1. Interview Preparations
For this interview, my preparations were slightly different than before. Before heading into the interview, my objectives and goals were the same: to learn about a different country's food, how their education system is structured, and to hear other ideas about American government. My selection for my interviewee was also different this time: my last interviewee was from Saudi Arabia so I wanted someone with the same background so I could reference information. Knowing this, AbdullahAA was the prime interviewee for me. I asked him if he wanted to interview and he accepted. Our interview was scheduled for Tuesday March 20, 2012 at 6:00 P.M. in the library. We didn't reserve a room in advance, but once we arrived a room opened up soon. This is one of the few things I would change for next time: reserve a library room in advance. Using my digital camera worked well for the first interview, so I used it again for this second interview. Once it was recorded, I transferred the audio file onto the computer and transcribed the interview.
N: Twenty-five, ok. And which country are you from again?
A: I came from Saudi Arabia....from Riyadh which is the capital city of Saudi Arabia.
N: Oh wow, the capital. Is it really busy there?
A: Yes, and around there it's around 4 million.
N: Wow, that's amazing. So..is it really crowded living there?
A: Yeah. Actually, I haven't been there since 2010 or 2009 and every time I'm there they have something new in the city.
N: Really?
A: Yeah. Something different happens like new buildings, towers, malls.
N: I'm sure there are a LOT of buildings and restaurants like that. Speaking of restaurants, are there any restaurants that you find here like McDonalds in Saudi Arabia?
A: Yes, there is like McDonalds, ehh....everything is actually there...McDonalds, Burger King, uhh..KFC, Applebees, Fridays, and Chili's.
N: Do you think that people eat fast food more here in America compared to Saudi Arabia?
A: Actually, uhh..in America. But, the new generation in Saudi Arabia is starting to follow you. They are starting to like fast food too.
N: *laughs* So do you think Americans eat fast food too much?
A: Yeah, they seem to eat it all the time.
N: So besides fast food, what kinds of traditional foods are from Saudi Arabia?
A: Traditional food? Well if you go anywhere in Saudi Arabia , or ask anyone they will say kepsa.
N: Oh ok. Can you tell me what it is?
A: It's like..a rice mixed with meat...any meat that you like it...because kepsa means like a mix. It's usually with chicken, lamb, camel, beef...
N: What is the general taste of kepsa? Is it sweet or spicy or how would you describe it?
A: It's not as spicy as Indian restaurant and not as sweet as like Chinese-sweet. It's in the middle like..almost sour.
N: Sour?
A: Well, it's not sour. I mean like..spicy a little bit. The flavor on it is like cinnamon, salt, black pepper, onion, garlic, chili, and crushed pepper. I don't know what they call it, Maggi cubes(he's referring to a brand of bullion cubes).
N: Interesting. If you had to describe all the food in your country as sweet, sour, or spicy, which would it be?
A: Salty.
N: Oh really?
A: Yeah. It's like...have you ever tried Irish dishes?
N: I might have tried one a long time ago.
A: Ok. This Irish dish with vegetables, and this sliced lamb on it. The flavor of this reminds me of back home.
N: Do you ever get to eat foods like kepsa here in America?
A: Before I came, I didn't like to go to the kitchen. After I like face the pizza and the burgers man, my stomach gets bad and hurts. I face like a health issue man, so I became the best chef in Saint Cloud.
N: You think so?
A: Yeah. Some people have paid me to cook for them.
N: Wow, very interesting. So what kind of foods do you like to cook?
A: Uhh, I cook spaghetti, I am good with kepsa, and some dishes I just like create. You know? I just open the fridge and cook whatever's there.
N: Hmm. So as we've been talking about your culture, I've been wondering about your country's greetings. Can you tell me a little more about them?
A: They mostly come from India and China.
N: So what are the typical greetings? Like, do you shake hands, hug, or what?
A: Oh, I thought you were asking where the ingredients of kepsa come from. Well, we have a phrase that translates to "Peace in you guys" that we use. We usually say it when we face towards people.
N: Ok.
A: If you want to translate it to English, it doesn't make sense to you guys. If you had to make it into English, it would be "Peace in you guys" or "God make the peace".
N: So do you usually shake hands with this greeting?
A: Yeah. We do this to people we know and don't know.
N: Can you describe both to me?
A: Sure. We like shake hands, kiss each other, ok? This is for a man, like...if you know the guy you will shake hands and kiss him on the cheek. For the parents, like me, I have special greetings for them. I kiss the head of my parents and the hand everyday.
N: Everyday?
