did I approach people?
I
am going pursue a bachelor degree of international business from George Fox
University in Portland, OR. In 2012, I transferred to St Cloud State University
and now I am studying a junior course of majoring in management. I take ESL 202
course at first semester, and I with Ibrahim take same class, he is my
classmate, he was very funny, we are sit together for every time. He would like
to send some messages about what he do at weekend and communication with me in
the class time. I would like to interview my friend Ibrahim and how his
microsystem changed his daily life.
l When,
where, and how did I conduct the interview?
I
met with Ibrahim in coffee shop at library on the 20th of October afternoon, we
interview around 70 minutes. In addition to the interview, I tell some
interesting story about my family in China. So, Ibrahim and I have different
family backgrounds. Ibrahim lives with his parents, two brothers and younger
sisters live in big house it’s like a villa that has three layers in the
countryside. His mother used to cook very delicious food at home, and they ate
meals together every day. His father was the primary caregiver and had power to
control everything for his family. For me, I was the only child in my family
and I live in a big villa in the city with my parents and grandmother. My
mother is a story woman in the company and she is the primary caregiver in
my
family. For his family, his parents work in the New York right now, and every
break he with her brother will come back to New York with his family enjoying
this time. So, we talk a lot of information about family at beginning.
l Whom
did I interview?
As
I interviewed “Ibrahim”, I gained knowledge and understanding into a new
culture and learned things about a person I have known for a while but never
really “known.” Ibrahim is a 22-year-old male is an international student who
lives in Saudi Arabia. He grew up in a small town. He came to the United State
when he was 18 years old. In 2010, he was going pursue a bachelor degree of
study second language of English at the IEC (International English Center) for
three years in St Cloud State University and now he was studying a junior
course of majoring in management.
2. Interview
report
l Describe
the interview?
The
interview was entirely with a good mood because we are very close each other.
Actually, we do not need any icebreaker because I already knew most things
about him. We have shared our personal and cultural information in many times.
However, the only thing that I need to be careful was that it was an interview,
not a personal conversation. I did not know how far he could accept about his
information, and it was very important thing that I need to consider. The
interview lasted about 70 minutes.
l What
surprised me?
Different
countries have different belief systems that are based on their own cultures.
In order to highlight these differences, I would like to interview my friend
Ibrahim and how his microsystem changed his daily life. My microsystem as a
child greatly influenced the personality, values, and beliefs that I have
today, but if I had grown up in the microsystem of my classmate, Ibrahim, my
values and beliefs would likely be very different. Ibrahim and I come from
different cultures, so we had very different childhood microsystems. We
discussed how different cultural principles work in family, classroom, and
traditions.
3. Country
Report
l Country:
a) Officially
known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Arabic pronunciation (help•info)), is the
largest Arab state in Western Asia by land area (approximately 2,150,000 km2
(830,000 sq mi), constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula) and the
second-largest in the Arab world (after Algeria). It is bordered by Jordan and
Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab
Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast, Yemen in the south, the Red Sea to
the west and Persian Gulf to the east. Its population is estimated to consist
of 16 million citizens and an additional 9 million registered foreign
expatriates and 2 million illegal immigrants
b) Saudi
Arabia’s geography is diverse, with forests, grasslands, mountain ranges and
deserts. The climate varies from region to region. Temperatures can reach over
110 degrees Fahrenheit in the desert in the summer, while in the winter
temperatures in the north and central parts of the country can drop below
freezing. Saudi Arabia gets very little rain, only about four inches a year on
average.
c) This
area of the website offers facts and physical information about the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia.
d) Here
you can read about early Saudi Arabian history, which as part of the Middle
East was the birthplace of civilization, and how the modern Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia came into being in 1932.
e) Learn
about the Saudi government and how the Kingdom’s political system is rooted in
Islam's traditions which call for peace, justice, equality, consultation and
respect for the rights of the individual.
f) Read
about the modernization of the Kingdom’s transportation and communications
infrastructure and the special emphasis on sports and recreation being
accessible to all Saudis.
g) Facts
and figures provide an overview of the physical country, including time zones,
currency and more.
