My Fourth Interview

     Preparation is the most important issue when getting ready for an interview. Preparation process involved setting up objectives for the interview, settling on a location to carry out the interview and deciding on the appropriate mode of carrying out the interview. The interview would focus on the questions agreed in class, in addition to a few questions, to clarify an issue that would not be clearly explained. The questions agreed in class focused on the country and culture of the interviewee’s origin. Since Sintayehu was available, a face-to-face interview was the most appropriate form of interview. The interview would be recorded on a recorder. I decided to concentrate on the cultural aspect of the interview because Africa is known for its diverse cultural practices. I was interested in knowing the lifestyle of Ethiopian people according to Sintayehu.

     Acquiring an interview with Sintayehu was not a problem since we shared some classes. I approached Sintayehu after a class and explained to him about the class project, what was required, and without hesitating, he agreed to an interview about his country Ethiopia.

    Sintayehu agreed to meet at a local diner over the weekend where the interview would take place. We met mid-morning on Saturday. We sat across each other in a corner booth away from frequent distractions and ordered a cup of coffee. After pleasantries and catching up on the latest trends around the school, we started the interview. The interview was a formal one and Sintayehu answered my questions providing a lot of information about his country Ethiopia.

     The interview took around one hour to end. Sintayehu was quite knowledgeable about the lifestyle in his country and answered my questions with a lot of confidence.

     Sintayehu is from Addis Ababa, the largest city in Ethiopia. Sintayehu stayed with his younger sister, and parents. Sintayehu attended a modern school in Ethiopia that offered its curriculum in English. That would explain why he is comfortable with the language. They are five in their family. Sintayehu wishes to return to Ethiopia after completing his studies in the United States. Sintayehu came to the United States to obtain a quality education.

     The interview focused on the questions agreed in class, but I emphasized on culture and the general way of life in Ethiopia. The interview provided a lot of insight on the African country and its people. It was an enlightening experience where I got an opportunity to view life through someone else’s experience. The culture is diverse, and learning about another culture opens someone to a different world.

Country Report

Ethiopia is an interior country in East Africa in a common area known as the horn of Africa. Kenya, Eritrea, Somali, Djibouti, and Sudan border Ethiopia. Its population in 2012 was estimated to be over 93 million people (Briggs, 2012). This makes it the most populated landlocked nation in the world, and in Africa, it is the second most populated nation. Ethiopia’s capital city is Addis Ababa. The climate in Ethiopia largely varies, but it is considered a tropical monsoon climate country. Ethiopia has a federal

Interview

Me: I am Sajjad, what is your full name?

Sintayehu: My name is Sintayehu Abdella.

Me: How old are you?

Sintayehu: Am twenty two years old.

Me: Where do you come from?

Sintayehu: I come from Ethiopia, a country in the horn of Africa, and a member of the East Africa countries.

Me: How many tribes are there in Ethiopia approximately?

Sintayehu: There are around 80 tribes in Ethiopia, with Amhara being one of the biggest tribes in the nation. All these tribes speak different native languages with Amharic having the largest portion of speakers. I belong to the Amhara tribe; thus Amharic is my native language.

Me: How many religions are in Ethiopia, and which one do you come from?

Sintayehu: There are basically two significant religions in Ethiopia, that is Christianity and Islam. There is a minor religion like Hinduism. Almost half the population practices the Ethiopian Orthodox Church faith, which belongs to the Christian religion. I am a Muslim by birth.

Me: Which is the national language of Ethiopia, and how do people communicate?

Sintayehu: Amharic is the national language of Ethiopia. Ethiopian languages are divided into four groups, which are Omotic, Cushitic, Semitic, and Nilo-Saharan. Often people communicate in their native languages in their daily interactions. English has started being used in formal interactions like business meetings and in some education institutions.

Me: What is the clothing style for men and women?

Sintayehu: Women have traditionally been known to wear Habesha, which is a dress that shows minimum skin and flows with the body. Currently, women are embracing the modern sense of style. Their dressing styles indicate a Western influence. Men have no designated attire, but they dress casually with a number of them adapting to fashion trends.

Me: How are women and men treated in Ethiopia?

Sintayehu: Men are treated with a lot of respect as the heads of the family especially in the Islamic religion. Women have always been linked to house chores and given the responsibility to ensure the stability of the family.

Me: How has your experience here helped you to interpret and respect cultural differences?

Sintayehu: I have learnt to interact freely with other people from different cultural backgrounds.

Me: Do you enjoy speaking with other exchange students?

Sintayehu: Absolutely, I like to learn new things from them in order to understand them better.

