Before beginning the interview, we wrote an
objective in class. This objective answered the questions “why”,“with whom”,
and “how”referring to the interview with an international student. We also
wrote ten questions together as a class. Also I did add five of my own
questions to the ten questions that we already chose as a class. After that I
started looking for international students to interview them.
How
did I approach people?
I started studying at St. Cloud State University
August of 2009. As a result I have met many students from many countries.
Moreover, I did live at the dorm for two years, so my communication skills
improved a lot and I became very social. Also while living in St. Cloud
community I got to know many Saudi
students, due to same language that we speak. One of my Saudi friends was at
the library the day that I was looking to interview an international student.
When I saw him at the library I stopped to say "hi" to him and then I
asked him to interview him.
When,
where, and how did I conduct the interview?
I conduct the interview on Monday, November 4th at
the library. I saw him studying at the library I stopped and I said
"hi" to him and I did ask him to interview him. After he finished his
homework he called me to do the interview. It was very interesting interview we
talked about many interesting things about our countries. We both enjoyed the
interview.
Whom
did I interview?
I did interview Abdulhameed Aljahdali. He is an
international student studying at St. Cloud State University from Saudi Arabia.
He came to Minnesota in Jan 2013, his major is Computer Science.
Country
Report:
Country:
Saudi Arabia
Officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 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. 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.
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 modernization, such
as the creation of a welfare state. It has also the world's sixth largest natural
gas reserves.
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).
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.
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.
Interview
transcription:
M
= Moheemed (me)
A
= Adulhameed
M: how do you communicate with each other in
your home country?
A: face to
face.
M:
what is the clothing style for men and women?
A: for men we have “Thop” and for women “Abaya”.
M:
how are women and men treated differently?
A: In my country men are more powerful than women.
M:
how was your experience here helped you interpret and respect cultural
differences?
A: respecting each culture by each self and I
learned a lot of other cultures while I am here.
M:
do you enjoy speaking with other exchange students?
A: of course yes.
M:
how long have you been in the United States?
A: year and a half.
M:
have you been able to visit any other parts of the United States?
A: yes, I went to North Dakota and Florida.
M:
what are your home country`s major religion?
A: Islam.
M:
what influenced you to come to the united states especially St. Cloud?
A: the good education that America has, and I choice
St. Cloud because I have cousin in it.
M:
how is the political system of your country structured?
A: kingdom.
M:
what are the major holidays in your country?
A: Eid Alfater and Eid Aladha.
M:
what do you perceive as differences between your culture and the American culture?
A: my culture
is a religious culture, but the American culture is a free culture.
M:
can you tell me about activities that young people like to do in your country?
A: soccer, hang out at hoka bars, and going to the
beach.
M:
do you have any question for me? I have
asked so many of you?
A: no.
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