h) Saudi
Arabia has the world's 2nd largest oil reserves, which are concentrated largely
in the Eastern Province. Oil accounts for more than 95% of exports and 70% of
government revenue, although the share of the non-oil economy has been growing
recently. This has facilitated the transformation of an underdeveloped desert
kingdom into one of the world's wealthiest nations. Vast oil revenues have
permitted rapid modernisation, such as the creation of a welfare state. It has
also the world's sixth largest natural gas reserves.
l
Languages:
a) The
official language of Saudi Arabia is Arabic. The three main regional variants
spoken by Saudis are Hejazi Arabic (about 6 million speakers), Nejdi Arabic
(about 8 million speakers[) and Gulf Arabic (about 0.2 million speakers). The
large expatriate communities also speak their own languages, the most numerous
being Tagalog (700,000), Rohingya (400,000), Urdu (380,000), and Egyptian
Arabic (300,000).
l Religion:
a) There
are about 25 million people who are Muslim, or 97% of the total population.
About 85–90% of Saudis are Sunni, while Shias represent around 10–15% of the
Muslim population.The official and dominant form of Sunni Islam in Saudi Arabia
is commonly known as Wahhabism (a name which some of its proponents consider
derogatory, preferring the term Salafism), founded in the Arabian Peninsula by
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab in the eighteenth century, is often described as
'puritanical', 'intolerant' or 'ultra-conservative'. However, proponents
consider that its teachings seek to purify the practice of Islam of any
innovations or practices that deviate from the seventh-century teachings of the
Islamic Prophet Muhammad and his companions. Shias face persecution in
employment and religious ceremonies.
b) In
2010, the U.S. State Department stated that in Saudi Arabia "freedom of
religion is neither recognized nor protected under the law and is severely
restricted in practice" and that "government policies continued to
place severe restrictions on religious freedom". No faith other than Islam
is permitted to be practiced, although there are nearly a million Christians –
nearly all foreign workers – in Saudi Arabia. There are no churches or other
non-Muslim houses of worship permitted in the country.
c) Conversion
by Muslims to another religion (apostasy) carries the death penalty, although
there have been no confirmed reports of executions for apostasy in recent
years. Proselytizing by non-Muslims is illegal, and the last Christian priest
was expelled from Saudi Arabia in 1985. There are some Hindus and Buddhists in
Saudi Arabia.
·
Culture:
a) Saudi
Arabia has centuries-old attitudes and traditions, often derived from Arab
tribal civilization. This culture has been bolstered by the austerely
puritanical Wahhabi form of Islam, which arose in the eighteenth century and
now predominates in the country. The many limitations on behaviour and dress
are strictly enforced both legally and socially. Alcoholic beverages are
prohibited, for example, and there is no theatre or public exhibition of films.
However, the Daily Mail and Wikileaks indicate that the Saudi Royal family
applies a different moral code to itself ("WikiLeaks cables: Saudi princes
throw parties boasting drink, drugs and sex. Royals flout puritanical laws to
throw parties for young elite while religious police are forced to turn a blind
eye.") Public expression of opinion about domestic political or social
matters is discouraged. There are no organizations such as political parties or
labour unions to provide public forums.
b) Daily
life is dominated by Islamic observance. Five times each day, Muslims are
called to prayer from the minarets of mosques scattered throughout the country.
Because Friday is the holiest day for Muslims, the weekend was Thursday and
Friday. Starting on June 29, 2013 the weekend has been shifted to
Friday-Saturday to better serve the Saudi economy and its international
commitments. In accordance with Wahhabi doctrine, only two religious holidays
are publicly recognized, Celebration of other Islamic holidays, such as the
Prophet's birthday and ʿĀshūrāʾ (an important holiday for Shīʿites), are
tolerated only when celebrated locally and on a small scale. Public observance
of non-Islamic religious holidays is prohibited, with the exception of 23
September, which commemorates the unification of the kingdom.
·
Works cited:
4. Interview
transcription of my interview with “Ibrahim Al”
I: Ibrahim
Y: Yipeng ( me )
Y:
Hi, Ibrahim. How are you?
