My First Interview

1: Interview Preparations

I approached Ali after class on Monday, October 14 and asked if he had had anyone ask him or if he asked someone else. He responded by saying he did not have someone to interview. We then exchanged numbers and set up a plan a meeting for Thursday at 5 pm. Upon arrival at the library we asked for a study room so we could talk in a normal voice and not have to worry about disrupting other students. Once in the study room we sat down and casually talked for a few minutes. Then it was time for the interview. I set my recorder on the table in between one another and started with asking;
B: So I was wondering if it be alright if I were to ask you a few questions? It will probably take around 20-30 minutes. Would your schedule allow for this?

2: Interview Report

In my eyes the interview with Ali went very well. It started off slow with questions being answered by only a few words, but once we both became more comfortable with conversing the answers soon were being followed up by more questions regarding the topic. We sometimes got caught up talking about one topic/questions for a few minutes. The interview took forty minutes because we kept asking more in depth questions. I displayed the questions to be asked on the T.V. screen which is provided in the study rooms. Overall I enjoyed the interview with Ali and I learned a fair amount on Saudi Arabia and how Ali feels about going to school at Saint Cloud State.

3: Country Report

In doing a country report on Saudi Arabia I learned that the country has an oil-based economy. The countries main source of income is through the exporting of oil. The main religion that is practiced in Saudi Arabia is Muslim and has a population of around 27 million. (Central Intelligence Agency: the World Factbook). In Ancient times Saudi Arabia was the crossroads for trade. Some items that were often traded were almonds, dates, aromatics, and spices. The deserts of Saudi Arabia provided a natural barrier from ancient powers. The birth of Islam was in the 7th century by the prophet Muhammad. The religion of Islam soon migrated to large portions of the Middle East. King Abdulaziz Al-Saud established the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 (The History of Saudi Arabia). Education is a requirement for every muslim including both males and females. In the early years of the newly established Saudi Arabia the king presented much interest in establishing a strong education system and increased the amount of schools and universities greatly (Education). During the twenties and thirties marks the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia created the large oil-based economy (A Brief History of Saudi Arabia)

Work Cited page for Country Report

"Central Intelligence Agency." The World Factbook. N.p., 10 Sept. 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.

"The History of Saudi Arabia." The History of Saudi Arabia. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. <http://www.saudiembassy.net/about/country-information/history.aspx>.

"Education." Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. <http://www.saudiembassy.net/about/country-information/education/>.

Wynbrandt, James. A Brief Histroy of Saudi Arabia. New York: New York: Facts on File, 2004. Print.

4. Interview Transcribed

B: Hi my name is Brandon Doege
A: Hi my name is Ali
B: I was wondering if I could interview you. The interview will take about 20-30 minutes to ask you a few questions
A: This is fine. What will you ask me?
B: I will ask your likes and dislikes of living in St. Cloud and a little about where your from
B: First off do you like the weather in St. Cloud
A: Yeah I like the weather. In the winter it does get cold, which is alright but I prefer warmth. I sometimes get sick from the cold. The first winter I was in America which was in Virginia I got sick for a few weeks because of the weather. During the summer the weather is really good.
B: How long have you been here in America?
A: I have been here in St. Cloud for two and a half years. I am originally from Dammam, Saudi Arabia which is a fairly big city. I originally came to America in 2011 and went to Virginia Tech for 6 months studying the English language.
B: Was it difficult learning to learn English?
A: It was difficult for the first month or two. It was a challenge to get a grasp on it but I soon started to understand the new language.
B: Why did you transfer to St. Cloud State?
A: I came to St. Cloud in August 2011 because I had friends from my home town who convinced me to transfer here.
B: What are you studying here at St. Cloud State?
A: I am studying accounting here at SCSU
B: What do you do on your leisure time?
A: I usually chill with friends or talk with my family back home
B: How often do you talk with your family back home?
A: I typically talk to my family once to twice a week using texting, skype, or facebook
B: How many siblings are in your family?
A: I have five sisters and two brothers. I have three sisters and one brother who are younger then me and the other three siblings are older than me
B: So you come from a big family.
A: Actually the average family size in Saudi Arabia is around 8-10 children
B: Okay so you have an average sized family back home. So are the houses on average larger than houses in America? Because the average sized family in America is 2-3 children with parents
A: I would say that houses in Saudi Arabia are bigger than homes in the America. I actually have an uncle who has two wifes. He has 16-17 children
B: Is that normal in Saudi Arabia to have multiple wives?
A: Yeah it is not uncommon for males to have multiple wives in Saudi Arabia. I actually could have four wives if I wanted
B: Do you find it difficult to practice your religion (muslim) here in America as you would back home?
A: Not really because I don't worry about the religions of others, but sometimes I find it difficult when people show racism towards me for being muslim.
B: What are some differences of living here in America then in Saudi Arabia?
A: The women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive cars
B: That is really interesting
A: Overall the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia is different than America. I prefer the way women are treated in America
A: Another difference is the friendliness of people who are strangers. In Saudi Arabia when walking down the street people typically wont respond to you saying something to them
B: Does Saudi Arabia pay for your schooling?
A: Yeah they give me a scholorship every year that covers your schooling and also extra money to use for living expenses
B: Did you take part in sports back in Saudi Arabia?
A: A big sport in Saudi Arabia is soccer, but I don't like playing. I prefer cars to pass my time
B: How does your family feel about you going to college in America? Is this common among families?
A: My family is okay with me going to school here. They don't like the idea of staying here in America after graduating college
B: Do you have questions for me now that I'm finished asking questions
A: I think we covered a lot of material during the interview and I can't really think of questions that I have for you to ask
B: Well thank you very much for your time Ali. It is much appreciated