Country Report
Sri Lanka is a small island to the south of India. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and has a coast line of only 1340 kilometers. The total population of 21513990 is made up of around 70% Buddhist, 8% Moslems, 7% Hindu, 6% Christian and 10% other. The official language of Sri Lanka is Sinhala. English is only known by about 10% of the population and is commonly used in government.
As to the climate it is a tropical monsoon. Temperatures range from 20°C to 30°C all year around. Due to this tropical climate there are monsoon rainfalls in May, the hottest month of the year.
The terrain is mostly flat with mountains in the south central part of the island.
Preparation Report
As far as preparation for this interview go I once again borrowed my roommates recorder and set up an interview time with Dammy to meet me on a Thursday night in Caribou. I read over my former interview that was taken to see what additional information I wanted to find out. I decided to ask more in detail about a few things I had learned about in the other interview. Prior to the interview I baked some cookies and brought them to the meeting because I know that he likes cookies.
Interview Report
Dammy is originally from Sri Lanka, is 21 years old and has just recently started working with me at Caribou. We met up on a Thursday night in Caribou. It worked out great because he had just gotten off work. He was very different to interview from what I had experienced in my first interview. He wasn’t as serious about the answers he gave me and I had to ask a lot to get the information I wanted. He seemed to not realize that I needed this interview for class and that I wasn’t just doing it to annoy him. He finally opened up and gave me more precise answers.
Interview
Kim: Hey how are you? Finally off work?
Dammy: Yes I still can’t find anyone to take over my shifts.
K: You really don’t want to work do you?
D: I am too busy with school.
K: How are you going to pay for everything then? Mom and Dad?
D: Yeah pretty much. But I really have to focus on school otherwise they will be paying even more for tuition.
K: I see. How about cutting partying time down a little?
D: Shut up Kim.
K: Ok! Haha well thank you for meeting me to do this interview. By the way could I record this?
D: Why do you want to record this?
K: Just so it makes it easier for to transcribe it later.
D: Sure go ahead.
K: Thanks! Oh and I brought cookies if you want some.
D: Yes I do, what kind are they?
K: They are chocolate chip cookies. My roommate was selling them for her organization so I couldn’t say no. I paid almost $15 for the cookie dough. They better be good.
D: You get them for free at work why would you buy them??
K: She has a way about convincing people…
D: Well they are good!
K: Yeah they are actually. Alright should we get started?
D: Sure!
K: Already, do you think it will be easy for you to find a job after college?
D: In the US or at home?
K: Both.
D: I think it will be easier to find a job at home. I don’t think it will be easy at all to find a job in the US.
K: Why is that?
D: Because there is so much competition out there and I’m not sure I’m one of the good ones.
K: Once again… Cut the partying!
D: Yeah I know I need to but I really enjoy going downtown and I can’t say no to my friends.
K: It’s really interesting. I’ve met a lot of people from Sri Lanka and they all seem pretty dedicated to their studies and don’t really seem to be into the whole party scene.
D: Yeah I know what you mean. I should be doing the same thing but I started hanging out with American students more than with people from Sri Lanka so I kind of got carried away.
K: So you’re blaming Americans for it?
D: No I am not blaming anyone for it I am just saying that I got into the whole party thing because I hung out more with them.
K: I know what you’re talking about, don’t worry.
D: Haha I know you would.
K: What’s your major anyway?
D: I am not quite sure yet. Right now I am pre-business and then I will have to decide on what field I actually want to go into.
K: Business is always good. There’s a lot of jobs available in business.
D: Yeah I hope I will find something because I would really like to stay here.
K: You don’t want to go back to your home country?
D: No I would rather stay here.
K: Interesting. Alright back to my questions otherwise I am going to keep you here all night. What was the hardest thing about transitioning to the U.S.?
D: I actually didn’t think it was that hard. I had been to the U.S. before for a vacation so I sort of knew what to expect but I guess the hardest part was making new friends.
K: Did you have a hard time finding new friends?
D: Well at first I did. People were looking at me like “What is that guy doing here” but once they got to know me it was pretty easy. So let’s say the first couple of months were kind of hard.
K: I see. Seems like you’re enjoying it now.
D: Oh yeah I am.
K: Ok so why did you decide to come to SCSU instead of studying in your own country?
D: I just always found something fascinating about the U.S. so I wanted to go to school here.
K: Hmm the guy I interviewed last time said that the government chooses what kind of studies you have to do over there. Is that right?
D: Yeah I think that is the way it works, I haven’t really informed myself about it though because I have always wanted to go to school over here.
K: Oh ok and what is your opinion of American food then?
D: I like it! Especially pizza!
K: You like it? Don’t you ever miss your own food?
