The topic of my final paper

       After some thoughts i decided to write the topic about "The differences and similarities between women in Nepal, Russia and the USA". I think it is very interesting topic because after interviewing my 3 friends from Nepal i got a lot of interesting information about women such as their rights, marriages, casts, the position in the family and others. I would love to research more about it and see how different the culture is between these three amazing countries!

Review of the third inreview

"My Scorecard"

Review of my top three interviews:

1. Mohamed - 20 points (http://en191fl12s28mohamedto.blogspot.com/)

His third interview scored very high again because he covered all main points. I liked the beginning of his interview. He used warm-up questions very well and his questions were clear and flow. Also, all his interview was good structured.

2. Brittany - 20 points (http://eng191f12s28brittanyhof.blogspot.com/)

Her third interview scored high because she again covered all required points as she did in the 2 previous interviews. She highlighted all titles which made it easier to read. According to her interview, she made her conversation interesting and flow.

3. Jonathan - 19 points (http://en191f12s28jonaou.blogspot.com/) His third interview scored high because he fully covered all main points. But, he got one point less again for the country report. He didn't add any new information in that section. However, it was interesting information and also he included pictures which make to get some idea about his country. Also, Interview has nice warm-up questions which make the conversation flow to the main idea of the interview.   

Review of the second inreview

"My Scorecard"

Review of my top three interviews:

1. Mohamed - 20 points (http://en191fl12s28mohamedto.blogspot.com/)
His second interview scored very high because he covered all main points again. I liked the beginning of his interview. He used warm-up questions very well. Also, his interview was good structured and it was interesting to read.

2. Brittany - 19 points (http://eng191f12s28brittanyhof.blogspot.com/)
Her second interview scored high because she covered all required points again as in her first interview. I liked how she highlighted all titles which made it easier to read. According to her interview, she made her conversation interesting and flow.

 3. Jonathan  - 19 points (http://en191f12s28jonaou.blogspot.com/)

His second interview scored also high because he fully covered all main points. But, he got one point less for the country report. He didn't add any new information in that section. However, it was interesting information and also he included pictures which make to get some idea about his country.  

Interview 3

Preparation

(Describe the preparations. How did you approach people? When, where, and how did you conduct and record the interview? Whom did you interview?)

Preparations for the interview

              I had already learned a lot about Nepal from my two previous interviews. So, the third interview was just an opportunity for me to explore more about culture of Nepal. As I was having all my questions ready and organized it was pretty easy to interview my friend.

How did you approach people?

           Finding an interviewee was not hard at all as a friend of mine, Sushma P. lives at the same building where I live. I gave her a call and asked if I can come to her place and interview her. Since she was coming home from Minneapolis we set the time at 6pm.  

When, where, and how did you conduct and record the interview?

             On November 12^th, we sat down at her place with the 2 sets of questions and my phone, and we started the interview process!

Whom did you interview?

               I interviewed Sushma P. who is from Kathmandu, Nepal. She is 25 years old and she is already a senior student at SCSU.

Personal Review

            As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to learn more about culture of Nepal from my third interviewee. Since I knew Sushma very well, it was so easy and interesting to interview her.  As always, I was very lucky to have an expert interviewee who was very knowledgeable. I think this interview was very successful in terms of what I wanted from it; getting personal view from my three interviewees about Nepal was certainly beneficial.

          I’d like to thank Sushma for her time and hope I would be able to conduct interviews in the future in similar fashion!

Country report

Weddings and Marriage in Nepal

pic.1. Hindu marriage

           "Weddings in Nepal are momentous occasions which are often planned years in advance of the wedding itself. In line with other festivals in Nepal, weddings are colorful and beautiful events.

             Traditionally, weddings in Nepal are arranged by the respective families. It is not uncommon for matches to be decided when the two individuals are still children. However, child marriages in Nepal – as with the majority of countries the rest of the world, are illegal and the couple therefore wait until adulthood to complete their marriage rites. Traditionally families in Nepal consider a number of factors before arranging the marriage. These factors may include caste (traditionally marriages do not happen across castes), religion, ethnicity and also the consideration of ties between families in an effort to build allegiances. It is important that arranged marriage and forced marriage in Nepal are not confused. It is not normal practice for families in Nepal who are arranging marriages to force their offsprimarry someone that they do not wish to marry. The offspring are also consulted and it is important that they consent to the marriage.

