English 191 section 27
Interviewer: Chancelvie Louzolo
Interviewee: Dhele Neckchatra
Date of interview: 10/27/11
Me: Hi Dhele
Dhele: Hi Chancelvie
Me: How are you doing today?
Dhele: I am doing good, thank you very much for asking. And yourself?
Me: I am doing very good, thanks. How was your day?
Dhele: My day was ok, just very busy. I have so many things to do. You know that the semester is almost over, and there are a lot of tests and assignments.
Me: yes, you are right every time that we are close to the end of the semester; most of the time students are busy. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
Dhele: I am Dhele and I am from India, I am 21 years old, and I am an international student majoring in computer science and I am a junior. Is there anything else that you want to know about me?
Me: Yes please.
Dhele: What else do want to know about me?
Me: Do you have siblings?
Dhele: yes I do.
Me: How many siblings do you have?
Dhele: I have to sisters.
Me: Are they older than you?
Dhele: One is older than me, and the other one is younger than me.
Me: Do you not have brothers?
Dhele: No I do not have any brothers, my mom did not have a chance to have a boy, but my family and I are happy. Nobody in the family complains. My father wishes to have grandsons one day from his daughters that he would like to treat like his own sons.
Me: This is really interesting to know that your parents do not have a son. Would you tell me about what men think about girls in India?
Dhele: Do you mean girls view in the society ?
Me: Yes, please.
Dhele: Normally in our culture when people see girls, they have the image of women that should be treated with respect because women are life givers. But today in my country some families have another view about girls. And I think maybe it is because of life circumstances or bad behaviors of girls.
Me: Can you explain a little bit about life circumstances and behaviors?
Dhele: There are some parents in India who do not want to have girls. Some think that it is bad luck to have girls, but that is not truth. Personally, I think some are just afraid that if they cannot provide the basic need to their families, parents might see girls in the street where some think it is the only way they can fill their needs. Many parents do not want to be ashamed. So they think that girls are not welcome in the family. Parents who are able to provide for their families do not mind having girls.
Me: so, are there many girls in the street?
Delhe: Yes there are a lot.
Me: Ok, where exactly in India are you located?
Dhele: I am from Guwahati. Have you ever heard about it?
Me: No
Dhele: Guwahati is one of the largest city of northeast of India.
Me: How long have been in the United States?
Dhele: It is been three years now.
Me: Do you like living here?
Dhele: yes, I like it here, since I was in high school I wanted to come to the US to continue my studies. After I graduated from high school, My parents asked me if I was still interesting to go to college in the US. I told them sure I was still interested. Then they asked me to choose the state and the college that I wanted to attend. I had chose St Cloud State because I have some friends who were here. I did not want to go somewhere where I could not have people that I knew. My parents applied and I was admitted to St Cloud State.
Me: Are you willing to go back after your graduation?
Dhele: It depends, if I have a job here; I will stay in this country because there are more opportunities than back home. There are a lot of graduates students who are in India who would like to come to work in the US. So, being already here, I think it is an opportunity for me to work here.
Me: When you talked about Indian graduate students; you just made me think about education system. What is your education system in your country?
Dhele: Yes, the Indian education system is very different from the US education system. In India we have one which varies from eighty percent to one hundred percent of the total grade. We are tested on the whole book at the end of the semester, but in the US there are two to four tests. Back home we have less quizzes. Here quizzes are very important. Our schools do not have a lot of projects like here. India has a lot of students majoring in engineering, but the US have less of engineering students.
Me: Do a lot of people have a chance to go to college in India?
Dhele: Yes, there are a lot, especially those who are attending technical colleges.
Me: What are the family values in your country?
Dhele: In India, when we talk about family, it does not just include your parents and relatives. Our family system can be a group of two or even over twenty member sometimes. In my country, youngest should always respect and touch the feet of their elders as a way of greeting them. Youngsters should not speak in a higher or rude tone than those who are older to them. They should always speak the truth and try to engage in non-violent behavior.
Me: This is really interesting. Who is the head of the family when there are over twenty members?
Dhele: The commanding position is held by the eldest earning male member who consults other adults members on important issues, but it is his decision that ultimately prevails.
Me: Does the family face many problems when living with many members together?
Dhele: You mean like financial problems?
Me: No, I mean problems like fighting, dispute.