A: Everyday. Morning...in the morning and night. But, if you kiss the head and hand and you will be with her all the day, you don't need to do it again. It shows respect to them.
N: Do you think the greetings here or from your home country are more friendly?
A: Uhh..the greetings back home are based from the religion, and they have like rules. If you sit and I am walking next to you, I will say the greeting to you. And for the parents, it's more to show the respect for them.
N: Interesting. So I'm sure that moving here to America has got to be a huge life change. What is one thing that Saint Cloud State University could do to make your stay here better?
A: Actually, as I said like first the English. We face a lot of problems with English.
N: Ok.
A: We're shy. Sometimes we think that we can't make a mistake. Even though we're all human and we all make mistakes.
N: Yeah, of course.
A: But like, sometime when you be like a certain age everything will be formal. I didn't face a lot of help for my English to go and spend the time with American people. Like yes, I went to the institute here and there is a writing place for us, that's good.
N: Ok.
A: But, they didn't afford someone or some place to go and like speak. To go and like conversations and like tell me about the country. I came from another country, another system, and I faced this. I need a guide to me actually.
N: Ok.
A: Infact, I have talked to the instructor of this institute, Saint Cloud institute, and she said like "ok" that's good point and we will try to have a better system.
N: I can see where you're coming from. I'm just starting to learn Spanish as a second language and I envy you for being able to speak two languages fairly well.
A: Thank you.
N: So, how would you describe sports in your home country? Which sports are the most popular?
A: Soccer.
N: Alright. Can you tell me about the national soccer games, or any teams that you like?
A: The team I like back home means "half of the moon" or "quarter of the moon". They're doing good actually, like back home we have different competition. We have this competition called the King cup, and the Crown cup, and the Queen cup.
N: Do these leagues usually play with other Saudi Arabian soccer teams, or who do they compete with?
A: We have like Asian league, and after that you will be like International league. They have competition to go to the Asian league, then after that you will go for International cup. Like the World cup with all teams, like for example you will face Barcelona, Madrid, all the huge teams
N: Are there any other sports that are popular in your home country besides soccer?
A: Yeah, the volleyball. Actually, karate..you know like the self-defense?
N: Yeah.
A: Yeah..we have like I think martial arts.
N: Ok. Would you say that sports are more poplar here in America, or back in your home country?
A: Like here, you can't say that one sport is the most famous. Because like, special times for special sports. Like now, the time is to watch basketball and after like I think its hockey or whatever. You have like, you're doing good with the soccer. Your team, like no one likes them but the national team says "yeah they're good".
N: Really?
A: Yeah. For like two years you played against Brazil and also like France...you doing good guys. Also here like, I think the most popular sport that people are crazy about is football. Like, most of the places say they like football.
N: Ok. So can you describe to me the religious holidays you celebrate in your home country?
A: For religious we celebrate like two times. It's a festival called Eid-al-Fitr. You know we have like special month for fasting?
N: Yes. Ramadan?
A: Yeah. After Ramadan we have Eid-al-Fitr which is yeah..a festival. And after that we have the Hajj where people go to like Mecca. This means like people go to mosque, the holy mosque, in Saudi Arabia in Mecca city. They go this time and they like go and pray and do like practicing the religion down there because it's part of our religion.
N: Ok.
A: We go there like one time, and yeah. After that they finish, they like, have a sheep or lamb, cows, camels, and they eat it and they share the meat together. Also, like giving to the poor people. After Eid-al-Fitr, which is after Ramadan, why we fasting and we don't use food in this month to remind that we have something to eat. Also like, we like the father of the family or who have a job gives like 10% of what he owns to the like charity or poor people.
N: Wow.
A: That should be like everywhere , they call it zakat.
N: That's really amazing. So would you say that everyone in Saudi Arabia is Muslim?
A: Yes. But we have like...we are all Muslim..like what religion are you?
N: Christian.
A: You know how Christian have people like believing in Christianity? There's like 2% back home, they have like..not different beliefs but different concepts and particular rules.
N: And what are those divisions called?
A: Uhh they are called Shia and there is like Sunni. When you say Shia you are still Muslim, it's not all about the name. It's like, they call themselves Shia but like they practicing Shia rules. So yeah, they have different called Shia and Sunni. They mainly just have different details.
N: So do you think it's a good thing that Saudi Arabia only has Islam for religion, or do you think it should allow other religions?
A: Actually, so you see back home thousands and thousands and thousands of years ago people lived here as a Muslim. Because one of the holy cities like Mecca and Mina, which is like the land of all Muslims, it is like the house of God. But, back in the history they didn't say "don't be next to someone who believes another religion". Like, we have stories and the history and they tell us..and also the Qur'an tells us. Like in this life I will like show you my religion and describe it to you.