             Hindu weddings and marriages in Nepal are colourful occasions and travellers to Nepal may be fortunate enough to witness either the wedding itself or, at least to witness the wedding parties making the journey to the bride's house. These journeys can sometimes take a number of days to complete due to the distance between the groom and bride's home. Hindu marriages in Nepal are often arranged with the assistance of a priest, who analyses the horoscopes of the couple to ensure that they are compatible and they typically take place during the months of January or February.

           Buddhist weddings in Nepal are often quieter occasions, with a focus on ceremonial displays. The weddings are usually extremely large, sometimes encompassing whole villages and large numbers of extended family.

         Sherpa weddings and marriages differ to Hindu and Buddhist weddings quite considerably. Sometimes the marriage rites for the couple are completed years in advance of the actual wedding ceremony and consequently, the couple may even have their children attend the wedding!"(1) 

Work cited:

1. "Country Facts" (March 29th, 2010): http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/nepal/Weddings-and-Marriage-in-Nepal/435

2. Pic.1.:0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamie-mitchell/5577091238/

The Interview

Interviewer: Helen Galkina

Interviewee: Sushma P.

Location: Sushma’s apartment.

06:00pm (11/12/2012)

H-Helen                           

S-Sushma

H- Hello Sushma, Thank you so much for your time, I really appreciate that!

S- No problem Helen! (smile)

(we had some talk about classes and planes and after words we started the interview)

H- Ok, Sushma let’s start the interview. Where are you from?

S- I am from, Nepal.

H- Where in Nepal actually?

S- I’m from capital city, Kathmandu.

H- Chandra and Peshal have told me a lot of interesting things about Nepal… It is a beautiful place indeed! I’m so excited to know and learn something more from you too!! So, we can jump directly to questions for now.

S- Sounds good!

H- I’m wondering how would you introduce your country to somebody who has never heard of it?

S-Well, Nepal is located in Southeast Asia. It is rich in natural beauty. It is also birth place of Gautam Buddha. We have the highest peak, Mt. Everest in our country.

  

H- Interesting!!! And could you tell me now about some differences in educational systems between Nepal and the US?

S- It is completely different than here. In our country, we don’t have to go to different classes. We stay in the same class and teacher comes and teaches us. We need to take one board exam at the end of the year which is very tough and we must pass that test to take other courses.  

H- Is it based on credits or you have a fixed set of classes to take?

S- we have fixed set of classes.

  

H- Okay. Let’s skip education. Let’s talk about your family now. How many members are there in your family?

S - I live in a joint family. We have 17 people in our family. I have grandparents, dad, mother, 2 uncles, 2 aunts, 2 siblings, and 7 cousins.

H – WOW!! It is so big family!!! It should be fun then, ha?

S – It is!! We are all friendly!!! And every time we do some fun stuff back home!

H - So, I see it’s so common that grandparents live with their children and grandchildren, right?

S – Yes, because it is children and grandchildren’s responsibility to look after grandparents.

H- So how has family values shaped you as a person?

S- I have always lived with group of people so I am more oriented towards the collectivism. Most of my decisions are made by my elders. I try my best not to hurt them too.

H- I see!!! Was it really hard for your parents to agree with you to come here?

S- Yes, it was little bit a tough decision for them since I was the first kid to go abroad and study. And after I came here we have been talking trough skype all the time so, they are fine.

H- Do your siblings want to come here to study as well?

S- No, they don’t want to come here. They think that I am living a very lonely life here.

H- Oh, Ok. How was your life different from the lifestyle in the US?

S- Life was totally different back home. I used to get back to home by 6:00 pm but here I can go home anytime I want. Whatever decisions I make here will directly affect me. Most of the time, it was my parents who used to make decision for me.

H- What do you like to do here?  Any special hobbies?

S- I like to hang out with my friends. I like to read novels and cook.

H- Do young people do same activities in your country like in the US?

S- To some extent, I would like to say yes. But not totally like US.

H- Ok Sushma. Let’s talk about major holidays in your country now. Chandra and Peshal have told me some interesting things about Dashain festival and some other holidays. Could you tell me something more about it?

S- Dashain is the biggest festival in our country. We celebrate it for 15 days but the major celebration is for 10 days.

H- And what about other major holidays of Nepal?

S- Since we have lot of people from other ethnicity, we celebrate lhosar, tihar, chaat, holi, janai purnima, and so on.

H- And what is your favorite holiday back home?

S- Dashain, tihar and Lhosar

H- Why do you like it? What do you do during this holiday?

S- Most of the time, it is time for a family reunion. We have a big feast in our house.

H- That is nice!! Could you tell me something about your traditional food now?!

