4th interview TRANSCRIPT

Interview Transcription

Interviewee: Sabrina Soh

Interviewer: Vidura Wickramasinghe

Date: 04/24/2011

Time- 2pm

Location: Mitchelle Hall Lobby

VW: Hi Sabrina, how are you today?

SS: Im good, a little stressed out about exams.

VW: oh I know, aren’t we all!

SS: yeah, cant wait for it to be over!

VW: yeah me neither! Okay.. just to make sure, you don’t mind being recorded do you? Its only me and my professor that will be hearing this.

SS: Oh its ok go ahead.

VW: kay sounds good thank you! You’re from Malaysia right?

SS: yup!

VW: how long have you been in the US?.

SS: almost two years now. I came here in 2010.

VW: oh me too! How are you finding it here?

SS:  pretty good!

VW: that’s good! Do you miss home at all?

SS: oh of course!

VW: what do you miss the most?

SS: ooh tough question! My family, friends, sense of belonging, food, and the list goes on!

VW: aha gotcha! I miss it all too! But you get pretty used to it after a while though don’t you?

SS: oh yeah. I think we have to!

VW: true. Going into the questions, what was the hardest thing about transitioning to the U.S?

SS: Umm, Trying to fit into to a place where no one knew the country I come from even existed. And the weather too! I have never seen snow before I came here.

VW: oh yeah that does sound tough. How did you manage get through it?

SS: Umm, I have relatives in the Twin Cities who come and visit me like every month. And I made a lot of good friends in the dorm.

VW: ah I see. And why did you decide to come to St Cloud state instead of studying in Malaysia?

SS: erm, my parents thought I would have less competition here. And more job opportunities.

VW: oh true. One of the many reasons I chose this place too! And what is your opinion of the American diet?

SS: hmm, yummy but dangerous! (chuckles)

VW: hehe couldn’t agree with you more! What are some cultural differences between your country and here?

SS: mmm I think people here are liberal in a materialistic sense. And people in Malaysia are more of the collectivist type that the individualistic type when it comes to how they view themselves.

VW: true. And.. moving on, who takes care of the finances in your family?

SS: My Dad.

VW: okay, what are your personal experiences with racism since coming to the US?

SS: Not a lot. But I noticed that in class, American students are uncomfortable working with non- American students.

VW: yeah I have noticed that too! I think its because of the language barriers and all that jazz.

SS: yeah I think so too.

VW: okay, moving on.. What were your preconceptions about the US before coming here and how have they changed?

SS: I thought the political structure of the USA was much better and implemented more freedom, but I found out capitalism does all the dirty work. And politics isn't as pretty as it looks!

VW: Glad to see more people are noticing this stuff. I have been looking into some of these conspiracies lately too. And, why did you choose America to continue your education?

SS: I applied to the UK and Australia but I got into the schools here instead of UK and Australia. And I always kinda wanted to come here for some reason! (chuckles)

VW: aha I see. And how many languages do you speak?

SS: Umm, three: mandarin, Bahasa Malaysia, and English. But my mandarin is a little broken. But I can understand it!

VW: that’s good! I wish I spoke three languages!

SS: How many languages do you speak?

VW: just two. English and my mother tongue, Singhalese.

SS: oh okay.

VW: Umm moving on, what are your plans after you graduate?

SS: I and going to be working here for a year, then moving back hopefully!

VW: I see. Do you plan on getting a job once you go back?

SS: yes, I haven’t thought about doing my masters yet.

VW: oh okay, and I think we addressed this question earlier but what is the most challenging thing about living in America?

SS: umm I’d say, not having the luxury of having parents around!

VW: oh true! And moving onto our next question, have you lost proficiency in speaking, writing or reading in your native language since coming to the US?

SS: No, there are a lot of Malaysians here. They keep me from losing touch.

VW: gotcha. Have you been to any other countries other than America?

SS: Yup! Japan, Thailand.. and Turkey, Australia, Singapore, Burma, Brazil.

VW: wow you seem to travel a lot!

SS: yeah I used to when I was back home. We used to go on vacations a lot!

VW: oh that sounds fun!

SS: It was! A lot! (chuckles)

VW: hehe im sure it was! Well that’s all the questions I have for you Sabrina, do you have any questions for me?

SS:  Mmm no I don’t think so.

VW:  Okay, well thanks a lot for letting me interview you Sabrina! I got some very useful answers from this interview!

SS: Oh no problem and I hope so! (chuckles)

VW: Oh I did! And good luck on your finals!

SS: Thanks!