1. Interview Preparation
Well, interview process went kind of funny for me, because we were assigned to do the interview before the class on 13th of March. However, I was not able to do so on time, due to the time management. When I set up an appointment with a guy I know, he assured me that I can interview him on Sunday before spring break. Apparently, on Sunday he called me and told me that he has some other things to do which caused for me not have my interview on time. After spring break, I found another classmate, whose name is JanakaRP, whom I can interview. So, I set up an appointment on Tuesday for the interview. Before meeting him I got a voice recorder, and reserved a study room to avoid many interruptions. I also printed out my question list, so that he can read them through before interview.
2. Interview report
The interview went pretty well. Since, we had a study room, my interviewee and I was not distracted from any noises. When I started interviewing him, he was quite comfortable being interviewed by me. Because I knew him from before, so we were friends. He was open minded and told me the truth on everything I believe. I learned a lot about his culture, country and religion as well by asking my question. I tried to connect my question so that he would feel more comfortable answering the questions. I also tried to avoid asking controversial questions to maintain the interview smoothly. When I felt that I am done with my questions, I wrapped up the interview and thank him for devoting his time for me. Overall, the interview was interesting and it went smoothly.
3. Country report
Sri Lanka
Geography
Area: 65,610 sq. km. (25,332 sq. mi.); about the size of West Virginia.
Cities: Capital--Colombo (pop. est. 1.3 million--urban area). Sri Jayewardenepura-Kotte is the officially designated capital and is the site of Parliament. Other cities--Kandy (150,000), Galle (110,000), Jaffna (100,000).
Terrain: Coastal plains in the northern third of country; hills and mountains in south-central Sri Lanka rise to more than 2,133 meters (7,000 ft.).
Climate: Tropical. Rainy seasons--light in northeast, fall and winter, with average rainfall of 50 in.; heavy in southwest, summer and fall, with average rainfall of 200 in.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Sri Lankan(s).
Population: 21.3 million.
Annual population growth rate: 0.9%.
Ethnic groups (2002): Sinhalese (74%), Tamils (18%), Muslims (7%), others (1%).
Religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity.
Languages: Sinhala and Tamil (official), English.
Education: Years compulsory--to age 14. Primary school attendance--96.5%. Literacy--91%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--18.57/1,000. Life expectancy--73 yrs. (male); 77 yrs. (female).
Work force: 7.6 million (excluding northern provinces).
Government
Type: Republic.
Independence: February 4, 1948.
Constitution: August 31, 1978.
Suffrage: Universal over 18.
Branches: Executive--president, chief of state and head of government, elected for a 6-year term. Legislative--unicameral 225-member Parliament. Judicial--Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, subordinate courts.
Administrative subdivisions: Nine provinces and 25 administrative districts.
Political parties: Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, National Freedom Front, Jathika Hela Urumaya, Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Tamil National Alliance, United National Party, Tamileela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal, Sri Lankan Muslim Congress, National Unity Alliance, Ceylon Workers' Congress, Up-Country People's Front, several small Tamil and Muslim parties, Marxists, and others.
The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The coastal areas of the island were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006, but the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. By May 2009, the government announced that its military had defeated the remnants of the LTTE. Since the end of the conflict, the government has enacted an ambitious program of economic development projects, many of which are financed by loans from the Government of China. In addition to efforts to reconstruct its economy, the government has resettled more than 95% of those civilians who were displaced during the final phase of the conflict and released the vast majority of former LTTE combatants captured by Government Security Forces. At the same time, there has been little progress on more contentious and politically difficult issues such as reaching a political settlement with Tamil elected representatives and holding accountable those alleged to have been involved in human rights violations at the end of the war.
Food in Daily Life. Sri Lanka's staple meal is a large serving of rice accompanied by up to twelve different side dishes of vegetables, egg, meat, or fish stewed together with peppers, spices, and often coconut milk. This rice and curry meal is traditionally eaten at midday, although it may also be served in the evening. The traditional morning and evening meals are usually composed of a traditional starchy staple, such as string hoppers (fresh rice noodles), hoppers (cup-shaped pancakes), roti (coconut flat bread), or thosai (sourdough pancakes), served with a sambol (a mixture of hot peppers and other vegetables, served cool) and one or two curries.
A variety of snacks and beverages are also eaten periodically throughout the day. Strong, sweat tea, usually with milk, is drunk alone or following a small serving of finger food or sweets, especially at mid-morning and late afternoon. Curd, a yogurt made from the milk of water buffaloes or cows, is often served as a dessert with palm syrup or sugar. A rich variety of fruits is available year-round.