S – Most of the people eat rice, lentils and vegetables. In main festivals like Dashain and tihar, we make different varieties of food. But in the ethnic festival like lhosar, we make khapse and wine in addition to other foods. Also, we eat different kind of meat except beef because it is against to our religion. Hindus worship cow that’s why they don’t eat it.

H – Oh, it is good to know... So, Do you know how to cook your traditional food?

S – Yes, But not all of them

H- Where did you learn it? In the US or back home?

S- I learned it back home. I used to help my mother in kitchen.

H- What is your favorite dish that you like to cook?

S- Momo, it takes time to cook but it tastes so good. Most of the time, all of my friends get together and cook momo with combined effort.

H- Yamy Yamy!!! Can you invite me for dinner then? I would love to see how you cook it and learn how to make it!!!

S- For Sure! But you need to have patience to learn how to cook momo as it takes lot of time.

H- Thank You!!! Well, what about your country's major religions then? As Chandra and Peshal told me that your country predominantly follows Buddhism and Hinduism, right?

S- Yes, the majority of the populations are Hindu and Buddhist. But the number of Christians and Muslims are also increasing.

H- Also, Chandra and Peshal has told me about Castes... Could you tell me something about it too?

  S – In our country, we have 4 casts Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra. People were given these castes depending on the work they do. However, in our days, my parents are still pretty much religious and they want me to get married to the guy from the same cast. But, things are changing rapidly over time so now it depends on the family how religious they are.

H- Oh, I see… And now I want to talk about your country's traditional process regarding marriage. Tell me something about it.

S- Normally, we have arranged marriage in our country. It means the family will find a bride or groom. They need to perform all the rituals while getting married. They check the compatibility of both bride and groom. If everything looks compatible then only the family set up the date. All rituals are supposed to be performed otherwise it will be considered bad luck.

H- And what do most women do after they get married? Do they work or act as a housewife?

S- My mom used to go to school before getting married but once she got married she stayed being house wife. She was the one to look at the house, and look after the kids. But the things are changing now. Even when girls get married, they can continue their study, the work they are doing. The role of women is changing.

H- And now the last question! What are the differences between your culture and the American culture?

S- I see a lot of differences in my culture and American culture. In my culture, we believe in group work and family makes most of the decisions. But in America, it is very different. People are very individualistic here.

H- Thank you so much Sushma for your time and help!

S- No problem at all!

H- Is there anything else would you like to add before we end our interview?

S- Yes, It was a very good experience to share my culture with you Helen. Since it is our Diwali festival day today, I have special Nepalese food in my house. I want you to taste our Nepalese food.  

H- Uuu.. wow (laugh) Sounds good!!!! I would love to taste it!!! And by the way do you have any questions for me?

S – Not really…I was glad to help you with your assignment! And I would like to know about your culture too.

That was the end of my last third interview with Sushma P. As a result I learned a lot about Nepal from my three interviewees. It was such a good chance to know better my three interviewees and learn some new information about this fascinating country!!!

Interview 2

Preparation

(Describe the preparations. How did you approach people? When, where, and how did you conduct and record the interview? Whom did you interview?)

Preparations for the interview

              The only issue I had during my first interview was  maintaining a logical flow between my questions. So, for my second interview, I decided to master my own questions and put them in a logical manner. Having a strategy on hand already, my only concern now was to find an interviewee. 

How did you approach people?

After a series of thought, I decided to interview my neighbor, Peshal who lives right across from me.

When, where, and how did you conduct and record the interview?

             On Saturday November 3rd, I asked Peshal, if he could sit down for an interview with me and talk about Nepal. He said that he had already done a similar interview for his friend and told me that he would be more than happy to help me. Since, we live in the same building I invited him to my apartment; we decided to do the interview in the evening after he was done with his homework. So, I made some food for us and after having a dinner I started the interview process. I took my phone and grabbed the 2 sets of questions from my room. And without wasting any time, we jumped directly into the questions. 

Whom did you interview?

               I interviewed Peshal N. who is from Kathmandu, Nepal. He is 22 years old and he is already a junior student at SCSU.

Personal review

(Describe the interview. What did surprise you?)

          The second interview, for me, went extremely well in terms of the flow and the pattern. Since, Peshal had already been interviewed for an assignment like this before, getting the information from him was exactly what I need for my interview. However, after the interview it was a little bit hard to put all conversation in words because when you speak and write it is a big difference. Overall, everything went really smooth. 