N: Ok.
A: But not go and force you to go and have my religion. This will make me insane if I do this.
N: *laughs* Ok. Can you describe to me the schooling system? Starting with what age do you think children go to school.
A: I think people go to school when they like 6 or 7.
N: What kind of umm..school do they go to? Because here I know they go to kindergarten, is it something like that?
A: Do you usually have daycare you go to before?
N: Yeah.
A: Ok. We have the same thing, they didn't give you any mean classes or mean majors. We go playing and you know..like toys and that stuff you play.
N: How can you describe the high-school system back in Saudi Arabia?
A: People now they enjoy their education. Before, I didn't enjoy my education because there is something we were missing especially my generation. Now the system is like very acceptable and people, like, like it.
N: So after high-school you told me that you had a job: can you tell me where you worked and what you worked as?
A: After I graduated high school, I studied working and I have a diploma for working. After that I work in a company called Alphasensor (I'm not sure if this is correct).
N: Ok.
A: I work there for like a year and 9 months, almost 2 years. I worked in the uhh..human resource department as..what do they call it here..like the technology department and human resource department.
N: Ok.
A: What I like, do specific is I like arrange for like the staff or the worker like good time to explain if they have a problem with their job if they don't like something. You know, like give them motivation and support them, make them more optimistic about the job.
N: Ok. So what are you majoring in here at Saint Cloud State?
A: Actually, I major here for finance.
N: Ok, do you have any career plans after you graduate?
A: No. I don't have any clue, but I have experience and hopefully I have like two languages and I have two like certificates from different majors so it might like help me. I really hope to like work here for an international company.
N: What modes of transportation do people usually use in your home country?
A: Yeah, like cars. Everyone has cars, the buses are like..they use the buses but it's not recommended for you to go to the bus. It's like, I don't know..it's because the gas is so cheap down there. SO cheap.
N: Like how much in dollars?
A: You can't even compare it, it's so cheap. Like there, it's almost zero. Maybe like ten bucks to fill the tank.
N: Wow, that's really cheap.
A: Yeah. Like, a hundred bucks maybe for like a month or two months. And also, we don't have a tax..we are lucky actually. We have like public school, like free school, free education, free hospital, uhh..also people help you tax free.
N: Well, then what made you come here to America?
A: Uhh, the knowledge, the experience that America have it or has it.
N: Do you think that America has a better system of colleges
A: Yeah. I see the system of like high schools and colleges here, and I'm jealous man. I didn't face this, but they make you comfortable about the education. Before in like my generation, most of the people hate it, like they don't like it. They don't wanna like go. This generation though, they are different. Like, my younger brothers I see how they deal with the system of education different than how we did before. But yeah, there is a great system and that's why people come here.
N: Hmm, ok. So can you tell me a secret about yourself that few people know that shows us who you are?
A: So, why they call it secret?
N: Why do they call it that?
A: Yeah, because if I tell you why they call it secret?
N: Yeah, it won't be a secret anymore if you tell me.
A: *laughs* Ok, lemme think about this..
N: We can come back to this if you want to think about it.
A: Yeah I will think about it.
N: Alright. Can you describe to me a typical day for a child in your country? Like what do they usually do?
A: Ok. I usually, my mother like wake me up at like 5:00 and I pray in the morning because we pray 5 times a day. After this I take like a nap, and after that I eat the breakfast and have a good meal. And after this, I go to my school until 2:00 or 1:30 then I come back to my home and have a lunch. After this I like also take a nap, and wake up to do my homework, all my homework, and after that I go with my brother and neighborhood to play soccer.
N: Ok.
A: After that I come back and prepare to pray again, and then my father comes back and we sit together and like talk about the day. After this we pray again, eat a light dinner, and finally sleep. On vacations we might go out early to hunt birds then cook them, you know?
N: Yeah.
A: It's something to do.
N: Ok. So do you know what kind of government is in charge of Saudi Arabia?
A: Yes, the government..like you mean the rules?
N: Kind of. Because here in America we have a democracy where all of the people vote to elect the leaders, is it kind of like that in Saudi Arabia?
A: No, it's like about the royal family who like decide it. It's like, the founder of Saudi Arabia who make it one nation, Abdul Aziz. He had like forty child or something, and all of his children they became a king. We have like an agreement to support him like a contract. People agree and support it, like my grandfather had a document to support him.
N: Do you think this is a fair method? What if you didn't like the decisions he was making, what could you do?
