Third Interview, Preparation, During, Country Report

Third Interview

Abdullah M.

Furkan A.

F: Hi Abdullah how are you ?
A: I am good how are you doing?
F: I am good too. Did you like this place where we interview?
A: Yeah, it is good but a little bit chilly. But, yeah.

F: I`m sorry for this because I could not find any study room in library. Anyways, I am wondering to know typical day of a child in your country, how is it in your country?
A: Hmm.. It is typical to I don`t know like how can I compare to other countries, but it`s like wake up at 7.30 and go to school, after that come eat lunch and after that do your homework, go pray and yeah in the end we sleep like 10 or eleven.
F: So, typical day for child…
A: Typical day, yeah.. Typical day for child.

F: Was it same for you too, when you were child ?
A:Yeah..
F:So, it is like this for everybody in your country?
A: Yeah..

F:Also, I am wondering to know how is our campus, like do you have any thoughts to make campus life better?
A: Yeah, actually I like the campus. They give us everything we need. They put everything, but there should be something missing in my opinion. Nothing is complete in this life. So, I think for me as international student I need someone to like speak and introduce me the culture as a reality. You know go with me, show to me. Show me what is good, what is not. You kow. Like introduce me about the culture more and also as well as I will get a benefit for also my speaking. It`s going to improve my speaking.
F:I agree with that.. You mean like assistance?
A: Assistance, or.. I don`t know.

F: People who can help you improve your speaking skills and…
A:Speaking also like this institution for the English here they give us like culture classes we need to practice the culture. It`s not only like improving speaking. It`s like to know what is going on. For example, sometime rule.. Okay, you will know it from the people so it will be easy for you.
F:Yeah.. Like you need to see it visually to understand what`s up.
A: Yes..

F: Okay, and how about sports in your country? Let`s go back to our country topic. What is the famous sport in your country?
A: Soccer..
F: How many million fans does soccer have in your country?
A: Million… I don`t know like half of the population.

F: For real?
A:More than that yeah..
F:So, then Arabic people like soccer?
A:Yeah, it is the first sport for us.

F: Do you have any other famous sports like basketball, volleyball?
A: Yeah, after I came here I was interested in basketball and the American football
F: Yeah, that’s cool. How about the food. I always ask questions about the food and which country`s food do you like the most or is your country`s food is famous ?
A: I guess it is not that famous, but like as a Arabian person it is best food, yes. Saudi Arabia, our food is not famous until now,yeah..

F:  Which country`s food do you like the most?
A: Most of the Arabian country, also Turkish food. I love Turkish food.
F:Is there any similarities or differences between Arabic and Turkish food ?
A: Actually, ours is like lubnanies . No, actually it`s not like different maybe spices are diferent. I don`t know.

F: Yeah, the spices are different, but the name are same, right?  Kebap, shwarma..
A: Yeah, kebap, shwarma, sis kebap.
F:How about the government in your country. What type of government is in charge of your home country? How did it affect your life and how has democracy in America been a change?
A:Hmmm.. Actually, the government back home based in the religion. They should follow the original rule and for here they are like more like free for religion for other cultures. They all do whatever they want to do, but they should like follow those rules. So, the difference here like you can see it the legal person.

F: So, the government type is kingdom in your country,right?
A: Yeah, kingdom.
F:Who is your king?
A:Abdullah.

F: Nice, since when he is your king ?
A: Around like four or five years.
F:So, let`s continue talking with your country. If I go to your country how can I greet people, how can I meet people ? What`s the typical greeting in your culture and what does it mean ?
A: Ah.. The typical one is selamun aleykum. It`s like peace on you . Also, the other like when I say you selamun aleykum you should like say aleykum selam which means like the same meaning. This is also piece in the religion. So, most of like I would say like eight percent of our culture is based on our culture, not one hundred percent. Yeah, most of our greeting is based on religion.

F: So, when you saw someone who you know do you kiss cheeks, like Turkish people do ?

A: Yes, we do . Like about special events if it`s like your friend who you didn`t see for a long time. Yeah, we do the same hug, and shake hands and like kiss from both side of the cheeks.
F: So, if I go to your country If I shake hands and if I say selamun aleykum  I can kiss cheeks. How about the females? Can we do the same for them?
A:Ahh.. No, at least if you know her. As I told you before it`s based on the religion who you allowed to do or not. For relatives you can do it, but for strangers nobody is allowed to do it to opposite gender.

F: How about the school starting age, how old a child should be to start school? And are you under a lot of stress when you are in the school.

A: Ahh. We start at 6 years old or 7. Yes, six. What was the other question was? Sorry for that.
F: Are you under a lot of stress in the school when you were a child ?
A: A lot of stress, yeah. In the past I didn`t like the education system before the..

