Third Interview

Country Report: Germany 

Located in central Europe, Germany is made up of the North German Plain, the Central German Uplands (Mittelgebirge), and the Southern German Highlands. German is the official language of Germany spoken by the majority of the population. It is also the official language of Austria and Liechtenstein. Turkish, Kurdish, Polish, the Balkan languages, and Russian are the other languages spoken in the country. Berlin is the capital city of the Federal Republic of Germany. Berlin is one of the sixteen states that comprise Germany. It is the largest city in Germany with a population of 3.45 million people. It is located in northeastern Germany, in the European Plains. The city is renowned for its world-class universities, research institutes, museums, and architecture. The euro denoted by the ISO 4217 code EUR is the official currency of Germany. The euro is also the official currency of the Eurozone, and the flag of Germany has three colors which are Black, Red, and Yellow. Germany is a big country and it is the seventh-largest country in Europe covering an area of 137,847 square miles, of which 34,836 square miles is covered by land and 3,011 square miles contains water. Germany is composed of sixteen states. The states have their own constitution and are largely autonomous in regard to their internal organization. At the municipal level, Germany is divided into 403 districts (Kreise), of which 301 are rural districts and 102 urban districts. Bavaria is the largest state. The Bavarian plateau in the southwest averages 1,600 ft (488 m) above sea level, but it reaches 9,721 ft (2,962 m) in the Zugspitze Mountains, the highest point in the country. Germany's major rivers are the Danube, the Elbe, the Oder, the Weser, and the Rhine. Germany is about the size of Montana. Germany lies in the center of Europe and shares borders with 9 countries: Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxemburg, Belgium and the Netherlands (clockwise from the top/North).  Germans population is 81,305,856 people in 2012;however, the number of Germans population is shrinking. In 2003 the number of people was 82,476,000 since then it was dropping. As a matter of fact, Germany is the fifteenth-most populated nation in the world and the most populous in the European Union. In addition, The national day of Germany is celebrated on October 3. This day is called the Day of German Unity. It is celebrated to commemorate the anniversary of the reunification of Germany in 1990. This day is declared a national holiday in the country. 

"Encyclopedia of the Nations." Location, Size, and Extent. N.p., n.d. Web.
"Germany Facts." , Facts about Germany. N.p., n.d. Web.

How did I meet my interviewer?

I know most of Germans here in St. Cloud, and Simon was one of the few Germans who I haven't met until lately. I met simon in Downtown and he was drunk, we chatted a little and he laughed when he heard my last name because he thought Ramadan is my first name. He thought that because almost all my friends in St. Cloud call me by my last name. Next day which it was Saturday we met again at one of my friends place, we had fun that night we went to Downtown and had an amazing night. 

Where and when did the interview happen?

The interview happened on the 9th of Nov at the library. Simon was so welling to help me he tried hard to give me all the details. Despite, he wasn't giving me enough information, but he's the only one who asked me to review all questions again in case he forgot something. 

Who is my interviewer?

My interviewer is Simon Wittmann, and he's from Germany. He's an exchange student and he has been here since August. He's Majoring in IS (Information System). He likes being here in St. Cloud because he thinks this is the best place to study in and get a degree, but he really hates the weather. He plays soccer, and actually his team got the final and they lost last Sunday. He's a really good guy, a good friends, and never hesitate to help anyone. 

A: Abdullah (me)

C: Simon (interviewer)

1 How do you communicate with each other in your country?  

We communicate to professors and teacher in a more formal way, everything else would be seen as impolite. The hierarchy in job and school often determines the way of communication, but there are also some exceptions. 

2 What is the clothing style for men and women?  

It’s not as casual as in the united states, usually it’s more formal for some events. 

3 How are women and men treated differently? 

Currently the politicians decided to make a “Frauenquote” in the boards of managements, so there have to be a certain percentage of women in there. This is just an example that equal treatment of both gender is an important value in Germany. 

4 How has your experience here helped you interpret and respect cultural differences? 

I never traveled out of Europe before, so I expected a culture clash. But in fact the cultures are not that different and it’s not hard for me to assimilate in an adequate way 

5 Do you enjoy speaking with other exchange students? 

Yes, but some exchange students are difficult to understand, because of their accent or lack of knowledge. 

6. How long have you been in the United States?  

This is my first time and I arrived at the 17th of august. 

7.Have you been able to visit any other parts of the United States? 

I visited Chicago yet and after the semester I already planned a trip to the west coast and to New York City. 

8.What are your home country’s major religions?  

The Christianity is the most common religion 

9.What influenced you to come to the United States? Especially, Saint Cloud State? # 

I always wanted to visit America because it s a big and interesting country with lot of different cultures and countryside. I choose the St coud state university because they currently run a partnership program with my university back home in germany, Fachhochschule Ingolstadt. 

10. Do you have any questions for me? I have asked so many of you!

I do, where were you before you come here?

A. I used to live in Orlando, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia 

C. Ohh really!! why did you move to St. Cloud?

A. I had some problems with my embassy, and finally I found St. Cloud State and they gave the permission to move here. 

C. What kind of problems?

A. I tried to get an acceptance in a couple of universities, but both universities have a big number of Saudi Students that why they told me to find another university. After that, my I-20 was cancelled, and I was sent back to my country until I get a valid I-20. I stayed in Saudi for 5 months and I spent the 5 months just looking for a university. It was easy to get an acceptance here, so I didn't have a choice. all I was thinking of is to come to the states and  finish my bachelor and go back to my country. 

C. That must be tough I'm sorry, and I'm really glad that you made it. 

A. It's ok really i got over it. Thank you so much for your time and I really appreciate your help.