A: Actually, the fairness I meant to not all be about the royal family. If it's like something bad in the system, the people can take him off and the system will be cool. For example, we have soccer like the national team.
N: Yep.
A: They become suckier, and the big head for the soccer team or something is one of the royal family but the people complain "we don't want you". Then they take the team out and kick them out. So, there is a fairness and you can't just say "blah blah blah" and they will accept it. Bring me a good point supported with like information, supporting with knowledge. They're not 100% wrong or like 100% right, but they see your points if you have them.
N: Ok. So have you thought about any secrets that you could tell us?
A: Secrets...hmm. Yeah, I stole my brother's car when I was in the second grade of high school.
N: Ok, can you tell me more?
A: Yeah. It was in the summer, and I was crazy like" I wanna drive I wanna drive I wanna drive" you know, thinking about driving a lot. So I sneak to my brother's room and I take the key from his pocket and I took the car. I got into an accident, but not a huge accident , but I hit a wall or something.
N: Did you have a license or..?
A: No, nothing. That's why. After the accident I was scared, but like only the front light was broke not like serious damage. I brought the car like to the house again, and put it back outside. I started thinking "how I make it real?" that someone hit the car. I took a Coke..uhh..the glass one and I broke the glass and I put little bits on it.
N: Ok.
A: I came to wake him up to tell him that someone crashed your car on their way. And he just look at the car and look at me and said "No any sign, no break around it, if it was a car it would be moved". He figured out like right away.
N: What is one thing you wish you could change here in America?
A: Respect.
N: Respect? What do you mean by that?
A: I mean by that..uhh...the respect of the young people to the old. Like when I go to the bus, I enter the bus and there are old people, they stand up and the young people sit. Back home, you will not see this and it's based in religion more. Also like, kids yell to their parents but back home they don't. Like, they yell for sure but they have like..umm..
N: More respect?
A: More respect yeah. Sorry, it's not me like saying "there's no respect here". No no, there is like a lot of respect, a lot of humble people, kind people, like amazing people. I am only talking about this like this particular section of kids with their parents.
N: Ok. Well, I think I have all of my questions answered. Is there anything else you'd like to say about moving to America in general?
A: Well, moving to America is like a good experience, and I like the whole process. I read the rules before I came here in a book, and I totally agree with the rules. Yeah...no complain about the rules actually. Everything is fine..good..good experience to be here. Saint Cloud actually gives us a good environment, you know?
N: Yeah.
A: Especially for native, international..everyone. Yeah..it's good. It's good to be here actually, I'm glad to be here.
N: That's good. Well, all of my questions are answered so this concludes the interview. Thank you for your time.
A: Thanks
2. Interview Report
Like my first interview, this one went very well and there is only one thing I would change for next time. Abdullah answered every question and he seemed to be comfortable. Abdullah helped me expand my knowledge of food in Saudi Arabia: they have a lot more fast food chains than I previously thought. I learned a bit on the education system of Saudi Arabia and how they structure schooling very similar to the United States. It seems that when you are younger, school gets out much earlier than in the U.S. and apparently most children eat lunch at their homes. I certainly learned a lot about the government style of Saudi Arabia and how families signed contracts saying that they agreed with the leader. Also, the fact that gas prices are cheap in Saudi Arabia was confirmed and it truly amazed me that to fill up a car it only costs about $10. I've learned that there are two major denominations of Islam : Shia and Sunni. Lastly, for my next interview I need to reserve a library study room in advance. For my first interview it wasn't an issue because we had a different location, but I need to consider that for my next interview.
3. Country Report
Saudi Arabia is a somewhat large country found just east of Africa and south of Eastern Europe. Although it is close to Africa and Europe, Saudi Arabia is officially part of Asia. Saudi Arabia is about 1/5 the size of the United States, and it consists of very dry deserts and mountains. Saudi Arabia is perhaps best known for its exports in oil and for having the two most holy Islam mosques.
As mentioned, Saudi Arabia contains the two holiest Islam mosques in Mecca and in Medina. Saudi Arabia is an Islamic state where the government is based on Islamic holy law. The specific type of government is technically a monarchy. This was apparent when Faisal was explaining to me about the secret police who enforce the religious laws. In Saudi Arabia, the citizens are only allowed to be Muslim and no other religion. The two main divisions of Islam are Shia and Sunni, but most people are Sunni. In these regards, every person celebrates religious holidays like Eid-al-Fitr and Ramadan. Ramadan is a month in which Muslims don't eat from sunrise to sunset, and Eid-al-Fitr is the day after the month of Ramadan that they celebrate. In addition to these holidays, Muslims also pray five times a day: once when the sun rises, once at noon, once after noon, once at sunset, and once at night. These things are part of the five pillars of Islam. Abdullah had told me about the great generosity and giving that Muslims do and he said nearly 10% of someone's total income is donated. Religion is a major part of everyday life for Saudi Arabians.