D: I do but I can’t cook so I have gotten used to the food here.
K: Hmm but if you had to pick what food would you choose?
D: I would choose food from my country but I wouldn’t give up pizza!
K: That’s fair! Now how does the climate in your country compare to the climate here?
D: It is warmer in my country than it is here. I don’t like the snow I wish it could be warm all year around!
K: Well now that is the first thing you like better about your country! Is it warm over there in the winter then too?
D: Yeah it is and my parents live right by the ocean so I can go to the beach whenever I want too.
K: Ohh I am jealous I would love to live right by the ocean. I have the Baltic sea somewhat close to my parents house. It takes me about 45 min to get there so we go there a lot over the summer.
D: Yeah it is so nice to be able to just go swim when it is warm out.
K: I could only imagine! So what are some of the cultural differences between the U.S. and Sri Lanka?
D: Well obviously the food as you have mentioned. It took a little time to get used to the American food but after all I like it.
K: Ok so what about family life or stuff like that. What are the cultural differences when it comes to that?
D: The women usually stay at home and take care of the kids. It’s not as integrated as it is here in the U.S. The women still have the traditional role of a housekeeper over in Sri Lanka.
K: How do you like that?
D: I like it. Gives me time to do what I want.
K: Is that so?
D: Yeah my girlfriend works way too much and then when she gets home she wants to do all these things with me but I just want to go hang out with my guy friends.
K: I feel bad for your girlfriend.
D: Whatever!
K: Haha you know it ok let’s keep going. My next question would be who takes care of the finances in your family but I guess we kind of talked about that already. I am assuming it is your dad who takes care of them?
D: Yeah my dad takes care of finances and my mom takes care of the house.
K: Yeah that’s what I thought from what I heard earlier. And would you have been able to get the same education in your home country as you are getting here?
D: I am sure I could have but as you said I wouldn’t have been able to choose my major so I don’t know how good I would have done!
K: That makes sense. It is so weird to me that they choose a major for you.
D: Yeah I am not exactly sure what that is all about.
K: I’ll have to look that up!
D: Ok.
K: Alright I guess I can skip the next two questions since we have talked about it earlier.
D: What’s that?
K: Just what education is like in your country and if you have a job in the U.S.
D: Yes we did talk about that. So what’s next on your list?
K: What are the things you like most about the U.S.?
D: The girls.
K: Hmmm ok. I don’t know what to say to that. I guess I could have kind of expected that.
D: That’s right!
K: Anything else you like?
D: I like the freedom I have here.
K: Define freedom.
D: Well the U.S. is really big, there’s a lot to do and if I want to go to new places I can do so without spending a ton of money!
K: You couldn’t do that at home?
D: No because Sri Lanka is a small island and you’re kind of stuck there.
K: Yeah the guy I talked to last time told me that your streets are really bad and narrow and that it takes forever to get anywhere.
D: Exactly.
K: That would be kind of frustrating!
D: Yeah it is!
K: Yeah he also told me that when he had to go to the embassy to get his visa it took him like 4 hours for only 100km.
D: Yeah it’s crazy, I am closer to it but it still took me two hours to get there and actually the first time I wanted to go to the embassy there was an accident so I didn’t make it and had to go back there three weeks later to get it all done.
K: Oh that’s frustrating!
D: Yeah it was annoying.
K: I believe it. So how often do you go home to visit your family?
D: I haven’t been home yet since I got here.
K: When did you get here?
D: Summer of 2009.
K: That’s crazy! Don’t you miss your family?
D: I do but I am happy here and it is too expensive to go home!
K: How much is it for a ticket to fly over there?
D: It’s around $2000.
K: Yeah that’s a lot to pay for.
D: It is and then the flight takes forever too.
K: When do you plan to go home next then?
D: I am thinking about going home for Christmas.
K: That would be nice!
D: Yeah it will be nice to see all my friends and my family of course.
K: Yeah you’re parents must be excited if they haven’t seen you for almost two years. How often do you get to talk to them?
D: We talk every other week.
K: That’s it?
D: Yeah I am pretty busy and my girlfriend lives down in the cities so I drive down there a lot.
K: You got your own car?
D: I do.
K: That would be nice! I always take the Northstar Rail down there. It works pretty well!
D: Yeah I took that at first but a car is more convenient.
K: Yeah but how are you going to afford it when you’re not working anymore?
D: Remember I told you my dad is responsible for finances?
K: Haha wouldn’t that be nice?? Lucky you!
D: Yeah I know!
K: Well that’s all I got! You got any questions at all?
D: No not really!
K: Alright then, thanks for taking the time!
D: You’re welcome. See you tomorrow!
K: Alright see you and don’t party too hard tonight!
D: Thanks Kim!
