Second Interview

1: Interview Preparations

I approached Aziz at the end of class and asked which country he chose to select for his interviewees. He stated that he chose the United States, so I asked if he needed another person to interview. After Aziz  responding yes we decided on a location and time that would work best to conduct an interview. We decided Monday the 28th of October around the time we normally would have class would work with both of our schedules. We met at 5p.m. in the miller center and reserved a study room to avoid disrupting other students.

2: Interview Report

The interview with Aziz went really well. We both seemed comfortable with the setting of the interview and answered each others questions in detail. We found ourselves talking about certain topics for minutes because we kept asking each other more in depth questions regarding the topic. The interview took 25 minutes to conduct. Overall my interview with Aziz went very well and I learned more about his home country of Saudi Arabia, his family, his religion, and how he feels about St. 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= Brandon
A= Aziz

B: Hi I'm Brandon and I was wondering if i could ask you a few questions in an interview? It should take around 20-30 minutes. Would that be okay?
A: Yes it is alright for you to ask me some questions
B: Okay thank you. So lets start with how do you like the weather here in St. Cloud?
A: When I came here this was the first time I had seen snow, and it took me awhile to adjust.
B: When did you come to St. Cloud?
A: I came here last Spring 2013 semester. I first went to Ohio where I visited my brother for a few weeks at Ohio State University
B: Do you like St. Cloud?
A: Well the city is kind of boring there isn't much to do, but is a good place for school to live and study
B: What do you do on your leisure time?
A: I go out with friends maybe play some video games. Talk with family.
B: How often do you talk to your family?
A: in chatting UI talk daily and with skype probably at least once a week.
B: What is the biggest holiday your celebrate back home?
A: We celebrate Eid which comes after Ramadan. It is a day of eating after fasting for the month of Ramadan.
B: What are some of the rules for fasting?
A: Its like you don't eat during the day but can eat at night.
B: Are you able to drink water during the day when fasting?
A: No
B: That would be very difficult in the climate of your Saudi Arabia
B: Where are you actually from in Saudi Arabia?
A: I am from the capital city of Riyadh
B: That is a much larger city then St. Cloud. I can see why you say St. Cloud is quiet with not much to do
B: Have you found it difficult to practice your religion in the same way you do back in Saudi Arabia?
A: No I feel like I have the options available to practice my religion.
B: What are you studying here at St. Cloud State?
A: Electrical engineering but this is only my first semester so I am taking a lot of general classes
B: You seem to know English very well. Did you take English classes before coming to St. Cloud?
A: I have taken English from when I was about seven years. My school is known for its English program. I also went to Cambridge University for summer school to study English for a month.
B: You said before that you had a brother who goes to Ohio State. How did you choose St. Cloud State?
A: My father asked some of his friends and decided that I was going to Minnesota. He did not want me to go to the same school as my brother. My father went to school somewhere in Canada
B: How many siblings do you have?
A: I  have six brothers and one sister
B: You come from a big family wow!
A: Yeah I have a brother who is one year older and another brother who is one year younger. My one younger brother goes to school in Albuquerque, New Mexico
B: You will have to go visit him sometime during the winter to get away from the cold
A: Yeah maybe over winter or spring break.
B: Can you think of any big differences you have noticed when comparing American culture to your culture?
A: Time.. That is a big difference. Back home when someone arrives late it is not a big deal and no body says much about it. Where as here in America time is very valuable and people get upset when you arrive late.
B: What are your plans for after graduation?
A: I plan on using my degree to find a job somewhere back home.
B: I've asked you so many questions. Do you have questions for me?
A: No
B: Okay well thank you for your time. I enjoyed this conversation
A: No problem