Greetings in Saudi Arabia are usually hand shakes, hugs, or kisses on the cheek. Faisal noted that here in America, people are more distant and less friendly in their greetings. Abdullah has also told me that the greetings of his home country are more respectful that here in America. Children around the age of eight have a typical day consisting of going to school and then unstructured time after school to do things like play soccer. Like America, Saudi Arabia has kindergarten, then elementary school, then high school, and finally college. When children are about age 9, they get out of school earlier than American schools and typically eat lunch at home. College in Saudi Arabia has a first year called orientation where everyone has the same classes and schedule. When asked to compare, Faisal thinks that the United States has a better quality of education than Saudi Arabia. The main sport in Saudi Arabia is football, which is the same sport that Americans know as soccer with the ball on the ground and the goalposts with nets. Abdullah has told me that there are many different leagues and different cups that Saudi Arabian football teams compete for.
Cars are the most popular mode of transportation in Saudi Arabia. There are many types of cars available including American cars, German cars, and other European cars. The trains and buses in Saudi Arabia are only practical for going long distances, and there are few taxi cabs. Most people can afford cars because the gasoline is relatively cheap compared to most places. Abdullah has told me that it costs only about $10 to fill up a gas tank, and $100 can pay for gas for up to two months. Saudi Arabia holds about 1/5 of the world's total petroleum, exports the most petroleum, and has an important role in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC). Since oil companies have a lot of revenue, it makes sense that Faisal wants to work there: they will give a better salary.
Food in Saudi Arabia is very diverse and there isn't one thing that categorizes it. Rice and chicken, however, are found in many Saudi dishes. Also common is cheese, bread, mutton, and eggs. The most iconic food is kepsa, which is a spicy dish with orange rice and chicken. Abdullah and Faisal have both told me that there is a very special and secret combination of spices that really makes the meal taste good. Light roasted Arabic coffee is the national beverage. Some foods are considered taboo and never to be eaten. These include pork, wine, beer, and any other alcoholic beverage. It is part of the Islamic faith to never eat these things.
In this summary, one can see how Saudi Arabia and America are two vastly different countries. Although some of the differences come from religion, natural resources(like oil) also play an important role.
Sources: http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Saudi-Arabia.html
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3584.htm
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html
Sources: http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Saudi-Arabia.html
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3584.htm
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html
4. Interview Transcription
N = NicholasES (me)
A = AbdullahAA
N: So Abdullah, it's nice to see you here. Thanks for the interview again.
A: No problem.
N: So, can you start by telling me your age?
A: I'm twenty-five.
A: I came from Saudi Arabia....from Riyadh which is the capital city of Saudi Arabia.
N: Oh wow, the capital. Is it really busy there?
A: Yes, and around there it's around 4 million.
N: Wow, that's amazing. So..is it really crowded living there?
A: Yeah. Actually, I haven't been there since 2010 or 2009 and every time I'm there they have something new in the city.
N: Really?
A: Yeah. Something different happens like new buildings, towers, malls.
N: I'm sure there are a LOT of buildings and restaurants like that. Speaking of restaurants, are there any restaurants that you find here like McDonalds in Saudi Arabia?
A: Yes, there is like McDonalds, ehh....everything is actually there...McDonalds, Burger King, uhh..KFC, Applebees, Fridays, and Chili's.
N: Do you think that people eat fast food more here in America compared to Saudi Arabia?
A: Actually, uhh..in America. But, the new generation in Saudi Arabia is starting to follow you. They are starting to like fast food too.
N: *laughs* So do you think Americans eat fast food too much?
A: Yeah, they seem to eat it all the time.
N: So besides fast food, what kinds of traditional foods are from Saudi Arabia?
A: Traditional food? Well if you go anywhere in Saudi Arabia , or ask anyone they will say kepsa.
N: Oh ok. Can you tell me what it is?
A: It's like..a rice mixed with meat...any meat that you like it...because kepsa means like a mix. It's usually with chicken, lamb, camel, beef...
N: What is the general taste of kepsa? Is it sweet or spicy or how would you describe it?
A: It's not as spicy as Indian restaurant and not as sweet as like Chinese-sweet. It's in the middle like..almost sour.
N: Sour?
