First Interview

First interview

Interviewer: Zhe Wang

English 191

Interviewee: Shane

Interviewee's country of origin: Korea

Interview date: 10/24/2010

Me: Would you tell me some information about yourself for instance: your name your family structure look like and your major?

Shane: Okay, my name is Shane. I come from Korea. I am 21 years old. I have one younger brother and younger sister. I had been there one and half year. My major is Mass Communication. I don’t like the winter weather in Minnesota because it is very cold whatever the daytime and midnight (ha ha).

Me: My name is zhe I come from China. In my country we always said "你好”when we greeting each other. So my first question is that when you meet each other what you say or what you do, when you first meet others what you say.

Shane: Well, we have the same way like Chinese meet each other. But we shank hands with a polite bow to each other. In the same way we will have to hug with each other. If the person who is the first time to meet you have to bow and hug each other. This is our greeting way when we meet on the road. Actually I like the way which is like American do greeting each other.

Me: why you like this greeting way?

Shane: Because this way makes me feel very comfortable. Sometimes my friends greeted me in the street with a friendly wave of the hand and asked me “how are you today?” . I felt very good actually. So I like this greeting way.

Me: What city do you live in your country?

Shane；Inchon

Me: what do you think of this country like the weather, temperature population and location?

Shane: Actually this city is beside the ocean so I feel is not very hot in the summer and not very cold in the winter. Because the oceans can decalescence from the dry land so the Inchon is the most popular city in Korea. This city is a most comfortable place for people to live. So most Korean choose here to live and some of them in order to provide for the aged. There are 246million in this city so this is a big city in Korea.

Me: If I want go to Korea to visit what city do you want bring us to visit?

Shane: Inchon is the first city because here is my hometown. Next I think is Seoul because this city is the capital of the Korea. The last city is Cheju because this is city is a island in the Korea. But I think in these cities the Inchon is the most popular city above the three cities.

Me:  Why you want to choose American university?

Shane: I like the study way in the USA. The students are very free here they have more personal time whatever they study in the middle, school high school even university.  They have more free time than the student who studies in the Korea. They have opportunity to feel the world and their life. I think the Chinese students have the same feeling like the Korean students.

Me: Yes this is why I chose the overseas study here. I felt free too. And have more time to do some sport and do some cook at home. I like this life style.  So when you graduate from university were you go home or stay here?

Shane：I want to get higher level education. I want to get the master degree when I graduate from university. Or I will find a job to work first, when I earn the money can offer me the all tuition when I take the master degree. Then I will go back to school to take class for master degree.  This is my dream I can get the master degree in the USA. But if my parents ask me to go home, I have no choice I have to go home after graduation.

Me: I think many international students will meet this questions so hope you can solve it successfully. So in American what you usually do in your free time? What you usually do in Korea when you have free time?

Shane: in USA I always go to fitness in the fitness center in the school. Sometimes I will go to mall with my roommate. But in the Korea I like outdoor activities. For example I can play basketball and football. Sometime I will play baseball in the garden. In the night I like watching movie in the cinema. Because I have few American friends so I just stay in the dorm in the night. Sometimes I felt lonely and fear. The students began to feel homesick after they had been here for a month.

Me: what do you think of the American food? I mean you can compare the food between Korea and USA and list some difference.

Shane: Basically, I do not like American food. Not only it had a lot of fat but also it too sweet to eat. So at the weekend I also go to Cash Wish to buy some Korea food or some vegetable cook by myself. In my opinion the biggest difference between Korea food and American food is the test. In Korea we like the spicy food. In the same we like rice noodle and pickle actually. But in America we have no opportunity to eat these foods in the restaurant. Other hands American always like fresh food, Korea often eat the cook food. I think Chinese students do not like the American food as well, right?

Me: I agree with you. I usually cook food by myself. Can you talk about your class, such as what problem do you meet, and what class do you think it is very hard to learn.

Shane: My major is Mass Communication, I always do the presentation in the class. You know as a international student we will meet the biggest problem is the language problem. The students who study the Mass Communication they need have good language performance. It is easy for the American students but sometimes it is very hard for the international students. This is why a few of international students to choose this major.

Me: I think the students who choose the Marketing have a lot of presentation too. I want to know what the most important festival in your country is.

Shane: In my country the Mid-Autumn Festival is the most important festival. On that day the family will get together to have dinner, and communicate each other. This festival the civil have 3 days off. But this Mid-Autumn Festival I have to stay here and ate the moon cake alone. Actually, every time celebrate a festival I will call my parents and blessed them. At the same time I felt lonely as well. So I usually call my parents when I heard their voice I felt very worm from my heart.

Me: I have the same feeling. What do you think of your roommate? I know he is also an international student right?

Shane: Yes, he is coming from Pakistan. He is really nice, we always talk each other about our country and family. Sometimes we study and solve the problems together. I think he always feels lonely too, he called his parents every week I at the weekend. I am sure he missed his parents very much. But he chose the overseas study, he had to keep going until successfully.

Me: How is the education here compare to back home?

Shane: American students have more time to do what they want, whatever in middle school high school and university. After the class they can play the football basketball and baseball together. This is why the American students are good at sport. But in Korea we have to work hard every day in order to get high grade. And we can do the things which are asked by our teacher. It means we have no chance to do any things what we want.

Me: So man and women can study in one classroom? How to contact each other?

Shane: Yes, we can have the class in the same classroom. In my country just a few school was separated into two areas for man and women. So in the class we have time to communicate each other and solve the problems together. However most of time in the class we have to listen to teacher carefully.

Me: I am very curious to wedding like?

Shane: It is the familiar to the American wedding.

Me: The wedding was holed in the church?

Shane: Depends on the personal requested.

Me: Okay will end our interview, thank you very much for all your time and information.

Shane: You are welcome