My first interviwe

1. Preparations

      * When I just wake up Friday morning at 9 AM, I went to the library and I was wondering if I will find someone to make an interview with. First I was looking at first floor but I couldn’t find international student. Then, I went to third floor and it was good surprise for me to meet with my friend Zafar and he is from Pakistan and I asked him if I can make interview with him and I explained for him about my project in this class. Next, I got study room which is 316 in third floors to be more comfortable for us. Finally, I recorded the interview by my IPhone and actually it was interesting to know about my new friend Zafar.

 

2. I just surprised with few things that when Zafar said that I can speak four different languages which are Urdu, Arabic, English and French. Also, Zafar said that I lived in four different contraries such as Kuwait, Dubai, Pakistan and St, cloud. So that was so interesting.

 

 

3. Country Report on Pakistan

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is situated in South Asia and is bordered by Iran towards its west, Afghanistan towards its north, China towards its north-east and India towards its east. Towards its south lies the Arabian Sea. It has a land area of 796,095 sq. kilometers (UK Border Agency, 2013, p. 11). The capital of the country is Islamabad, which is located at 33° 43' N, 73° 3' E. As of 2012 its population is 179.2 million and its GDP is $231.2 billion (The World Bank Pakistan, 2013).

The country derives its name from the word “pakstan”,which means “land of the pure” – the word was coined in 1933 by a prominent politician, Rahmat Ali (Malik, 2008, p. 336). It came into being in 1947 through a partitioning of the Indian subcontinent when the erstwhile British rulers transferred power to the governments of Pakistan and India. Since then it has been beset by internal and external conflicts, military coups and a restive tribal region towards its north-west (The World Factbook Pakistan, 2013).

The country has a rich cultural history. It was home to the Indus Valley Civilization (approximately 5000-3500 B.C.), with its two principal settlements, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, being located in the Punjab and Sindh provinces of Pakistan. Later it came under the influence of the Aryans, who brought Hinduism and Buddhism to the land. From the late 10^thcentury, however, it was dominated by the influence of Islam. From 1500 onwards it came under Mughal rule, and later came under British colonial influence from 1800 to 1947 (Blij and Muller, 2010, p. 413). Islam has been its official religion post-independence.

The Pakistani society is hierarchical and deeply influenced by Islamic beliefs and values. Its main festivals are the Eid ul-Fitr and Ramadan. Both men and women wear the shalwar-kameez, a form of flowing robe and trouser. It has a vibrant arts and cultural scene, influenced by elements of Sufism (Green, 2012, p. 126). Its music is a mix of folk, traditional styles such as Qawwali and Ghazal as well as Western fusion. There are also many well-known writers of prose and poetry, who write both in English and local languages such as Urdu, Punjabi, Baluch and Pashtu (Burki, 2013).

References

Blij, H. J. de and Peter O. Muller. (2010). Geography: Realms Regions and Concepts. 14^th ed. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Burki, S. J. (2013). Pakistan, the arts. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/438805/Pakistan/276109/The-arts

Green, N. (2012). Sufism: A Global History. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Malik, J. (2008). Islam in South Asia: A Short History. Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill,

NV.

4-

M= Me

Z= Zafar

1- My questions:

M-What is your name?

Z-Zafar

M-Where are you from?

Z-Pakistan

M-How long have you been studying at SCSU?

Z- 4 Years

M- What is your major?

Z- Marketing

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

Z- No, not so much and it is so unpredictable! Though, I love the summers here when it is warm. I don’t like the winters! Well I don’t mind the snow so much but, not the extreme cold.

M. What do you do for leisure?

Z- I like hanging out with friends, watching movies and going to fun events.

M. Could you please tell me about yourself?

Z- I was born in Kuwait and have lived in a few different countries. A speak 3-4 languages. I like meeting people, going to places and enjoying outdoor events.

M. How often do you communicate with your family back at home?

Z- Once or twice a week, or they connect with me. We call or chat online…

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

Z- I’d say it is Ramadan Eid or Eid-ul-Fitr. We follow the lunar calendar so every year it moves about 10-

11 back. On this occasion we meet family, get money as gifts, eat good food and desserts. There is a variety of food but people make Chicken or lamb curry with rice, bread, salad.

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

Z-I see no difficulty in practicing my religion in the US. We are lucky to have an Islamic Center in St. Cloud. So we can mix with the people, know about our big days and events.

M. Tell me some important things from your culture ?

Z-Respect for elders and collective decision making…

M. What is the biggest difference between the American Culture?

And your culture?

Z-American culture is very individualistic, very independent.

Our culture is collective, dependent in having a consensus.

M-What are your goals for the future; after you graduate, what are you going to do?

Z-After graduation I plan to work for a good company and get professional experience. Perhaps start my business in the future.

M. What is your favorite sport?

Z- I like soccer, ice hockey

M. Do you have any questions for me? I have asked so many of you! (mandatory question at the end)

Z-What is your major?

M-My major is IS

Z-Do you like it here?

M-yes so much

Z-How is the life in your country?

M-Like any countries in the world have culture and traditions and the live is not expensive that means everything good.