A: Well, it's not sour. I mean like..spicy a little bit. The flavor on it is like cinnamon, salt, black pepper, onion, garlic, chili, and crushed pepper. I don't know what they call it, Maggi cubes(he's referring to a brand of bullion cubes).
N: Interesting. If you had to describe all the food in your country as sweet, sour, or spicy, which would it be?
A: Salty.
N: Oh really?
A: Yeah. It's like...have you ever tried Irish dishes?
N: I might have tried one a long time ago.
A: Ok. This Irish dish with vegetables, and this sliced lamb on it. The flavor of this reminds me of back home.
N: Do you ever get to eat foods like kepsa here in America?
A: Before I came, I didn't like to go to the kitchen. After I like face the pizza and the burgers man, my stomach gets bad and hurts. I face like a health issue man, so I became the best chef in Saint Cloud.
N: You think so?
A: Yeah. Some people have paid me to cook for them.
N: Wow, very interesting. So what kind of foods do you like to cook?
A: Uhh, I cook spaghetti, I am good with kepsa, and some dishes I just like create. You know? I just open the fridge and cook whatever's there.
N: Hmm. So as we've been talking about your culture, I've been wondering about your country's greetings. Can you tell me a little more about them?
A: They mostly come from India and China.
N: So what are the typical greetings? Like, do you shake hands, hug, or what?
A: Oh, I thought you were asking where the ingredients of kepsa come from. Well, we have a phrase that translates to "Peace in you guys" that we use. We usually say it when we face towards people.
N: Ok.
A: If you want to translate it to English, it doesn't make sense to you guys. If you had to make it into English, it would be "Peace in you guys" or "God make the peace".
N: So do you usually shake hands with this greeting?
A: Yeah. We do this to people we know and don't know.
N: Can you describe both to me?
A: Sure. We like shake hands, kiss each other, ok? This is for a man, like...if you know the guy you will shake hands and kiss him on the cheek. For the parents, like me, I have special greetings for them. I kiss the head of my parents and the hand everyday.
N: Everyday?
A: Everyday. Morning...in the morning and night. But, if you kiss the head and hand and you will be with her all the day, you don't need to do it again. It shows respect to them.
N: Do you think the greetings here or from your home country are more friendly?
A: Uhh..the greetings back home are based from the religion, and they have like rules. If you sit and I am walking next to you, I will say the greeting to you. And for the parents, it's more to show the respect for them.
N: Interesting. So I'm sure that moving here to America has got to be a huge life change. What is one thing that Saint Cloud State University could do to make your stay here better?
A: Actually, as I said like first the English. We face a lot of problems with English.
N: Ok.
A: We're shy. Sometimes we think that we can't make a mistake. Even though we're all human and we all make mistakes.
N: Yeah, of course.
A: But like, sometime when you be like a certain age everything will be formal. I didn't face a lot of help for my English to go and spend the time with American people. Like yes, I went to the institute here and there is a writing place for us, that's good.
N: Ok.
A: But, they didn't afford someone or some place to go and like speak. To go and like conversations and like tell me about the country. I came from another country, another system, and I faced this. I need a guide to me actually.
N: Ok.
A: Infact, I have talked to the instructor of this institute, Saint Cloud institute, and she said like "ok" that's good point and we will try to have a better system.
N: I can see where you're coming from. I'm just starting to learn Spanish as a second language and I envy you for being able to speak two languages fairly well.
A: Thank you.
N: So, how would you describe sports in your home country? Which sports are the most popular?
A: Soccer.
N: Alright. Can you tell me about the national soccer games, or any teams that you like?
A: The team I like back home means "half of the moon" or "quarter of the moon". They're doing good actually, like back home we have different competition. We have this competition called the King cup, and the Crown cup, and the Queen cup.
N: Do these leagues usually play with other Saudi Arabian soccer teams, or who do they compete with?
A: We have like Asian league, and after that you will be like International league. They have competition to go to the Asian league, then after that you will go for International cup. Like the World cup with all teams, like for example you will face Barcelona, Madrid, all the huge teams
N: Are there any other sports that are popular in your home country besides soccer?
A: Yeah, the volleyball. Actually, karate..you know like the self-defense?
N: Yeah.
A: Yeah..we have like I think martial arts.
N: Ok. Would you say that sports are more poplar here in America, or back in your home country?
A: Like here, you can't say that one sport is the most famous. Because like, special times for special sports. Like now, the time is to watch basketball and after like I think its hockey or whatever. You have like, you're doing good with the soccer. Your team, like no one likes them but the national team says "yeah they're good".
N: Really?
A: Yeah. For like two years you played against Brazil and also like France...you doing good guys. Also here like, I think the most popular sport that people are crazy about is football. Like, most of the places say they like football.