F: The government change ?

A: The government change.. No, it`s not the government change it`s like the education the system. Because we have like a special department for education that … When you say like kingdom. When you say king everybody things that he is responsible about everything inside and outside of the country, yeah he is but, there are different embassies like some people have give a budget for each like hear to spend it in education or to spend it in any like department. In the past, I didn`t like the education it was more hard, it`s more like being I think soldier, not as a student. They are so strict. Yeah, but now thanks god, everything is getting better and better. I can tell from the young people as my brother  or cuisine`s. Like I can tell how difference knowledge they get and the school and the education.
F: So, you like the education now, not in the past?
A: Yeah, while I was studying also everything has changed. Like for me when I was in high school the first things was changed and after like I graduate they changed better and better. Yeah..

F:Yeah, nice. How about the religios holiday other cultural events, do you have them ? Can you explain traditions for each?

A: Yeah, actually we have two that we celebrate. Which like also based on religion. Which is Ramadan it`s I think you know it and sometimes we celebrate independence day for the Saudi for the independence. Now they celebrate it, but not like Ramadan.
F: Like Ramadan, Qurban.
A:Yeah, like Ramadan.

F: So, how about the daily rituals in regards to your religios beliefs? How do you do it in your religion?

A: We pray five times a day. We, ahh this is what we practice actually.  Also, we have like a month that we fast. The all month reminding the poor people and also we pay people like zekat which is ten percent what you own. Ahh, that`s it. Also ,we have something like hac and umre that who like able to do it. Yeah..
F:Yeah.. Nice man. We are almost same in this religious stuff, because you know our countries are both muslim, so I know a little bit what you mean. How about the transportation in your country. Which transportation do you guys use in the most.  I know the fuel is cheap, so..
A:  Yeah, that`s why.. The fuel is so cheap down there so people use their own car in the city. Like traveling from a city to the other they use train, airplane ,busses..

F: So, cars are the most popular, then?

A: Ahh.. Airplane, then like busses and train.
F:So, how about when they travel for example to Turkey, do they use planes, or cars.
A:I think the planes, because I heard about it.

F:I thought like that because the fuel is so cheap, so they can use cars to drive around.

A: Yeah, but when you across the border  the price will be changed. You will face like Georgians which have the most expensive fuel in the world.  
F: Turkey, Turkey, it`s Turkey.
A:Turkey, Syrian, yeah..

F:How much is it in Syria?

A: Ahh.. I don`t know actually, I haven`t gone to Syria, but like  what I heard it should be more expensive then ours.
F: In my country it`s like one litre is three dollars.
A: Wow, same here now . Your`s cheaper than here then.

F: From the U.S. ?

A: Yeah..
F:No.. The U.S. is one gallon three dollars. So it`s like three or four times expensive.
A:What ? Waow.

F:Then let`s try the private question. If you don`t want to answer, it is your choice.

A: Yeahh.. The secret.
F: Could you tell me a secret about yourself that very few people know about that, and shows us who you are better?
A:As I said before there is no secret. So, why they call it secret end even like I will tell you like I don`t know. It`s not that like funny. For sure, everybody have secrets.

F: So, what`s yours?

A: I don`t have one. I don`t have something to tell you about it. Ahh.. I don`t know actually..
F: So, you don`t have any secret?
A: No, actually.

F: So, you share everything with people than ?

A: Yeah, I share everything.
F: That’s nice. Also, when a person asks you like what`s your secret it`s hard to tell at that moment.

A: yeah, exactly.

F: Alright, man thanks for coming and helping me with my interview project.

A: Not, a problem man.



Preparation

          It was the fourth of the April. I figured out that I have to return my third interview for next day. Than I decided to call, Abdullah to schedule an appointment to do my interview. I asked him if he was available, or not. He told me that he was fine to help me. We set the appointment at 9.15 p.m. I was so happy because I was absent last week, so I couldn`t ask anybody to interview with me. After that, I printed out my question sheet in library and I asked the help desk for an available room. He told me that there is no room available until 11p.m. However, Abdullah accepted to interview outside. It was a little bit cold, but anyways we didn`t die. J

During

           We did the interview outside in the dark. It was a little bit cold, but we were find because both of us were wearing hoodies. Once we started the conversation I feel that he was so confortable having a dialog. The was so fine with giving answers. Also, I learned a lot of other things from Abdullah. I think he wasn`t bored or anything like that because he wasn`t giving short answers. The answers were long and understandable. Only problem was to make the transcript of the dialog because I didn`t think about how loud can busses be. When they drive around recording machine wasn`t allowed to record our voice.