Me: How long have stayed in the United States?

Sintayehu: Slightly over a year and a half.

Me: Have you been able to visit any parts of the United States?

Sintayehu: I have visited other universities during exchange programs in our course. I have not been to New York as much as I would like to visit there.

Me: What influenced you to come to the United States especially in Saint Cloud State?

Sintayehu: I came to Saint Cloud State because it is among the top universities across the world, and it has lower affordable tuition fees compared to other colleges.

Me: Are there holidays in your nation, and in what ways do you celebrate?

Sintayehu: There are several holidays in Ethiopia, which are based on the lunar calendar. Ethiopians use a different calendar which is seven years behind the global calendar. Holidays are
celebrated according to their significance. There are national holidays and religious holidays, and they are all marked in the calendar.

Me: Do you have any question for me?

Sintayehu: If there was enough time I would have asked you about yourself and your cultural background, but I have to rush to a group meeting.
(The interview ends here with a handshake, and Sintayehu excuses himself)

Work Cited

Briggs, P. (2012). Ethiopia. Chalfont St. Peter: Bradt Travel Guides.
Everyculture.com (2013). Ethiopian Americans - History, Modern era, The first Ethiopians in America. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Du-Ha/Ethiopian- Americans.html [Accessed: 6 Dec 2013].
Intercultures.ca (2013). Cultural Information - Ethiopia | Centre for Intercultural Learning. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/ci-ic-eng.asp?iso=et [Accessed: 6 Dec 2013].
Kwintessential.co.uk (2013). Ethiopia - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette | global- etiquette | resources. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/ethiopia.html [Accessed: 6 Dec 2013].

interview 3 review

here

1- Who scored the highest?


Jasmin Sainju,liu Yipeng.

2-Whose interview did I like best? Why?


The beast interver was liu Yipeng.  good organize, a lot of information and interesting.

interview 2 review

score card
1- Who scored the highest?

Jasmin Sainju,liu Yipeng.

2- Whose interview did I like best? Why?

The beast interver was Sainju,jasmin. good organize, a lot of information and interesting.

My third interview

Ethiopia is a country located at the Horn of Africa. The capital city of Ethiopia is situated in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia is headed by Federal Parliamentary Republic with Mutula Toshema as the president and Hailemariam Desalegn as the prime minister. Like USA, Ethiopia has three branches of government: executive, legislature and the judiciary. The country is inhabited by almost 80 ethnic groups with Amara and Oromo being the majority. The commonly used language in Ethiopia is Amharic, which is considered to the national language. English is also used as a medium of giving instruction in schools. The country has many cultures due the varied ethnic groupings. Ethiopia has a vast terrain with highlands and plateaus. Agricultural activities are considered the backbone the of economy with coffee forming the largest part of exports. 

Preparations for the interview

I decided to arrange the materials that I needed for the interview. I bought writing materials such pens and a book to write the findings, a recorder which was to be used for recording the interviews. Finally, I arranged where I could meet my interviewee who could give me the required information.

How I approached people

Being an international school, I decided to look for students for Ethiopian nationality. I was able to settle on Ibrahim. He was so cooperative and promised to give me the assistance that I needed. He suggested that his father, Mr. Joseph could be of great help for my interview. Ibrahim talked with the father who agreed to be interviewed.

How I conducted the interview

I organized a face to face interview with my interviewee Mr. Joseph. He invited me to his place which was a few miles from my home. I arrived by 9pm in the morning at Mr. Joseph. He welcomed me to his study room where we were to conduct the interview from. After the formal introductions, we went straight to the interview in order to find answers to my questions. I made the intention of my interview known and the kind of information that I needed from him. Finally, I started taking notes which were to answer my questions. I also recorded the whole interview on my recorder.

  The interview

I: How do people communicate in Ethiopia?

Mr. Joseph: First, Ethiopia is a multilingual state with almost 80 ethnic groupings. For the purpose of unity, the government decided to adopt Amharic language as a national language. English is the commonly used language of the foreign languages especially in schools as an instrument of instruction.

I: What is the dressing style in Ethiopia for both men and women?

Mr. Joseph: Dressing in Ethiopia depends with different regions one lives in. Mostly men prefer wearing trousers and shirts while women, on the other hand, prefer being conservatively descent.

I: How are men and women treated differently?

Mr. Joseph: All the people in Ethiopia are treated equally irrespective of age, gender, religion, race or class. The government regards all people as being equal in all aspects. So there is no special treatment for other people.

I: How is your experience here helped you interpret and respect cultural differences?

