My First inerview

 

1. Preparations.

• How did I approach people?

When I went to the library at SCSU I felt embarrassed because I do not like to talk with people who I do not know, and I asked myself how can I get a conversation with people. Then I encouraged myself to talk with girl from India and her name was Karan.

• When, where, and how did I conduct and record the interview?

I got the interview with her at the library on Saturday afternoon. In the first, I stood front of her table and I said “can I make an interview with you about your personality and country because my professor gave me an assignment this week”. She said “ of course”

• Whom did I interview?

I interview with Karan Malhothra, she is from India.

 

       2. Interview report: 

• What did surprise you?

I was surprised when she said Indian people have many religions, and each region  has different kind of food, dance, traditional, and music.

 

        3. Country Report

According to the BBC News Asia (2013), India is the largest democracy in the world, and the second most populous nation trailing China. The nation is nuclear-armed and emerged as a major powerhouse during the 1990s. Currently, it boosts having a strong military, a powerful economy, and is a major cultural influence around the world for its famous Bollywood movies.

Location and Area

            India occupies the southern section of the large Asian continent. It borders the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. India’s territory in square kilometers is approximately 3,287,263 sq km (Ganarajya, 2013), covering the snow-capped Himalayan Mountains located to the North, extending southwards to the nation’s tropical forest. The country shares over 14,000 kilometers of borders with seven other neighboring nations. These are China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the North, Bangladesh, and Burma to the East, and Afghanistan and Pakistan to the North West. Most importantly, a narrow sea formed by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait separates India from an Island nation called Sri Lanka with which the southeast region of India shares strong cultural ties. The nation’s mainland mainly consists of four major regions; the plains of the Ganges, the southern desert, the Indus, and the Himalayan Mountains that boost the world’s highest peak. The Himalaya comprise of three parallel ranges characterized as having large valleys and plateaus. These are beautiful & fertile Kullu and Kashmir valleys, arguably the most densely populated areas in the world, and the Indus and Ganges plains that measure 2,400 kilometers long and about 280 kilometers wide (Ganarajya, 2013).

Population

            According to the US Bureau of Census based statistics, India’s population stood at over a billion, precisely 1,205,073,612 as of July 2012, making it the world’s second most populous nation. The figure comprises of all persons falling within the scope of the census, which is residents of the nation present during the time the census was carried out. The growth rate presently stands at 1.312% annually. The infant mortality rate is 46 deaths per 1000 live births, and the average life expectancy is 65 years. Literacy levels are generally about 75%, 65% representing women, and 82% men.

Culture

            This refers to the way of life of the Indian citizens, which is languages spoken, music, food, religion, and architecture. The nation’s culture comprises of many several centuries old traditions such as yoga, and Hindu religions. The country is the birthplace of Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Hinduism. It has two major language families; the Indo-Aryan is spoken by 74% of the total population, and the Dravidian. English is used in administration and international business activities. Cooking styles vary, but foods rich in spices, curries, ginger, turmeric, pepper and cinnamon are common. Basmati rice and wheat is a common staple.

References

BBC News Asia (2013, September 13). BBC News - India country profile - Overview.             Retrieved October 25, 2013, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-   12557384

Ganarajya, B. (2013). India - Location and size, Caste system. Retrieved October 25, 2013, from             http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/India.html

IndexMundi (2013). India Population - Demographics. Retrieved October 25, 2013, from             http://www.indexmundi.com/india/population.html

                       
 

      4. Transcription.

 

H: Hazza (Me)

K: Karan

H: Do you like the weather in St. Cloud? Please explain.

K: The whether here at St. Cloud is quite pleasant and beautiful. It lies in the warm summer humid continental climate zone with humid summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. I really enjoy the weather here. January is the coldest month here while July is the warmest month.

H: What do you do for Leisure?

K: I usually don’t get free time from my hectic schedule, but whenever I’m free. I hang out with friends.

H: Could you please tell me about yourself?

K: Yeah, my name is Karan Malhothra from Mumbai, India and doing my diploma in business here in St. Cloud.

H: How often do you communicate with your family back to home?

K: Life has become so easy just because of these communication softwares such as Skype, Viber etc. I talk to my family every single day when I get free from work and studies.

H: What is the biggest holiday in your country? Please explain about the holidays (Activities, Food, Date, Origin and etc)

K: India, being a culturally divergent and earnest society, celebrates many holidays and festivals. Basically there are three national holidays (Independence Day, Republic Day & Gandhi Jayanti) which are considered as the biggest holidays in our country. India is enriched with the taste of culture. The languages religions, dance, music food and architecture differ from place to place within the country. The food here is very diverse. Indian cuisines use many ingredients; they have a wide range of food preparation styles.

H: In what ways might it be difficult to practice your religion here in the U.S?

K: No, I really don’t find any kind of difficulty as far as the religion practice is concerned. People belonging to different religion other than Christianity can easily continue their religion practice here in the U.S.

H: Tell me some important things from your culture?

K: India is the birthplace of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Our religion is also known as Dharmic religions are a main form of world religions along Abrahamic one. The country is one of the most religiously diverse in the world that includes some of the most deeply religious cultures and societies. Indians believe that giving gifts eases the transition into the next life. We entertain in our homes, private clubs, and restaurants depending upon the occasion.

H: What is the biggest difference between American culture and your culture?

K: There’s not much difference between American culture and Indian culture. The only difference is that we follow the religion of Hinduism while America is a very secular place that doesn’t really make any difference I guess because we live together, eat together, and drink together. So, it shows there’s not much of a difference at all.

H: What are your goals for the future? After you graduate, what are you going to do?

K: As I’m a business student, after my graduation I’ll definitely look for some great jobs related to my field to explore whatever I have learned.

H: What is your favorite sport?

K: I like football and I play it every weekend.

H: What is your major? Why you chose this major?

K: My major is HR (Human Resource). I think the sustainability of any firm completely relies on strong 'Human Resource.' That's why every large or medium organization has this department for recruitment of employees. I decided to take this subject as a major because I see a great future here in this particular field.

H: What is your language? How many languages do you speak? How many languages in your country?

K: I use to speak in Hindi when I’m with my family and relatives. I can speak English other than Hindi. There are various languages spoken in every region of India, but the official language of the Union Government of Republic of India is Standard Hindi while English is the secondary official language.

H: What do you like to do when you hang out with your friends and/or family?

K: I usually go to movies when I hangout with my family or friends.

H: Where do you prefer your home country or here? Why?

K: I would definitely prefer this to my home country, because I can be able to live up my dreams while living here in the U.S.

H: Do you have any questions for me? I have asked so many of you!

K: No! I don’t have any question. But I really enjoyed this session of Q&A.