I:
Good. How are about you?
Y:
I’m good. Are you ready for the interview?
I:
of course, how long we can finish?
Y:
I think about one hour. I will do my best to cooperate with you. Actually, I
need to record our interview, is it ok for you when we do the interview?
I:
It is ok. No problem. I don’t mind.
Y:
Thanks you. I will ask you ten core questions same with my classmate s and five
question that I made. So totally fifteen questions, and this is the question
list. You can check the list (I give him cope for the questions).
I:
I think I can answer it, you already hard work for the interview.
Y:
Thank you! Let’s we start the interview.
Core Questions:
Y:
How do you communicate with each other in your home country?
I:
sometimes I speak our own country language, and English with each other who
come from my country. This is because I want my English get better and usually
the ex-patriot community makes great efforts to put together a wide variety of
activities, from running clubs to theatre groups, so I can usually find
something of interest. I will doubt spend more time with other foreigners than
with Saudis, although if it is possible, make sure to get to know American or
other countries colleagues as they will provide an entrance to other countries
culture.
Y:
Yes, sounds good. I would like to take with an American students because that a
good way help me study my poor English. And other question is what is the
clothing style for men and women?
I:
In Saudi Arabia, One thing foreigners will notice when traveling in Saudi
Arabia is how much of the body is covered, both for men and for women. To
foreign visitors, where people's bodies are constantly on display, this may
come as a shock, but in order to be welcomed as a foreigner, you should respect
your host country's customs.
·
Saudi men typically wear a traditional
dress called a thobe. This is a long, ankle-length, flowing robe-type garment
which is usually white or light colored cotton in warm weather and darker
colored wool in cool weather. Almost all Saudi men wear a thobe, regardless of
their occupation or standing. For special occasions such as weddings, men don a
bisht or mislah over their thobe. These are long cloaks in white, brown or
black and are trimmed in gold.
·
Saudi women need to wear an traditional
dress abaya in public, but she does not need to put the headscarf on, she can
just put it round her shoulders. Abaya is a plain black robe worn by Muslim
women to cover their regular clothing, it could be described as a long-sleeve
robe-like dress and it is the traditional form of dress for many countries of
the Arabian peninsula including Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. In Iran
the abaya is referred to as a chador and in South Asia a burqa. The abaya
covers the whole body except the face, feet, and hands. It can be worn with the
niqab, a face veil covering all but the eyes.
Y:
All foreign ladies that I know western or not have and wear it. I have very
rarely seen a lady without an abaya outside once only to be honest, she was
western and wearing a long black coat. This is for all large cities including
Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam. Nevertheless she can get used to it very easily as
without it she would stand out making things more uncomfortable. In smaller
cities, she would need to cover her hair and perhaps even the face ( e.g Abha,
Buraydah, etc) Regarding daughter is not, she is very young and does not need
to have an abaya before she is a teenager.
I:
So good, you do the hard work for my country.
Y:
How are women and men treated differently?
I:
Yes they are. They can't even drive cars and they have to follow certain rules
called the sharia laws. Men have to follow the rules but they are using whole
different proses. They have to follow the law and so do men but men have a
whole different process. Women where black and are treated fairly. The only
thing that I am sure they don't enjoy is that they can’t drive cars. They
either has to take taxis, have their husband drive them, or get a person that
we as Arabs call swag which drives you where you want to go. I’m sorry but I
don't know what those are called. Also when there are some restrictions for
women, women in general are treated with much more respect than in the USA.
Example: if there is not an extra counter for women only, I never have to stand
in line. I as a woman have the right to get served first.
Y:
How has your experience here helped you interpret and respect cultural
differences?
I:
Relationships are powerful. Our one-to-one connections with each other are the
foundation for change. And building relationships with people from different
cultures, often many different cultures, is key in building diverse communities
that are powerful enough to achieve significant goals.
Y:
I think As the United States becomes a more culturally and ethnically diverse
nation, public schools are becoming more diverse. And understanding the
potential differences between our Western and other cultures’ concept of time
and immediacy. So, other question is “Do you enjoy speaking with other exchange
students?”