Mr. Joseph: Every society has its own cultures that need to be respected and appreciated. Being in a foreign country I respect the cultural practices of the locals. Accepting people the way they are is the best thing as it helps people to fit in a society with diverse cultural practices.

I: Do you enjoy speaking with other exchange students?

Mr. Joseph: Yes, speaking with other students from different parts of the world is the best thing. By interacting with them you get to learn many things you have never had a direct encounter with. From this, you be able to respect and appreciate them as they are.

I: For how long have been in the United States?

Mr. Joseph: It is now my fifteenth year in the country.

I: Have you been able to visit any other parts of the United States?

Mr. Joseph: Yes, I have visited my states of America including Boston, Michigan, Colorado and Texas. The most exciting of all was the visit to the states of Colorado to see the Rocky Mountains with the highest peaks in America

I: What are your home country’s major religions?

Mr. Joseph: Like the United States, Ethiopia has many religions. The major ones are Islam, Christianity, Paganism and Judaism. The majority are Christians.

I: What influenced you to come to the United States?

Mr. Joseph: The USA is a country that advocates freedom for all. It has a lot of respect for all people irrespective of where they come from. While, in the USA, you are able to enjoy an environment that is politically stable. Saint Cloud State is a cool place with little disturbance where one can live peacefully.

I: Are there any holidays in your country and how do people celebrate them?

Mr. Joseph: Yes there are many holidays in Ethiopia as in the USA. Ethiopia has international and local holidays that are celebrated nationally by all citizens. Especially, on September 11, Ethiopians celebrate their New Year. They celebrate their holidays through games and sports, eating and drinking in parties and music.

I: Thank you for sparing your time for me.

Mr. Joseph: You are welcome anytime.

Works cited

Briggs, Philip. Ethiopia. Buckinghamshire: Bradt Travel Guides, 2012.print

Jaber F. Gubrium, James A. Holstein. Handbook of Interview Research: Context and Method. New York: Sage, 2010.print

Zimmerman, Karla. The USA Book: A Journey Through America. New York: Lonely Planet, 2010.print 

My Second Interview

        I did not expect this interview to be different from the previous last interview only that I was looking forward to learn about Ethiopian culture. Similar to the last interview I had to look professional and composed. I also ensured that the questions were easy, comprehensive and flowing. I prepared the recording device and ensured it was fully charged to avoid a mishap like the last interview where the battery died before the interview was ova. I felt less nervous as I approached Abdella, who was to be the interviewee. Having previously met him there was no need of doing so much introduction but we looked for a silent place to conduct the interview.

        He was not reluctant for me to record our conversation as I informed him it was for my reference and I would not give it to anyone else. I began the interview by asking him his name and tribe as I also informed him my name. This was to make him comfortable and acquainted, as he appeared a little nervous at the beginning of the recording. I asked him about his childhood and his family life back in Ethiopia. He was excited to tell me of how he enjoyed his boyhood by playing soccer with his neighbours and how he picked fights with his two elder sisters. Being A him about Ethiopian culture how men and women are treated back at home and the type of attires that most people wear. He told me that the women mostly wore Habesha dresses although they were slowly accepting the western culture of dressing. Next, I interviewed him on his educational background and how he had managed to get to Saint Cloud State.

        Abdella had an interesting character and he made the interview more and more interesting. He explained to me how he had a difficult time adapting in the US when he arrived since things were so different and complex for him compared to his home in Ethiopia. Ethiopia being a third world country was not as advanced as the US despite it having the largest GDP among the eastern and central African countries. He told me how life was expensive here as everything was on sale unlike back in his village where people were generous and would offer you food free. However, he had come to adapt the life one year in to college and was now enjoying his life in the land perceived by many to be fool of milk and honey. The conversation lasted for half an hour and I had to end it when he informed me that he had to leave for a group meeting to complete a class assignment. By this time, I had gotten most of the information I needed for this project.

Country Report

Geography

Ethiopia is found in the horn of Africa and it is the largest land locked country in terms of population density. It has a population of over 91 million inhabitants dwelling in a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometres. The country borders Djibouti and Somali to the east, Eritrea to the north, Kenya to the south and north and south Sudan to the west.

It has rich and fertile lands, numerous rivers, jungles and it has the longest continuous mountain ranges

Government

Ethiopia has a federal government but initially it was a monarchical system.

Economy

It has the largest GDP in east and central Africa and the fastest in growth worldwide with over 10% growth rate.

Agriculture is the main source of income accounting for over 41% of the GDP

History

It is the oldest cradle land of man as interpreted by archaeologists. Samples of Homo sapiens were first discovered in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia was the first country to fight colonialists and conquer them thereby retaining its sovereignty.