Country Report

"Introduction

Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was founded in 1932 by ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al SAUD (Ibn Saud) after a 30-year campaign to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. One of his male descendents rules the country today as required by the country's 1992 Basic Law. King ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz ascended to the throne in 2005. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after the liberation of Kuwait became a source of tension between the royal family and the public until all operational US troops left the country in 2003. Major terrorist attacks in May and November 2003 spurred a strong on-going campaign against domestic terrorism and extremism. King ABDALLAH has continued the cautious reform program begun when he was crown prince."(3)

"Geography

Saudi Arabia occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, with the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba to the west and the Persian Gulf to the east. Neighboring countries are Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman, Yemen, and Bahrain, connected to the Saudi mainland by a causeway. Saudi Arabia contains the world's largest continuous sand desert, the Rub Al-Khali, or Empty Quarter. Its oil region lies primarily in the eastern province along the Persian Gulf.

Government

Saudi Arabia was an absolute monarchy until 1992, at which time the Saud royal family introduced the country's first constitution. The legal system is based on the sharia (Islamic law).

History

Saudi Arabia is not only the homeland of the Arab peoples—it is thought that the first Arabs originated on the Arabian Peninsula—but also the homeland of Islam, the world's second-largest religion. Muhammad founded Islam there, and it is the location of the two holy pilgrimage cities of Mecca and Medina. The Islamic calendar begins in 622, the year of the hegira, or Muhammad's flight from Mecca. A succession of invaders attempted to control the peninsula, but by 1517 the Ottoman Empire dominated, and in the middle of the 18th century, it was divided into separate principalities. In 1745 Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab began calling for the purification and reform of Islam, and the Wahhabi movement swept across Arabia. By 1811, Wahhabi leaders had waged a jihad—a holy war—against other forms of Islam on the peninsula and succeeded in uniting much of it. By 1818, however, the Wahhabis had been driven out of power again by the Ottomans and their Egyptian allies.

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is almost entirely the creation of King Ibn Saud (1882–1953). A descendant of Wahhabi leaders, he seized Riyadh in 1901 and set himself up as leader of the Arab nationalist movement. By 1906 he had established Wahhabi dominance in Nejd and conquered Hejaz in 1924–1925. The Hejaz and Nejd regions were merged to form the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, which was an absolute monarchy ruled by sharia. A year later the region of Asir was incorporated into the kingdom."(1)

"Area

Saudi Arabia has an area of about 2,240,000 sq km (about 865,000 sq mi).

Capital

Riyadh

Language

The national language is Arabic. English is spoken in business circles.  "(2

The Discovery of Oil and Political Evolution

"Oil was discovered in 1936, and commercial production began during World War II. This oil-derived wealth allowed the country to provide free health care and education while not collecting any taxes from its people. Saudi Arabia was neutral until nearly the end of the war, but it was permitted to be a charter member of the United Nations. The country joined the Arab League in 1945 and took part in the 1948–1949 war against Israel. Saudi Arabia still does not recognize the state of Israel. On Ibn Saud's death in 1953, his eldest son, Saud, began an 11-year reign marked by an increasing hostility toward the radical Arabism of Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1964, the ailing Saud was deposed and replaced by the prime minister, Crown Prince Faisal, who gave vocal support but no military help to Egypt in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

Faisal's assassination by a deranged kinsman in 1975 shook the Middle East, but it failed to alter his kingdom's course. His successor was his brother, Prince Khalid. Khalid gave influential support to Egypt during negotiations on Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai Desert. King Khalid died of a heart attack in 1982, and he was succeeded by his half-brother, Prince Fahd bin 'Abdulaziz, who had exercised the real power throughout Khalid's reign. King Fahd chose his half-brother Abdullah as crown prince.

Saudi Arabia and the smaller oil-rich Arab states on the Persian Gulf, fearful that they might become Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's next targets if Iran conquered Iraq, made large financial contributions to the Iraqi war effort during the 1980s. At the same time, cheating by other members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), competition from nonmember oil producers, and conservation efforts by consuming nations combined to drive down the world price of oil. At the time Saudi Arabia had one-third of all known oil reserves, but falling demand and rising production outside OPEC combined to reduce its oil revenues from $120 billion in 1980 to less than $25 billion in 1985, threatening the country with domestic unrest and undermining its influence in the Gulf area.

At the start of 1996, King Fahd passed authority to Crown Prince Abdullah, after suffering an incapacitating stroke. In 1998 the country's oil income fell by 40% because of a worldwide decline in prices, and it entered its first recession in six years.

In 2000, Saudi Arabia, along with other OPEC nations experiencing a recession, decided to reduce production to raise oil prices. In 2001, OPEC cut oil production three additional times." (1)

Sources
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107947.html?pageno=2 (1)
http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/saudi.htm (2)
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html (3)