I:
I’m often treated as "the prize!" People will automatically think
you're cool. Just remember that in the U.S. and this is something families had
difficulties with their exchange students who were used to more freedom. And
exchange students do most things for themselves and are very independent.
Y:
They take pride in doing their own work. So, just be polite, offer to help out,
participate in family activities, and enjoy yourself.
I:
Yes, I think so. I can the best by myself.
Y:
How long have you been in the United States?
I:
I come to the United States about 4years because my parents work in the New
York. So, I come with them together. When I come to the America I hard work to
study English and the culture background because I love here, and there is my
second home.
Y:
Have you been able to visit any other parts of the United States?
I:
Yes, when I have time, I like to visit with my friend or my family because the
United Sates is a good vacation country in the world.
Y:
Yes, I like to. If I have a blue feeling, I like to travel by myself.
What
are your home country’s major religions?
I:
Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia, and virtually all citizens of the
country are Muslim. Although no law formally forbids Saudi Arabian citizens
from practicing another religion, in practice it is heavily frowned upon. The
legal system of the country is based entirely on Sharia law, and the government
has stated that the Holy Quran and the Sunni school of Islam are the nation’s
constitution. Those caught proselytizing another faith may be arrested and
imprisoned. They may even be sentenced to death.
Y:
What influenced you to come to the United States? Especially, Saint Cloud
State?
I:
I think is a dream and benefit, when I listing Martin Luther King speaking “I
have a dream” that make me want to come to the United States because I want
have a good future in here and learn more knowledge for university in the Saint
Cloud State, and there teacher are very nice because their will help any
students who needs help.
Y:
I believe you can do it, and your dream will come true. I have few questions I
wrote for you, can we do it right now?
I:
Ok, no problem.
My Own Questions:
Y:
what kind of special food and drink people like it in the Saudi Arabia?
I:
Saudi Arabia also strictly follows the dietary restriction of Islam, and haram
foods and drinks are not allowed. The dietary restrictions hold true for foreigners
living or visiting Saudi Arabia, as well as citizens. Both pork and alcohol
fall under the heading of haram; import, purchase or consumption of either of
these is strictly illegal and punishable. Most meals consist of a rice staple
and a meat, generally grilled chicken or lamb. Other common dishes include fava
beans, falafel and shawarma.
Y:
what kind of power distance in your family?
I:
In my family is power distance is lower because Everyone in Saudi families has
equal rights, no matter whether it is a young child or old person, that
individual should have a power in this family; and no matter of how old or of
what generation in the family. All the family members can talk together and
share many ideas or opinions. People can take the advice from their elder
family members or not take the advice. They can use their own ideas by
themselves.
Y:
I think in my family, high power means older age and higher generation in a
family. China has a long history about traditional manners; elder people in the
family must be respected and have the most power. Parents respect older people
who know a lot of things, because they want to learn knowledge from other
people and books. Parents also think the elder people must have more
experiences, and they should have much knowledge. And other question is “what
kind of different classrooms environments in Saudi Arabia”
I:
In Saudi Arabia, schools divide into two parties that are all-girl schools and
boys’ schools. So most of the teachers in the all-girl schools are females, and
a lot of the teachers in the boys’ schools are males. When I went to boy’s
schools, he didn’t need to pay a tuition fee for public school, and he ate free
lunch at school. But for other students who studied in private schools, they
needed to pay the tuition fee for the course but the book was free for
students. Ibrahim liked to play sports with his friends after school because he
just studied six hours for each day in the school and their school closed at 1
PM.
Y:
We have different classrooms environments. In China, I used money to pay the
tuition fee for every school that is public or private school. Also, I had to
pay when I ate lunch in the school. In addition, most of the teachers in the
school were both males and females. When I was in senior high school, students
would go to school six days for each week, and I studied in school more than
ten hours. After school, I would like listening music and watch TV shows at
home.
I:
I like Chinese teacher teach style more than own country.
Y:
Do you have any questions for me? I have asked so many of you!
I:
No. I enjoying with you do the interview time.
Y:
Thank you very much. I hope you have a nice day.