N: Ok. So can you describe to me the religious holidays you celebrate in your home country?
A: For religious we celebrate like two times. It's a festival called Eid-al-Fitr. You know we have like special month for fasting?
N: Yes. Ramadan?
A: Yeah. After Ramadan we have Eid-al-Fitr which is yeah..a festival. And after that we have the Hajj where people go to like Mecca. This means like people go to mosque, the holy mosque, in Saudi Arabia in Mecca city. They go this time and they like go and pray and do like practicing the religion down there because it's part of our religion.
N: Ok.
A: We go there like one time, and yeah. After that they finish, they like, have a sheep or lamb, cows, camels, and they eat it and they share the meat together. Also, like giving to the poor people. After Eid-al-Fitr, which is after Ramadan, why we fasting and we don't use food in this month to remind that we have something to eat. Also like, we like the father of the family or who have a job gives like 10% of what he owns to the like charity or poor people.
N: Wow.
A: That should be like everywhere , they call it zakat.
N: That's really amazing. So would you say that everyone in Saudi Arabia is Muslim?
A: Yes. But we have like...we are all Muslim..like what religion are you?
N: Christian.
A: You know how Christian have people like believing in Christianity? There's like 2% back home, they have like..not different beliefs but different concepts and particular rules.
N: And what are those divisions called?
A: Uhh they are called Shia and there is like Sunni. When you say Shia you are still Muslim, it's not all about the name. It's like, they call themselves Shia but like they practicing Shia rules. So yeah, they have different called Shia and Sunni. They mainly just have different details.
N: So do you think it's a good thing that Saudi Arabia only has Islam for religion, or do you think it should allow other religions?
A: Actually, so you see back home thousands and thousands and thousands of years ago people lived here as a Muslim. Because one of the holy cities like Mecca and Mina, which is like the land of all Muslims, it is like the house of God. But, back in the history they didn't say "don't be next to someone who believes another religion". Like, we have stories and the history and they tell us..and also the Qur'an tells us. Like in this life I will like show you my religion and describe it to you.
N: Ok.
A: But not go and force you to go and have my religion. This will make me insane if I do this.
N: *laughs* Ok. Can you describe to me the schooling system? Starting with what age do you think children go to school.
A: I think people go to school when they like 6 or 7.
N: What kind of umm..school do they go to? Because here I know they go to kindergarten, is it something like that?
A: Do you usually have daycare you go to before?
N: Yeah.
A: Ok. We have the same thing, they didn't give you any mean classes or mean majors. We go playing and you know..like toys and that stuff you play.
N: How can you describe the high-school system back in Saudi Arabia?
A: People now they enjoy their education. Before, I didn't enjoy my education because there is something we were missing especially my generation. Now the system is like very acceptable and people, like, like it.
N: So after high-school you told me that you had a job: can you tell me where you worked and what you worked as?
A: After I graduated high school, I studied working and I have a diploma for working. After that I work in a company called Alphasensor (I'm not sure if this is correct).
N: Ok.
A: I work there for like a year and 9 months, almost 2 years. I worked in the uhh..human resource department as..what do they call it here..like the technology department and human resource department.
N: Ok.
A: What I like, do specific is I like arrange for like the staff or the worker like good time to explain if they have a problem with their job if they don't like something. You know, like give them motivation and support them, make them more optimistic about the job.
N: Ok. So what are you majoring in here at Saint Cloud State?
A: Actually, I major here for finance.
N: Ok, do you have any career plans after you graduate?
A: No. I don't have any clue, but I have experience and hopefully I have like two languages and I have two like certificates from different majors so it might like help me. I really hope to like work here for an international company.
N: What modes of transportation do people usually use in your home country?
A: Yeah, like cars. Everyone has cars, the buses are like..they use the buses but it's not recommended for you to go to the bus. It's like, I don't know..it's because the gas is so cheap down there. SO cheap.
N: Like how much in dollars?
A: You can't even compare it, it's so cheap. Like there, it's almost zero. Maybe like ten bucks to fill the tank.
N: Wow, that's really cheap.
A: Yeah. Like, a hundred bucks maybe for like a month or two months. And also, we don't have a tax..we are lucky actually. We have like public school, like free school, free education, free hospital, uhh..also people help you tax free.
N: Well, then what made you come here to America?
A: Uhh, the knowledge, the experience that America have it or has it.