Heritage

Christianity is the main religion in Ethiopia followed by Islamic

Amharic is the national language. It is a multilingual country with over 80 ethnic communities. The Oromo and the Amhara are the biggest tribes in Ethiopia

Women dress Habesha as the main dress code

They operate their own Ethiopia calendar, which is 7 years and 3 months behind the normal world calendar.

Ethiopia is the root of Rastafarian movement and it has popularized its flag colours globally via reggae music and pop culture.

M: Me

A: A

M: Hello my name is S what is your name?

A: Hello my name is A A

M: How old are you?

A: I am 22 years old.

M: where do you come from?

A: I come from Ethiopia the tribe of Amhara, which is among the largest tribes in the country.

M: Approximately how many tribes are in Ethiopia?

A: Around 80, which are multilingual.

M: How many religions are in Ethiopia and which one do you come from?

A: There are two main religions in Ethiopia Christians and Islam and I come from the Islamic religion.

M: What is the national language in Ethiopia and how do people communicate.

A: The national language is Amharic although people often communicate in the native languages in the daily interactions.

M: What is the clothing style for men and women in Ethiopia?

A: Women have traditionally worn Habesha but recently they have shown to the western culture in dressing styles. Men have no special attire in the current era but just dress casually with few adapting the new styles and designs in the market.

M: How are women and men treated in Ethiopia?

A: Men are treated as the heads of family and are given a lot of respect especially in the Islamic religion. Women have always been related with household chores and responsible for the stability of the family.

M: how has your experience here helped you to interpret and respect cultural differences?

A: I have learnt to interact with other cultures and to embrace the differences that exist amongst us. I have learnt to interact freely with other people from different cultural backgrounds.

M: Do you enjoy speaking with other exchange students?

A: Absolutely, I like to learn new things from them in order to understand them better.

M: How long have you been in the US?

A: Slightly over an year and a half.

M: Have you been able to visit any other parts of the United States

A: I have visited other universities during exchange programmes in our course. However, I have not been to New York, which I would love to visit

M: What influenced you to come to the US especially Saint Cloud State?

A: I came to Saint Cloud State because among the best universities in the world and it has lower affordable tuition fees compared to other colleges.

M: Are there holidays in your countries and how do people celebrate?

A: There are several holidays in Ethiopia, which are based on the lunar calendar. Ethiopian use a different calendar from the normal global calendar and it is 7 years behind the normal calendar. Holidays are celebrated according to their significance. There are national holidays and religious holidays and each of them is observed in the calendar year.

M: Do you have any question for me?

A: If there was enough time, I would have asked you about yourself and your cultural background but time is not on my side I have to rush for a group meeting.

The interviews ends now with a hand shake and Abdella excuses himself to leave.

Work Cited

Braukämper, U. (2002). Islamic history and culture in Southern Ethiopia: Collected essays. Münster [u.a.: Lit.

Kebede, T. (2002). Ethiopian Amharic phrasebook. Footscray, Vic: Lonely Planet.

Milkias, P. (2011). Ethiopia. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO.

Review of Interview One

1. Who scored the highest?
Fan, Yu
Sainju,jasmin

2. Whose interview did I like best? Why?
The beast interver was Sainju,jasmin. good organize and a lot of information.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhL8xkzOYLCddGdXdzN0V09lYW41UzdKQnlpUDhiakE#gid=0

My first interview                                         

Sajjad= S 

Grium= G 

S: Hi, my name is Sajjad  I have interview  for my class and I ask you some questions 

G: My name is Girum you can ask me the questions. 

S: ok, good let's start 

G: Ok. 

S:Can you tell me about yourself and family? 

G: My name is Grium I came from Africa Especially south Africa, Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.I live with my family and  I have three brothers and three sisters. 

S: 1- How do you communicate with each other in your home country? 

G:There are in our country there are different kind of languages more than 80 types it’s different between cities. So the major is communicate by hring language that’s our communicate language. 

S:  2- What is the clothing style for men and women? 

G: There are tow  types of clothing style the modern  and traditional  for the girls they have traditional cloths called the (habash kmis) and the boys (haker labs) its also wear like modern cloths the Ethiopia they have 14 states and the people live outside the Addis Ababa wear jeans and t-shirt  

S: 3-How has your experience here helped you interpret and respect cultural differences? 

G: In Ethiopia they have different culture and different people so I think  help me to communicate the people here is not hared to communicate and already have experience who live in village  and one village more than 3 or 5 different culture and different people live together so I have experience in back home. 

