1.Interview Preparations
I used the same methods to prepare for this interview as the first two interviews. After I had my questions ordered, I set some goals for the interview. I wanted to gather information about food, government, and other views about America. Since my last two interviewees were from Saudi Arabia, it makes sense to pick my third interviewee from Saudi Arabia so I can cross reference information. The only student from Saudi Arabia that I hadn't interviewed was AbdullahMA. I asked him in class if I could interview him, and he accepted. We didn't establish a time for the interview, but eventually we decided on Sunday April 1st at 6:00 p.m. Abdullah had a meeting that changed his plans, so we rescheduled the interview for 7:30 p.m. He was done with the meeting early, so we weren't certain when exactly the interview was until 7:20. We did end up doing the interview at 7:30 p.m., but we couldn't find a study room so I interviewed Abdullah in his car. I brought a set of the questions to Abdullah for the interview, and I recorded it with the same digital camera. Afterwords, I transcribed it using my computer again.
2.Interview Report
Even though this was my shortest interview, it was also one of the most successful. By the third time around of asking the same questions, I have a pretty solid understanding of the main questions. This interview answered a lot of miscellaneous questions that I have been thinking about Saudi Arabian culture. For example, learning that gas is cheaper than water in Saudi Arabia really shows me how cheap it is. Also in this interview I learned about another Muslim tradition: Eid-al-Adha. I also learned that the Muslim religion isn't really forced upon everyone who is in Saudi Arabia, most people who live there happen to be Muslim because Mecca and Medina are located in it. This interview contradicts my other interviews slightly, because AbdullahMA told me that buses and cars are the only modes of transportation. AbdullahAA and FaisalHA both told me that there are other modes such as trains and taxis. Just about everything else matched what I previously knew, and AbdullahMA gave me a unique perspective on the topics.
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. AbdullahAA and AbdullahMA informed me that the first ruler was King Abdul Aziz. 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. AbdullahMA informed me that another holiday Muslims celebrate is Eid-al-Adha. This usually involves sacrificing an animal like a lamb or cow and giving a part of the meat to the poor. 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. AbdullahMA told me that Muslims must pray at specific times (exactly at 7:45 p.m. for example). These things are part of the five pillars of Islam. AbdullahAA 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. AbdullahAA has also told me that the greetings of his home country are more respectful that here in America. AbdullahMA says that Americans judge him for kissing his friends on the cheek and they question his sexuality even though it's commonplace in Saudi Arabia. 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.
AbdullahAA 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. AbdullahAA 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. AbdullahMA told me that gas is cheaper than water in Saudi Arabia. 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 kabsa, which is a spicy dish with orange rice and chicken.
AbdullahAA, Faisal, and AbdullahMA have 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 for country report:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3584.htm
http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Saudi-Arabia.html
Sources for country report:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3584.htm
http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Saudi-Arabia.html
4.Interview Transcription
N = NicholasES (me)
A = AbdullahMA
N: It's good to see you here Abdullah. Nice to meet you.
A: Nice to meet you too.
N: How about we start off by you telling us what country you're from.
A: Actually, I'm from Saudi Arabia. I've been in the United States for like, uhh, more than two years.
N: So how old are you?
A: Uhm, twenty.
N: Ok, and what are you planning on majoring in here at SCSU?
A: Actually, Electrical Engineering. I know it's tough, but ya know? I should work hard to get it.
N: So I've heard that Saudi Arabia has some distinct dishes like kabsa. Can you explain to me what it is?
A: Yeah, it's like.. it contains rice, any kind of meat such as you know chicken, beef, whatever you want.
N: Ok.
A: It's like a main dish in Saudi Arabia, I can't say we eat it everyday but we eat it a lot.
N: Do you think that it's easy to get kepsa around here?
A: Yeah, we have everything like tomatoes, unions, and chicken, rice, so we can.
N: Do you have to make it, or do you usually have to order and buy kabsa?
A: Uhh, actually we don't like to buy it from others from others because it's more delicious when you buy it from home.
N: Ok.
A: Umm, a lot of food for example in the war of the food we call it jerish (?) and it's kind of fried. And that's it.
N: Ok. So what do you.. what country has the best food in your opinion?
A: Ehh, except my country right? Because everyone loves their own.
N: Yes except your own.
A: I really love Italian food
N: Really?
A: Yeah, I especially love the spices on it. It can also be natural food that's good for you, like vegetables.