N: Do you think that America has a better system of colleges
A: Yeah. I see the system of like high schools and colleges here, and I'm jealous man. I didn't face this, but they make you comfortable about the education. Before in like my generation, most of the people hate it, like they don't like it. They don't wanna like go. This generation though, they are different. Like, my younger brothers I see how they deal with the system of education different than how we did before. But yeah, there is a great system and that's why people come here.
N: Hmm, ok. So can you tell me a secret about yourself that few people know that shows us who you are?
A: So, why they call it secret?
N: Why do they call it that?
A: Yeah, because if I tell you why they call it secret?
N: Yeah, it won't be a secret anymore if you tell me.
A: *laughs* Ok, lemme think about this..
N: We can come back to this if you want to think about it.
A: Yeah I will think about it.
N: Alright. Can you describe to me a typical day for a child in your country? Like what do they usually do?
A: Ok. I usually, my mother like wake me up at like 5:00 and I pray in the morning because we pray 5 times a day. After this I take like a nap, and after that I eat the breakfast and have a good meal. And after this, I go to my school until 2:00 or 1:30 then I come back to my home and have a lunch. After this I like also take a nap, and wake up to do my homework, all my homework, and after that I go with my brother and neighborhood to play soccer.
N: Ok.
A: After that I come back and prepare to pray again, and then my father comes back and we sit together and like talk about the day. After this we pray again, eat a light dinner, and finally sleep. On vacations we might go out early to hunt birds then cook them, you know?
N: Yeah.
A: It's something to do.
N: Ok. So do you know what kind of government is in charge of Saudi Arabia?
A: Yes, the government..like you mean the rules?
N: Kind of. Because here in America we have a democracy where all of the people vote to elect the leaders, is it kind of like that in Saudi Arabia?
A: No, it's like about the royal family who like decide it. It's like, the founder of Saudi Arabia who make it one nation, Abdul Aziz. He had like forty child or something, and all of his children they became a king. We have like an agreement to support him like a contract. People agree and support it, like my grandfather had a document to support him.
N: Do you think this is a fair method? What if you didn't like the decisions he was making, what could you do?
A: Actually, the fairness I meant to not all be about the royal family. If it's like something bad in the system, the people can take him off and the system will be cool. For example, we have soccer like the national team.
N: Yep.
A: They become suckier, and the big head for the soccer team or something is one of the royal family but the people complain "we don't want you". Then they take the team out and kick them out. So, there is a fairness and you can't just say "blah blah blah" and they will accept it. Bring me a good point supported with like information, supporting with knowledge. They're not 100% wrong or like 100% right, but they see your points if you have them.
N: Ok. So have you thought about any secrets that you could tell us?
A: Secrets...hmm. Yeah, I stole my brother's car when I was in the second grade of high school.
N: Ok, can you tell me more?
A: Yeah. It was in the summer, and I was crazy like" I wanna drive I wanna drive I wanna drive" you know, thinking about driving a lot. So I sneak to my brother's room and I take the key from his pocket and I took the car. I got into an accident, but not a huge accident , but I hit a wall or something.
N: Did you have a license or..?
A: No, nothing. That's why. After the accident I was scared, but like only the front light was broke not like serious damage. I brought the car like to the house again, and put it back outside. I started thinking "how I make it real?" that someone hit the car. I took a Coke..uhh..the glass one and I broke the glass and I put little bits on it.
N: Ok.
A: I came to wake him up to tell him that someone crashed your car on their way. And he just look at the car and look at me and said "No any sign, no break around it, if it was a car it would be moved". He figured out like right away.
N: What is one thing you wish you could change here in America?
A: Respect.
N: Respect? What do you mean by that?
A: I mean by that..uhh...the respect of the young people to the old. Like when I go to the bus, I enter the bus and there are old people, they stand up and the young people sit. Back home, you will not see this and it's based in religion more. Also like, kids yell to their parents but back home they don't. Like, they yell for sure but they have like..umm..
N: More respect?
A: More respect yeah. Sorry, it's not me like saying "there's no respect here". No no, there is like a lot of respect, a lot of humble people, kind people, like amazing people. I am only talking about this like this particular section of kids with their parents.
N: Ok. Well, I think I have all of my questions answered. Is there anything else you'd like to say about moving to America in general?
A: Well, moving to America is like a good experience, and I like the whole process. I read the rules before I came here in a book, and I totally agree with the rules. Yeah...no complain about the rules actually. Everything is fine..good..good experience to be here. Saint Cloud actually gives us a good environment, you know?
N: Yeah.
A: Especially for native, international..everyone. Yeah..it's good. It's good to be here actually, I'm glad to be here.
N: That's good. Well, all of my questions are answered so this concludes the interview. Thank you for your time.
A: Thanks
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