         However, at times, I did feel that this interview was the repetition of the first interview and I did feel asking some other questions which were not primarily in the questionnaire. But since, the goal of this interview was to bring uniformity in the information, the questions had a positive impact on the interview. As usual, I was very lucky to have an interviewee who was very insightful and informative. My main goal in this interview was to know more about the cultural Nepal and I think the goal was fairly attained. Peshal did an excellent job not only answering my questions but understanding what I really wanted from each of my questions.
        So, I’d very much like to thank Peshal for his great help and would like to continue to conduct my next interviewee in the same manner.

Country report

Culture in Nepal:

        Pic.1. Flag of Nepal

         "Nepal's flag is the only national flag in the world that is not rectangular in shape. According to its official description, the red in the flag stands for victory in war or courage, and is also color of the rhododendron, the national flower of Nepal. Red also stands for aggression. The flag's blue border signifies peace. The curved moon on the flag is a symbol of the peaceful and calm nature of Nepalese, while the sun represents the aggressiveness of Nepalese warriors."(2)

        "The Nepali year begins in mid-April and is divided into 12 months. Saturday is the official weekly holiday. Main annual holidays include the National Day, celebrated on the birthday of the king (28 December), Prithvi Jayanti (11 January), Martyr's Day (18 February), and a mix of Hindu and Buddhist festivals such as dashain in autumn, and tihar in late autumn. During tihar, the Newar community also celebrates its New Year as per their local calendar Nepal Sambat." (2)

           "Most houses in rural lowland of Nepal are made up of a tight bamboo framework and walls of a mud and cow-dung mix. These dwellings remain cool in summer and retain warmth in winter. Houses in the hills are usually made of unbaked bricks with thatch or tile roofing. At high elevations construction changes to stone masonry and slate may be used on roofs." (2)

Pic.2. Vatsala Durga hindu temple at Bhaktapur, Nepal

Religion in Nepal:
        "In Nepal, religion is not just a set of beliefs and accompanying rituals handed down from generation to generation; rather it is a complex intermingling of traditions, festivals, faiths and doctrines that have permeated every strata of Nepalese Society in such a way as to become the very heartbeat of the nation."(1)

         "Nepal is famous, as the world's only Hindu Kingdom. However, it is an intricate and beautiful tapestry formed by the interweaving of Hinduism, Buddhism and other beliefs. Religious tolerance and harmony such as is found in Nepal, is perhaps a unique example to the world." (1)

Work cited:

1. "Religion in Nepal": http://www.thamel.com/htms/religions.htm
2. "Itour International travel Service": http://itoursnepal.com/culture-in-nepal.html
3. Pic. 1.: http://www.advadventures.com/information.php?aId=7

4. Pic. 2.: http://www.123rf.com/photo_8744705_vatsala-durga-hindu-temple-at-bhaktapur-nepal.html

The Interview

Interviewer: Helen Galkina

Interviewee: Peshal N.

Location: My apartment.

6:00pm (11/3/2012)

H-Helen                           

P-Peshal

H- Hello, my name is Helen and what’s your name?

P- My name is Peshal.

H- Ok, Peshal. And where are you from?

P- I am from, Nepal.

H- Where in Nepal actually?

P- I’m from capital city, Kathmandu.

H- Chandra has told me also a lot of interesting things about Nepal… It is a fascinating place indeed! I’m so excited to know and learn something more from you too!! So, we can jump directly to questions for now.

P- Sounds good!

H- I’m wondering how would you introduce your country to somebody who has never heard of it?

P-Nepal is a wonderful country which is between India and China. It’s a land of mountain Everest. Place where Buddha was born.  And a very beautiful country!

H- That is interesting!!! And could you tell me now about some differences in educational systems between Nepal and the US?

P- Completely different! Back in Nepal schools are more intensive than here. Teacher comes to your class; you don’t go around to different classes choosing your own subjects like in the US. Also teachers have their have fixed categorical, you cannot choose any subject you have to study what has given. That how it works there! From kindergarten to all the way to college.

H- Is it based on credits or you have a fixed set of classes to take?

P- Yes, we have fixed classes to take but we take credits too. But not like in the US, our techers don’t design courses for you

H- Okay. Let’s skip education. Let’s talk about your family now. How many members are there in your family?

P- There are 5 members… Dad, mom, my brother, sister and I.

H- So how has family values shaped you as a person?

P- People care about family members a lot there. So, I mean there is a sense of giving and carrying about everybody in the family. People are always trying to be together as a one unit and I don’t see it out here.

H- What about your grandparents? Do they live with your parents?

P- My grandparents don’t live with my parents. But they live with my uncle.