A: Actually, when I see a person who I don't know for the first time I will just shake his hand, right hand of course, and that's it. But when I see my friend I can, you know, kiss both cheeks.
N: That's very different from here, isn't it?
A: Yeah, but you know sometimes when I kiss my friends on his cheeks some Americans think we're gay or something. That's a problem. They just don't know a lot of things about our culture so they guess.
N: Yeah, you don't really see that around here.
A: Exactly.
N: So, I'm sure moving here to America has been a huge life change. What is one thing that the university could do to make your stay here better?
A: Actually, I think the parking lots. Because you know, I use my car to move places and I think that they should make parking free or let you pay less for the whole semester. It'd be easier for everyone. I guess..that's it.
N: So everything else is pretty good about being here?
A: Yeah, everything.
N: Anything else that you wish you could change about living here in general?
A: I think everything's great...except the parking.
N: Doesn't the price of gas irk you? It's very cheap in Saudi Arabia right?
A: Very cheap. The gas in Saudi Arabia is cheaper than the water. That's why I can say everyone in Saudi Arabia has a car.
N: Do they have American cars for sale there, or European, or what kind of cars do they drive there?
A: I think American cars, and Japanese cars, Germany's...
N: Ok. So how would you describe the famous sports in Saudi Arabia.
A: Ok, the main one is soccer. And uhh, even though we don't have a really good international team, everybody loves to play soccer in Saudi Arabia.
N: Alright, so did you play soccer as a kid?
A: Yeah.
N: Did they also have competitive soccer like in teams with tournaments for kids in school?
A: Yep, yep. And sometimes, we used to travel with the sports team. Right now actually I'm playing with the SCSU team.
N: Did you do really well?
A: Yeah we won.
N: So you won the entire competition?
A: No, just we played like 5 games and won all 4 of them.
N: Do you think that soccer is really the only sport?
A: I guess soccer is the most popular. I cannot tell you the second one because I guess we don't have one.
N: Ok. One more thing: in your home country is it proper to say football or soccer?
A: Football.
N: Football ok. It can be kind of confusing sometimes as an American.
A: Exactly.
N: So, what religious holidays or events do you celebrate?
A: We have two main ones. The first one we call Ramadan, no the day after Ramadan. As you know, Ramadan is a 30-day period when we don't eat during the daylight. And then after that month, we can celebrate, eat, and umm..70 days after this holiday we have Eid-al-Adha.
N: Ok, can you describe to me what that is?
A: At Eid-al-Adha we kill a kind of animal. Umm.. and we donate some of the meat to the poor people and celebrate together as one family. What else...we pray..
N: Would you say that everyone in Saudi Arabia is Muslim?
A: Yep. 100%.
N: Do you think that's a good thing, or would you rather have it like America where you can believe whatever you want?
A: Actually, we have some people who came from other countries. For example, are you a Muslim?
N: No.
A: So if you go there, no one will tell you that you have to be a Muslim. Nobody will..of course they will accept you and respect your religion as you respect our religion when we come here. So I would say that all of the Saudis are Muslim, but not all of the people in Saudi Arabia are Muslim.
N: Ok, I see. Is it possible to worship other religions in Saudi Arabia, or are there only mosques?
A: Yeah only the mosques.
A: I just pray.
N: Can you describe to me when you pray those 5 times?
A: Actually...right now I should pray. Uhh..yeah right now. At 1:30 p.m., at 5:00 we should pray, and umm.. 7:45 p.m.
N: That's right now isn't it?
A: Yeah right now I should pray. And then at round 9, and the last one at 5:30 a.m. I should wake up and pray. It's kind of weird for you right?
N: It's definitely different. So do you need to pause the interview so you can go and pray, because I can if you need to?
A: No, I can do it in the next hour.
N: Ok. So you don't need to pray at the exact time?
A: Actually you do but I have an hour because there isn't a mosque near hear. There is the one over there but I don't go. I can postpone it.
N: Ok. So what age do children usually start school in Saudi Arabia?
A: Most of the children start school at the age of 7. I started school at 6 because I'm special *laughs*.
N: *laughs* Ok. Here in America children go to kindergarten first, is it like that in Saudi Arabia?
A: Yep.
N: After kindergarten where do students go?
A: It's exactly like here in America.
N: Exactly?
A: Yes exactly the same. I have a question though: how many years do you spend in high school?