Dhele: Ok, I see. Family is very important to us, so everyone in the family knows what to do or how to solve problems in a good manner. When someone has a problem, the elder of the family takes care of it. Our family likes living in peace, and respecting those who are older than you is something that we must do to maintain a peaceful family and unity.
Me: How many people lived with you back home?
Delhe: We were seven people living together which included my mom and dad, my two sisters, two of my uncles and myself.
Me: Ok, how does your home culture differ from the US culture?
Delhe: Yes our culture is very different from the US culture. Here people just have one language, but in Indian we have 21 official languages and 200 hundred dialects. In our culture, we have to bow down to God every morning. We have to treat all guests like God.
Me: Could you please explain about treating a guest like God?
Dhele: Yes, people in India always say that "the guest is like a God". So, most of the time when we receive guests, we put a red mark on their foreheads and a few grains of rice. Then we sing for our guests a welcome song that has this meaning; you came to our house, we are very lucky, please come again.
Me: Yeah, that is really nice for you to do such a thing. What are the highlights in your culture?
Dhele: I would ask, bindi and henna, have you ever heard about them?
Me: No
Dhele: Bindi is a traditional red mark or dot worn by Indian women on their forehead. Henna it is like a fake tattoo that women design on their hands and feet. And Indian women apply henna whenever there is any happy occasion or festival.
Me: Now, I have an idea about bindi. I have seen Indian women with that red mark on their forehead, but I did not know the name of it.
Dhele: So, maybe you also know about Henna.
Me: No, I do not know that one.
Dhele: That is ok, just remember that Henna is like a fake tattoo. We use it for our hands and feet decoration.
Me: Yes, I will not forget about it.
Dhele: Ok, that sounds good.
Me: Thank you for explaining it to me. So what are the holidays that you celebrate in your country?
Dhele: Our country has a lot of holidays, and most of them are not celebrated in all states. There is one that is celebrated in all Indian's states; That is called by Diwali celebration. Have you ever heard about it?
Me: No.
Dhele: Diwali is one of the biggest festival in our country. In that day, we adore our goddess Lakshmi who is the goddess of wealth and money. If you buy gold in that day you will prosper, so most indian's poor or rich buy gold and believe that Lakshmi will visit their houses and bless them.
Me: This is really interesting. Can you buy gold the day before and be prospered?
Dhele: No, you cannot prosper if you buy gold the day before or after the celebration. You have to buy it the same day for you to prosper.
Me: So, is that the only festival that is celebrated in all Indian's states?
Dhele: No, we also celebrate Independence day?
Me: Is it similar to US Independence day?
Dhele: No, it is different. We have three national days in my country that are celebrated in all the states of the country. The first is called Republic day that is celebrated on January 26th. The second is Independence day that we celebrate on August 15th. And the third is Mahatma Ghandi's Birthday that we celebrate on October second.
Me: How do you celebrate Independence day?
Dhele: The republic day is celebrated on January 26th in the capital New Delhi, and also in the state capital where the governor of the the state unfurls the national flag. The independence day is celebrates on August 15th. This event takes place in Delhi where the prime minister hoists the national flag at the Red Fort and he and the president deliver a speech from its rampart. They also sing the national anthem. The third is Mahatma Ghandi's Birthday that is celebrated on October 2nd in all states of India. In this day, people in my country hold prayer services and community functions to pay tribute to the father of the Nation.
Me: Ok, talking about prayer services, you mean people have the prayer service according to their religion?
Delhe: Yes, people have a prayer service that they usually have when they worship God. The only difference is that they come together as a state and have a service prayer.
Me: So, what are the different religions in your country?
Dhele: We have Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity and others small religious groups.
Me: What is the most predominant religion?
Delhe: The majority of Indians are hindus.
Me: What is the most famous food in your country?
Dhele: We do not have famous food in my country. Everyone does not have the same menu. People from south or north have their ways of cooking.
Me: Ok, what your meals like?
Dhele: You mean the size of meals?
Me: Yes, please
Dhele: It depends about where the person is, but the size of our meals are not big like here.
Me: Do Indians have arranged marriages in your country?
Dhele: Yes, we do.
Me: Can you tell me about the positive side of arranged marriages in your country?
Dhele: Many people think that arranged marriages have a lot of benefits such as parents of both families wish the best for their children. when parents choose someone who they want to have as a son or daughter in law, they know that that particular person will be good for their child. Another positive side is that the divorce rate is really low in arranged marriages.