Sources:
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5249.htm
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ce.html
http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Sri-Lanka.html
4. Transcript.
Me: Hi, how are you?
J: Good, and you?
Me: Not too bad. I just had some questions to ask you. Here is the list of questions. Are you ready?
J: Ready when you are.
Me: Alright, where are you from?
J: I am from Sri Lanka.
Me: Ok. That is neighboring country to India right?
J: Yes, that is right.
Me: Alright, umm… how is your semester going?
J: It is good, I am doing well in all my classes so far.
Me: That is nice. So, what do you think can SCSU do to make your stay on campus better?
J: I think, the best thing they can do is have a very good dining place. I mean it would be great if they make some improvement on making food. Because few times the food in Garvey is not the best.
Me: Aha. Yeah even I think so. Now let me ask some questions about your home country and the life over there.
J: Sure go ahead.
Me: So, can you describe a typical day for a child is like in your country?
J: Well, actually a typical day for a child is pretty much the same as in the US. As a child, we used to wake up in the morning, go to school and spend seven hours in school doing studies. We have regular breaks in during that time, so we get to go out for about 15 minutes after each class. After that we go back home. After the class we go out with friends and with family members. On weekends we often times get together with family and spend some time together. That is pretty much all about it.
Me: Ok. That sounds like fun… yeah! Um regarding to schooling, at what age you guys start going to school?
J: We start going to school at age of 6 to 7 which is right after kinder-garden.
Me: Yeah, I think that is the same system in most of the countries, because even in my country we start going to school at the age of 7.
J: Yeah, I agree.
Me: So, how about yourself, when did you start your first grade?
J: I began my first grade when I was 6 years old. Another thing just for an information for you, in my country if we go to a private high school, then we must go abroad to continue our higher education like for university. The reason is that we cannot get admitted to public universities after graduating from a private high school. That is one of the reasons I am studying at SCSU.
Me: Really? Did not know that. But, anyway it is good that you chose to study at SCSU.
J: Exactly.
Me: So, going back to your country, what are the typical greeting methods?
J: Well, when we meet with someone we just handshake or else if it is the same sex, we give them a hug. But the major greeting is a handshake.
Me: Ok. That is clear to me now. How about sports in your country, like what are the most popular types of sports?
J: Oh sports! We have many types of sports in my country, but out of those, Cricket is the most popular one.
Me: Cricket?
J: Yeah it is Cricket.
Me: Is it like a baseball?
J: Yeah it is similar to baseball. There would be two teams, twelve players in each team in Cricket. It is played by hands.
Me: Ok.
J: Other than Cricket, we have other sports like football, baseball and etc.
Me: So the main sport in your home country is Cricket, right?
J: That is correct.
Me: Ok. Talking about your country’s government, what kind of government is in charge of your country
J: Umm… as I know we have a democratic government, so people have a freedom of speech like in the US.
Me: That is good. How did the government affect your life in Sri Lanka?
J: Actually, the government has many benefits to us. For example, everyone in Sri Lanka get totally free health care in public hospital.
Me: Wow… Really? That is very nice of your country huh?
J: Yeah! So that helps people a lot in my country.
Me: Ok. I was also curious about the religion in your country. What are the religious holidays you celebrate in Sri Lanka?
J: Actually, I am a Buddhist. So in my religion we celebrate only one religious holiday once in a year. Every member of family gets together. That celebration is called “new year”, which takes place on 13th of April. Because 13th April is the first day of a year in my religion’s calendar.
Me: So is that calendar mainly used in Sri Lanka?
J: No, it is used by Buddhist religion. So it is our religion’s calendar.
Me: Ok. That is something new to me. Nice to know all these about your country and religion.
J: Yeah.
Me: So do you have any daily rituals regarding to your religion?
J: Yes, we go to learn more about our religion every Sunday. Other than that I do not have daily rituals.
Me: Ok. Can you also tell me which country’s food do you like the most
J: Well, I like Indian and Chinese food. Because Indian food is very similar to our food, and Chinese food has a good taste I guess, that is why I like it.
Me: Ok. Well, it was very interesting and informational conversation. It helped me to improve my knowledge about your culture, country and about yourself as well. It was nice talking to you. Thank you for your time.
J: Thank you too.
Me: I apriciate your time. See you.
J: See you.
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