N: Four years.
A: We spend just three years and we graduate about age 18.
N: So I've heard that college is free in Saudi Arabia, is this true?
A: Yes.
N: Do you think that the U.S. has better education?
A: Yes. A LOT.
N: Interesting. Do you think that students are under a lot of stress in high school and college?
A: Yes. When I studied college for 2 months in Saudi Arabia, I wasn't exactly easy and everything was in Arabic.
N: So, what modes of transportation are usually used in your country?
A: Cars.
N: Do you think that cars are the most common?
A: Yeah.
N: So what other modes do you use?
A: Actually, we have buses. The problem is that you cannot expect when they come...no like..schedule.
N: Wow, that's different. Is there anything else you use?
A: Hmm, I think that's it.
N: So can you tell me a secret about yourself that few people know?
A: Actually, two years ago I wasn't able to make one sentence in English. After I started learning step-by-step I moved here to America.
N: I envy that, because I'm starting to learn Spanish. Do you happen to know what alfombra means in Arabic?
A: Uhm, no..
N: Or maybe it's carpet?
A: That is shahzeda (?).
N: Oh. I was told that alfombra means rug in Spanish and Arabic.
A: Hmm..ok what does masa mean?
N: Uhm, I don't think that's a word in Spanish.
A: Really, because my roommate says that table in Spanish is similar.
N: Oh, you mean mesa.
A:Yeah in Arabic, table is masa.
A: Yeah.
N: So, can you describe to me the typical day for a child about age 8 or 9?
A: Ok, I will start with myself. At that age I used to go to school, and then I used to spend like 6 - 7 hours in school every day for a week. Then, I used to stay at school and play video games, and sometimes I helped my mother. Uhm..yeah that's it I guess. And uhh..on weekends I used to hang out with my friends and play soccer.
N: What age do you think that most kids get a job?
A: Kids? What age?
N: Yeah, that's what I'm asking. Do children usually have jobs?
A: No.
N: They usually wait until they're older?
A: Yes, they have to graduate high school or college to get a job.
N: Here, a lot of students about age 16 get jobs a fast-food restaurants. Do they have fast food restaurants in Saudi Arabia?
A: Yeah, but they have to graduate from high school to get a job. Except in the summer: some students get jobs then.
N: Is this like a rule, or most people just don't do it?
A: Exactly, no rule.
N: So, can you describe how the government works in your country? Like, who leads Saudi Arabia?
A: King Abdullah, like my name.
N: How did he get in power, do you know?
A: Yeah, he came from a royal family. So when his brother died he got to be king.
N: So it's been a long line of descendents?
A: Yeah, the first one was Abdul Aziz.
N: So do you think that kind of government is fair, or would you rather have a democracy where the people elect the leaders?
A: Actually, I cannot say that they aren't good or they're bad. When you live all your life with one rule, it's gonna be so hard to say that it's not fair. But I think it's good because as you know we have a salary, and uh..and free education, they're also gonna give us a monthly salary.
N: Has the government ever made a decision that you don't like.
A: Yeah, like women driving in Saudi Arabia.
N: Can you tell me more about that?
A: Actually, it's not a religious thing. Because, 1,000 years ago....how many uhh..Muslim countries around the world? About 57, and let's say 56 the women are allowed to drive just not in Saudi Arabia.
N: So do you know why they aren't allowed to drive?
A: I don't know, but it's kind of a cultural thing.
N: Ok. So are women ever allowed to drive cars?
A: No, it sounds weird right?
N: Yeah. Are women not allowed to do any other things?
A: No just driving. Right now they're discussing it, and the government needs time to discuss it.
N: So, we're nearing the end of the questions: what's one thing that you wish you could change about living here in America?
A: Actually, I don't like the cold weather. The weather in Saudi Arabia is so hot, if only I could transfer to Florida *laughs*.
N: *laughs* Did you buy your first winter coat here?
A: Yeah.
N: Wow. So, is there anything you'd like to mention that is very different from here that we haven't talked about?
A: Well..in Saudi Arabia we don't drink alcohol.
N: And that is for religious purposes?
A: Exactly.
N: Do you think it's a good thing that alcohol is prohibited?
A: Actually, yeah. You know, I see over there when I go downtown a lot of problems and fighting just because of drinking.
N: Well, this answers all of my questions. Thank you for your time.
A: Thank you too, nice to meet you
No comments:
Post a Comment