Me: What are the most important things that are considered in Indian marriages?
Dhele: You meant traditional marriages?
Me: I mean things that both families consider to be very important before they approve the marriage.
Dhele: Gold is the most important thing in Indian marriages. Most Indians believe that a family without gold is an incomplete family. For instance, my sisters and I have gold that we had received from our parents five years ago, and those gifts are given to us because our parents want us to be ready for our wedding day. Gold means a lot for Indians.
Me: So, if a family does not have gold, the traditional marriage will not be approved. right?
Dhele: Yes, in most Indian families.
Me: yeah, I think this is really interesting, but it is also sad. So what is the legal age to get married in your country?
Dhele: It is 18.
Me: Ok, thank you so much, Dhele, for your providing me this useful information, and thank you for your time.
Dhele: It is my pleasure.
Country report.
India is located in south Asia and is composed of twenty-eight states and seven territories. It is the second most populous country in the world with a population of over 1.2 billion. India is bounded by the India Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east. Delhi is the capital. India shares the land borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal and Bhutan to the northeast and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. The nation has four seasons: winter season that lasts for two months from January to February, summer that lasts between March and June in most parts of India, a monsoon that is a rainy season that begins in June and goes until September, and the post monsoon period from October to December. This paper will be focused on languages spoken in India and its religious groups, political system with its government, economic system with agricultural products, higher education and relations toward other nations.
India has two major languages which are: the Indo Aryan and Dravidian. Indo Aryan is spoken by about seventy four percent of the population, and Dravidism is spoken by about twenty four percent. The country does not have any national language, but Hindi is the most commonly used. Most Indian languages come from the Costo Asiatic and Tibeto Burmanbut regions. Indians also speak English, but most of the time, it is used in business and administration. Hindi, with the largest number of speakers, is the official language of the government. Each of India's states has one or more official language.
India has many religious groups, but the majority of Indians are Hindu. Hinduism is the largest religion in India with over eight hundred million adherents covering almost the entire population. Other religions found in India are: Islam, Christianity, Jainism and Zoroastratism.
India is a federation with a parliamentary system that governs under the Constitution of India, which serves as the country's supreme legal document. India's federal government
comprises of three branches. The first is the executive branch, the second is the legislative branch and the third is the judicial branch. Each branch has different functions. The executive consists of the President, Vice President and the Council of Ministers. When the president is elected, he obtains a term of five years to run the country; he is elected by democratic election. At the same time, India's president is charge of the nation’s armed forces. The prime minister occupies the second position after the president. The prime minister exercises most of the executive power. The legislature of India is the bicameral Parliament, and operates under a Westminster-style parliamentary system and is comprised of the upper house called the Rajya Sabba Council of State and the lower called the Lock Sabba. The Rajya Sabha is a permanent body that has two hundred forty five members who serve in staggered six years term. Most of the Rajya Sabha are elected by the state. The Lock Sabha is composed of five hundred forty five members which are directly elected by vote, and have a term of five years.
India is one of the world's fastest-growing economies, and produces many agricultural products. India has close economic ties with South America, Asia and Africa. Since the end of the Cold War, India has increased its economic, strategic and military cooperation with the United States and the European Union. The service sector makes up 55% of the gross domestic product, while the industrial sector is about 26% in production of textiles, telecommunications, chemical, food processing, teel, transport equipment, cement, mining petroleum, machinery and software. The percentage of the agricultural sector is 18% which includes products such as wheat oilseed, cotton, jutte, tea, sugarcane and potatoes. India is the world's biggest producer of mica blocks and mica splittings. India ranks second among the world's largest producers of barites and chromites. Also, it is fourth in the production of iron ore.
India has developed a higher education system. Its education system relies on science and technology. Its higher education ranks second in the world higher after the United States. The Indian higher education system has expanded. There are a lot of private and public colleges in India, which are training college students for future careers. From 2004 until now, India has developed an education system consisting of a large number of technology institutes. Distance learning and open education is also a feature of the Indian higher education system.
India has good relations with many nations and is trying to maintain good relations around the world. India also has wide ranging defense relations with Israel and France. In recent years, it has played a key role in the South Asian Association for regional cooperation and the world
.