S: 4-Do you enjoy speaking with other exchange students? 

G: yes, I have little of exchange students here like international students they come from Sudanese, Somali, Saudi Arabia, German, Italy so I have friends more than one. 

S: 5-How long have you been in the United States? 

G: I have been here 2 years I came with my parents and my parents live here so because that I came here. 

S: 6-Have you been able to visit any other parts of the United States? 

G: I went California last Summer one of my family like my mom sister  live in California I just visited for 3 months it's good I like it and my family live already in moorland. 

S: 7-What are your home country’s major religions? 

G: There are different religions I already told you there are different people, different culture and types. The major religions Christianity, Muslim, Catholic and others religions. 

S: 8-What influenced you to come to the United States? Especially, Saint Cloud State? 

G: When came to United States first my father came here because of that I came here and I want to study in Saint cloud state. One of my friend study at st.cloud state university and he told my St.cloud nice school to learn and I apply online, they accept my and I start to study in St.Cloud State University. 

S: 9-What other effect of the experience have been challenge?  

G: The most challenge is language because it's different my language and I practice many times to speak very well. 

S: 10-Do you have any questions for me? I have asked so many of you!  

G: I don't have any questions it's good.  

 Thank you bro  

you are welcome 

Country Report 

      Ethiopia is in east-central Africa, bordered on the west by the Sudan, the east by Somalia and Djibouti, the south by Kenya, and the northeast by Eritrea. It has several high mountains, the highest of which is Ras Dashan at 15,158 ft (4,620 m). The Blue Nile, or Abbai, rises in the northwest and flows in a great semicircle before entering the Sudan. Its chief reservoir, Lake Tana, lies in the northwest. 

Government 

Federal republic. 

      Archeologists have found the oldest known human ancestors in Ethiopia, including Ardipithecus ramidus kadabba (c. 5.8–5.2 million years old) and Australopithecus anamensis (c. 4.2 million years old). Originally called Abyssinia, Ethiopia is sub-Saharan Africa's oldest state, and its Solomonic dynasty claims descent from King Menelik I, traditionally believed to have been the son of the queen of Sheba and King Solomon. The current nation is a consolidation of smaller kingdoms that owed feudal allegiance to the Ethiopian emperor. 

Hamitic peoples migrated to Ethiopia from Asia Minor in prehistoric times. Semitic traders from Arabia penetrated the region in the 7th century B.C. Its Red Sea ports were important to the Roman and Byzantine Empires. Coptic Christianity was brought to the region in A.D. 341, and a variant of it became Ethiopia's state religion. Ancient Ethiopia reached its peak in the 5th century, then was isolated by the rise of Islam and weakened by feudal wars. 

Modern Ethiopia emerged under Emperor Menelik II, who established its independence by routing an Italian invasion in 1896. He expanded Ethiopia by conquest. Disorders that followed Menelik's death brought his daughter to the throne in 1917, with his cousin, Tafari Makonnen, as regent and heir apparent. When the empress died in 1930, Tafari was crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I. 

Haile Selassie, called the “Lion of Judah,” outlawed slavery and tried to centralize his scattered realm, in which 70 languages were spoken. In 1931, he created a constitution, revised in 1955, that called for a parliament with an appointed senate, an elected chamber of deputies, and a system of courts. But basic power remained with the emperor. 

Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia on Oct. 3, 1935, forcing Haile Selassie into exile in May 1936. Ethiopia was annexed to Eritrea, then an Italian colony, and to Italian Somaliland, forming Italian East Africa. In 1941, British troops routed the Italians, and Haile Selassie returned to Addis Ababa. In 1952, Eritrea was incorporated into Ethiopia. 

  Preparations for interview 

        My first interview I was nervous and hard  but he knows all questions,  I asked him if I can record, he side sure no problem. I like it because I know new information about Africa and culture. It was my first time to do the interview and  didn't have experience before. I practice the questions at home. I think the next interview it will be easier than the first interview. 

How did you conduct the interview? 

    I meet with my friend and classmate in the library on Monday October 21 at 8pm and we go to Centennial Hall and we  did interview in the in third floor. That was challenge and experience for me because I will meet another International students. Before the interview I saw Grium friends they nice guys and we enjoy. 

How did you approach people? 

        I know some International students and I choose 3 students and make  appointment with them. I'm so happy because done for one and I have experience for next interview. 

Describe the interview? 

     I think I did good and I know a lot of information about Grium and Africa. Grium helped me to did good interview and he learn me easy way to interview with people. He is like the questions and he comfortable to answer it.
Work Cited
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html