H- So, it’s common that grandparents live with their children and grandchildren, right?

P – Yes, always! First parents take care of you and then it is all your responsibility to take care of them.

H- That is a good thought!!! Was it really hard for your parents to agree with you to come here?

P- No, they supported me! I have brother and sister over there.. so.. they are not lonely! But, still... they miss me of course!

H- Do your siblings want to come here to study as well?

P- Not really. They just want to come to visit me and go around the US.

H- Oh, Ok. How was your life different from the lifestyle in the US?

P- You give more value to time here. Back home they don’t really care about the time. For example, businessmen of the restaurant can open and close it any time if there is no business but here its open 6 days a week or 7 days a week because they give more value to customers

H- What do you like to do here?  Any special hobbies?

P- Watch footballs, soccer… do ice-skating

H- Do young people do same activities in your country like in the US?

P- Yes, mostly they do the same activities. Except may be for the bars. We don’t really go to bars back home and we don’t really have them. Normally, we just hang out with our friends at their place

H- Ok Peshal. Let’s talk about major holidays in your country now. Chandra has told me told me some interesting things about Dashain festival and some other holidays. Could you tell me something more about it?

P- Dashain is one of the biggest festival in Nepal. It is like Christmas here (smile). I would say.. it is like combination of thanksgiving and Christmas. People celebrate it for 10 days. They buy new clothes, cook food, gets together.. it is a lot of fun!

H- And what about you major holidays of Nepal?

P- As I said Dashain, Tihar, Holi... and there are like so many festivals… Festivals are almost every day there. It is because we have 330000000 of Gods. So all our festivals relate to Gods and their names!!

H- And what is your favorite holiday back home?

P- I would say Tihar. It’s the festival of lights.

H- Why do you like it? What do you do during this holiday?

P- Because its so bright everywhere! People light homes, lit up candles and ‘Diyo’. Play with fireworks. Play Deusi, where group of people go to different houses and sing traditional songs and give them blessings. So ya, it is really awesome!!!

H- Wow!! That is so interesting!! Could you tell me something about your traditional food now?!

P - The national food of Nepal is Dhindo, which is made of corn or millet flour and dreid spinach, which is amazing. Besides, there always is rice and curry. Also, there are other ethnic cuisine which are unique to different regions. However, I like Newari cuisine the most, ‘Choyela’, ‘Bara’ and ‘Samyebaji’ are the best food.

H- So, Do you know how to cook your traditional food?

P- Yes, of course!!

H- Where did you learn it? In the US or back home?

P- I learned it here. Back home my mom cooked for me..

H- What is your favorite dish that you like to cook?

P- The best dish that I like is Momo. It is more like a dumpling but lot better!!! But the taste is deferent here! Back home it is much better.

H- Yamy Yamy!!! Can you invite me for dinner then? I would love to see how you cook it and learn how to make it!!!

P- Sure (smile)

H- Thank You!!! Well, what about your country's major religions then? As Chandra told me that your country predominantly follows Buddhism and Hinduism, right?

P- Yes, right. The main religions are Hinduism and Buddhism. And ye, there are a little bit of Muslims, Christains and some other religions!

H- Also, Chandra has told me about Castes... Could you tell me something about it too?

 P - Nepal consist of 4 social classes Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra and these are the 4 major castes on which people are divided. But, these days, people don’t really care about these Castes any more. It is not important now!

H- Okay…   And now I want to talk about your country's traditional process regarding marriage. Tell me something about it.

P- Most of the marriages in Nepal are arranged by the family… but we can see a lot of love marriages nowadays. As far as the customs and rituals during marriage go, it’s very complicated. Marriage is mostly celebrated for 2 days. The groom goes to bride’s house, marries her and brings her to his house. Then, they go through several rituals at his place again the very next day!

H- And what do most women do after they get married? Do they work or act as a housewife?

P- Ye, some women become housewives. But time is changing now… And more women are educated now. They open shops, work on some fields.. so.. do any kind of work that related for women.

H- And now the last question! What are the differences between your culture and the American culture?

P- Everything I suppose!! People here know the value of time!

H- Thank you so much Peshal for your time and help!

P- No problem at all!

H- Is there anything else would you like to add before we end our interview?

P- Yes! (Laugh) Let’s cook some Nepalese food now!!!

H- Ok.(laugh) Do you have any questions for me?

P- Not really…I was glad to help you with your assignment! 

That was the end of my second interview with Peshal N. I desire to learn some more about this country from my the last interviewee.