I have prepared some common questions for my first interview. First, I get to know the background and culture of my interviewee. Then I choose the most suitable questions for the interviewee. I will remember all the questions that I have chosen. And also make two copies for the questions. Maybe I will ask some questions which are not on the question list.
Last semester I had met some international students in my class, so I can choose one of them to make this interview. A few days ago I also bought a new cell phone and can use it to record the whole interview. Then I made the appointment with my interviewee on Oct. 24 on the first floor of library. The person I met comes from Singapore, his name is Guang. I also bought a cup of coffee for my interviewee, and this will make him feel more comfortable.
Describing the Interview
We really had a good time during the interview. Everything went smoothly. Guang was a nice man, and did not mind answering all my questions. We have talked a lot, and have a better knowledge of each other. He also asked me some questions, I was very glad to answer him. We also talked about something we are both interested. The interview lasted about half an hour.
Report On CountrySingapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometers north of the equator, in the Southeast Asian region of the Asian continent. Singapore is the world's fourth leading financial centre and a cosmopolitan world city, playing a key role in international trade and finance. The port of Singapore is also amongst the top five busiest ports in the world.
Flag of Singapore
Coat of arms of Singapore
Geography:
Singapore consists of 63 islands, including mainland Singapore. The main island is widely known as Singapore Island but is officially called Pulau Ujong. There are two man-made connections to Johor, Malaysia: the Johor–Singapore Causeway in the north, and the Tuas Second Link in the west. Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's many smaller islands. The highest natural point is Bukit Timah Hill at 166 m.
Singapore has on-going land reclamation projects with earth obtained from its own hills, the seabed, and neighboring countries. As a result, Singapore's land area grew from 581.5 km2 in the 1960s to 704 km2 today, and may grow by another 100 km2 by 2030. The projects sometimes involve some of the smaller islands being merged together through land reclamation in order to form larger, more functional islands, as in the case of Jurong Island
The map of Singapore
Tourism:
Singapore is a popular travel destination, contributing to the importance of its tourism industry. Total visitor arrivals were 10.2 million in 2007. To attract more tourists, the government has decided to legalize gambling and to allow two casino resorts to be developed at Marina South and Sentosa in 2005. To compete with regional rivals like Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai, the government has announced that the city area would be transformed into a more exciting place by lighting up the civic and commercial buildings. Food has also been promoted as an attraction for tourists, with the Singapore Food Festival held every July to celebrate Singapore's cuisine.
Singapore is promoting itself as a medical tourism hub: about 200,000 foreigners seek medical care in the country each year, and Singapore medical services aim to serve one million foreign patients annually by 2012 and generate USD 3 billion in revenue. The government states that this could create some 13,000 new jobs within the health industries.
The Merlion
The Port of Singapore with Sentosa island in the background
References:
Interview
Interviewer: Chenlong Mao
English 191
Interviewee: Guang
Interviewee's country of origin: Singapore
Interview date: Oct. 24, 2010
Me: Hi, nice to see you again.
Guang: Yeah, nice to see you.
Me: I’m glad that you can give me a chance to interview you.
Guang: Yeah, that’s no big deal.
Me: OK, so let’s start then. Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and your home?
Guang: My name is Guang Sun. I’m from Singapore, I came here St. Cloud about two years ago. My major is computer. My mother tongue is Chinese and English. You know, in Singapore, there are many Chinese immigrants. To me, I’m also a Chinese immigrant.
Me: So during these two years, do you get used to staying here? Or do you find anything you are not comfort?
Guang: Well, to the most of time, everything is OK. But, sometimes I don’t like the food here, you know, I’d rather do it myself.
Me: You mean you cook your food now?
Guang: Yes, actually, I decide to live off campus. I want to live with some of my friends not live in the dorm.
Me: So that means you are not used to living here very well?
Guang: Yeah, you can say it that way.
Me: Can you tell me something about your country? Like some places of interest, or travel sites.
Guang: Well, the most famous symbol of Singapore is The Merlion. It looks like a giant fish, but it has a lion head. And another place called Sentosa, which is also a beautiful place, has a lot of fun and enjoyment.
Me: How is the education in your home country compared to the United States?
Guang: I must say the education here are much easier than my home country. Students and teachers can communicate more freely, the classrooms are also very suitable for teaching.
Me: What are some religious or cultural customs in your country?
Guang: Generally speaking, we believe in Buddhism. We also have Christianity. But I don’t have any religion, do you have a religion?
Me: No, I don’t have a religion. And do you have special festival in your country?
Guang: Yeah, we celebrate Spring festival as you Chinese. We also celebrate mid-autumn day. Maybe we will go back to my home town, which is in China, to visit my relatives.
Me: Any difference in how a man and a woman may contact each other?
Guang: Well, you know, Singapore is also an immigrant country. So we can communicate with each other very freely in my country. Just like here in US.
Me: So do you want to go back to your home when you finish your study here?
Guang: Yeah, definitely. I can’t stay here very long; I can have a more comfortable life in my home.
Me: What are weddings like?
Guang: Well, someone will do it as you do in China, but someone from western culture will do it in a church. As you know, different people have different choices.
Me: That’s right. What do you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
Guang: That’s not a hard one. I can eat anything I like, but most time we have some sea food. We also eat rice, noodles, dumplings, etc.
Me: And what is the weather like in tour country? I had been there, it rained almost every day.
Guang: That’s right. So we don’t need any weather report, we just need an umbrella and nothing go wrong. It’s located in the equatorial regions, so every day is hot and wet.
Me: How do spend your spear time?
Guang: Well, most time I will stay at home. I will play video games, watch movies, or just do some simple sports. But if my friends invite me to take part some parties, I will go with them and have a good time.
Me: What is your favorite sport?
Guang: Volleyball, I guess. Among my friends, almost no one can beat me hard. But actually, I’d love to beat them with video games.
Me: So you like playing video games with your friends?
Guang: Preciously. Like CS, Starcraft, Warcraft, FIFA, etc.
Me: That’s cool. I like playing these games as well.
Guang: Great. So we may meet again and play together?
Me: No problem. I’d love to.
Guang: That’s more like it.
Me: Well, almost finish the interview. Last question: Can you share me a special experience during the period you live here?
Guang: Well, that’s tricky. A few days ago, my computer didn’t run well, so I brought it to one of my friends. He is really a computer geek. And after two days, I went to him; he just told me my computer was just like brand new. I opened it up, and found that my important data and files gone away! Everything gone, my computer was just like a new one in the shop. I faint!
Me: lol. OK, a funny story. Nice talking to you. Thank you very much!
Guang: You are welcome!
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