Interview
with Zhang Zhao
My
Fourth Interview
Interview Preparations:
This
was going to be my first interview with Zhang, a Chinese international student
at the Saint Cloud State University. I was very eager and enthusiastic about
the whole interview and two weeks prior to the day; I did not get any response from
China as I needed this interview to be a one on one with a native Chinese
Speaker. At campus, I had seen many Chinese international students but there
was none from my class. My big break in trying to establish contact with one
student who I had seen several times in the Journalism club came when I found
out he was my neighbor’s friend. Jane, who is my neighbor, organized a meeting
between Zhang and me after I explained my mission to her. Following our initial
meeting and arrangements, we agreed to meet at the library lounge Tuesday, December 3 2013. I brought along my tape recorder as agreed.
Interview Report
Since
the weather on that day was chilly, the warm indoors atmosphere appeared
perfect for the interview. The interview involved answering a series of
questions. I was surprised by the articulation of answers by Zhang and his
mastery of English, despite it being his second language. Another thing that
surprised me was the eagerness by Zhang to clarify all the misconceptions that
the West has about the Chinese people and culture, he even arrived at our said
venue before the agreed time. After exchanging pleasantries, I went ahead to
ask the questions that I had prepared and was quite satisfied with the response
and answers I got.
Country Report:
In
preparation for the interview, I had conducted my personal background check and
brief study on China. This was in no way meant to disapprove what the
interviewee would tell me, but just as a way of corroborating the information,
I would get from him with what I had. It was very important for me to conduct
this interview in order to get a first-hand report from a Chinese native.
Officially,
China is referred to as the People’s Republic of China just as Zhang confirmed
to me (Benewick, & Donald, 2009). It is a sovereign nation and is located
in the region known as East Asia. The capital city of China is Beijing and by
last year’s census, it had a population of 1.351 billion people making it the
world’s most populous nation (Dorosheff, 2010). It is also good to note that,
it is the third largest country in the world with an area of 9, 600, 000 square
kilometers (Economy, & Oksenberg, 2009).
China
has a long, as well as rich history of traditions and culture. Earliest humans
are believed to have evolved on their land. China was once ruled by dynasties
with the first being the Xia dynasty dating back to about the 21st
century BC (Wei, 2005). The dominant cultural and economic model for around
4000 years was feudalism with the monarchy being brought to an end in 1911,
through a revolution led by one Sun Yat-sen. The republic was formed in 1949,
on October 1.
China
is host to diverse groups of people, and has a very distinctive as well as
resplendent customs and culture. China has given to the world four great
inventions namely the paper, the compass, printing, and gunpowder. It has
unique and distinctive arts and crafts such as calligraphy, painting, silk and
embroidery, as well as operas. Another part of Chinese culture for many years
has been martial arts and their rich heritage in literature. Finally yet
importantly, Chinese cuisine is a common export to nearly all parts of the
globe making it a renowned place of heritage.
Interview
Transcription
Me: Please tell me
something about yourself.
Zhang: My name is Zhang
Zhao and I am eighteen years old and taking a course in Anthropology studies at
the Saint Cloud State University.
Me: Does your name have
a specific meaning?
Zhang: Yes. In China,
names are given according to seasons or events in the past or even present
circumstances (Cheng, & Curtis, 2010). My name Zhang Zhao is one phrase,
which means praise, be to the giver.
Me: Quite interesting,
would you mind to tell me why you were named so?
Zhang: Not at all. You
see at the time of my birth, our village experienced bounty harvest and the
term on everyone’s lips was 赞美是送礼者 translated
to my family (surname-Zhang) and my given (first name-Zhao). We do not have a
middle name.
Me: What influenced
your choice of the USA as a destination for your study?
Zhang: Unlike China
where population is extremely high thinning out opportunities, I figured and it
is indeed true that the United States has many opportunities for me as I
enhance my life. I also felt the need to be independent as the teenagers in
America are, so I started doing my own stuff.
Me: You happened to
mention that you took an intensive English program. Why was this?
Zhang: This was in
order to improve my skills in English as well as writing which I have observed
is a major focus in schools here in the U.S. The English classes here are fun
as well with the presentations where I felt good to express my feelings and
research on topics that interested me (Liao, 2006).
Me: Thank you for such
insight. Most of us take it for granted and we need to change.
Zhang: You are welcome.
Me: Going back to China,
what is your hometown?
Zhang: My hometown is
Guangxi in the central-east part of China.
Me: What is the most
common form of transportation there?
Zhang: The people in my
hometown use boats as a means of transportation from ancient times due to the
presence of River Li, which links us to some other major towns both up and down
the river. However, within the town donkeys are the best for mobility as ours
is a rural setting.
Me: How do people
communicate with each other in your country?
Zhang: The major form
of communication is of course speech with the official spoken language being
Standard Chinese and the official written language being Vernacular Chinese
from the calligraphy.
Me: Is there body
language? And what does it mean?
Zhang: The most common
form of body language is through dance, which indicates festivity.
Me: Are there any
festivals or holidays in your home country?
Zhang: Indeed China has
a number of festivals ranging from traditional to public holidays. We have the
Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Qixi Festival,
and Mid-Autumn Festival to mention but a few.
Me: How do people
usually celebrate?
Zhang: Depending on the
purpose of celebration, we have dances, carnivores, state functions in large
stadia, and of course a lot of feasting on traditional Chinese cuisine.
Me: Talking of cuisine,
what is the most common food and when do people like to share it?
Zhang: The staple food
in China is rice, which depending on the method of preparation, can be shared
by the whole family at any meal of the day.
Me: How many religions
are there and how do people practice them?
Zhang: China has three
major religions or doctrines, which are Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism (Huang,
2007). The people practice their religion by offering sacrifices to ancestors
and gods as well as in various customs and traditional cultures of the local
communities.
Me: How is the economy
in your country?
Zhang: China has a
strong economy, which is very stable with a huge global market share and
citizens enjoying income as well as class equality.
Me: What does your
country export?
Zhang: The main exports
from China are cars, electronics, and machinery.
Me: Is it a developing
country?
Zhang: Definitely no.
China is one of the top developed nations in the world.
Me: What do you miss
the most in China?
Zhang: I miss my whole
family as well as my childhood friends.
Me: While here in
America, where do you live and with whom?
Zhang: I live here in
Saint Cloud with my uncle who came to the U.S. in the early 50s.
Me: How do you usually
spend your free time?
Zhang: I like playing
basketball although am just an amateur as well as participating in the debate
club and practicing some journalism.
Me: Do you have any
questions?
Zhang: No, thank you.
Me: Thank you for
answering my questions and it was my pleasure to have had this great
conversation with you.
Zhang: You are welcome.
References
Benewick, R. &
Donald, S. (2009). The State of China
Atlas. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California
Press.
Cheng, L. & Curtis,
A. (2010). English language assessment
and the Chinese learner. New York,
NY: Routledge.
Dorosheff, D. (2010). Chinese American and Japanese American
College Students' Perceptions And
Attitudes. New York, NY: Routledge.
Du Halde, J. (n.d.). The General history of China.
Economy, E. &
Oksenberg, M. (2009). China Joins The
World. New York, NY: Council on Foreign
Relations Press.
Huang, R. (2007). China. Armonk, N.Y [u.a.]: M.E. Sharpe.
Liao, Y. (2006). Food and festivals of China.
Philadelphia: Mason Crest Publishers.
Wei, L. (2005). Chinese Festivals. Beijing: China
International Press.