Work cited
Kalman, Bobbie. India: The People. New York: 2010. print.
Trividi, Ramesh. India's Relationships with her Neighbours. India: Delhi, 2008. print.
Tiwari, Shubha. Education in India: volume four. India New Delhi, 2007. print.
Before the interview
It was last weekend on October 26th that I had done my interview with Dhele. Dhele was an easy going person, and she gets along with people. I met her at the library while I was studying on third floor. Knowing that I have the second interview with any international students who are from India, I consider our meeting not to be a coincidence, but good luck for me. The first day that I have met Delhe, I did not hesitate to ask her if she would let me interview her after I had explained to her that I had a research paper and I needed international students from India who would like to help me by interviewing them. Delhe had told me that it was her pleasure to be interviewed. She had also said that St Cloud State has a lot of Indian college students, and if I needed more people she would spread the information among Indian students. I was so happy to hear that because I wanted to have at least two or three people just to multiply my chances. If three of them could not show up on my interview day, at least one could make.
Three days before the interview, I had four international students from India Dhele and her three friends. All of them were so nice, and they had promised to be there on the day of the interview even thought that I could not interview all of them, and they were curious to assist at the interview. I did not mind having others students around me the day of the interview; as long as they were all from India. Dhele and her friends' enthusiasm about the interview made me feel so happy and release my stress because my first interview was really stressful. I set up an appointment on October 26th at 3 PM at the library. When the interview day came, I arrived at the library twenty five minutes before Dhele and her friends arrived. I have brought an audio recorder to record our conversation. I went back and forth from first to second floor to see if the library had a lot of people. Fortunately, there was a silence everywhere because there were just a few students on the first, and the second floor and the third floor did have students at all. So, I decided to proceed the interview on third floor.
When Delhe and her friends have come to the library, I was ready to start my interview because I did not want to take much of their time. Dhele's friends decided to just assist instead of being interviewed. To make the interview be well done, Dhele's friends sat down a little bit further from us, where they could be able to listen to our conversation without interrupting us. I believed that it was interesting to do the interview in that way because I wanted my interviewee and listeners to be comfortable, and also I wanted to be satisfied after I was done.
After the interview
Dhele was a nice and opening person. She was so free to answer my questions. Dehle is an international student who came from India, she is twenty one years old, and she is a junior in computer science. After the interview, I stayed in the library and saved everything that I have recorded in our conversation with Dhele. I think the interview was well done because I have gotten much and useful information from her. The most interesting part was the way she explained about Indian families in general. I had learned from Dhele that family in India does not just mean parents and their children like here, but it includes all family members. Indian families can have over than twenty members, and the commanding position is held by the elder earning male. The youngest must speak with respect when talking to their elders.
Another thing that I thought was interesting was India's nation day. She had told me that they have three national days. The first is called the Republic day, the second is the independence day and the third is Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday. The republic day is celebrated on January 26th in the capital New Delhi, and also in the state capital where the governor of the the state unfurls the national flag. The independence day is celebrated on August 15th. This event takes place in Delhi, where the prime minister hoists the national flag at the Red Fort, and delivers from its rampart a speech. They also sing the national anthem. The third is Mahatma Ghandi's Birthday, that its celebrate on October 2nd in all states of India. The celebration is very important for Vietnamese; they hold prayer services and community functions to pay tribute to the father of the Nation.
Another thing that I thought was interesting was the Diwali festival. She said that the Diwali festival was one of the biggest festival in her country. During the celebration, they adore their goddess Lakshmi who is the goddess of wealth and money. Indians believe that buying gold on Dawali festival day will make them prosper. Most of Indian, poor or rich buy gold, and are convinced that Lakshmi will visit their houses, and bless them. They have to make sure that the shopping is done the same day of their festival. Indians have to buy gold the same day if they want to prosper. Gold is also the most important thing in Indian marriages. Most Indians believe that a family without gold is incomplete. Gold means a lot for Indian families. I was surprised, when she said that a family without gold is incomplete. Gold is also one of the things that they consider to approve their traditional marriages.
Finally, another thing I thought was interesting was the decoration of Indian women' hands and the red mark or dot worn on their forehead. Indian women apply henna whenever there is any happy occasion or festival. I knew about the red mark, but I did not know that it was called bindi. I had no idea about hanna, but now I know it because Dhele taught me about it.
