Interviewing a Temporary Visitor

Interviewing a Temporary Visitor

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Interviewing a Temporary Visitor

As I was touring my country, I had to interview a person who is living in my country as a temporary visitor. In my mind I am aware that the person should either be a tourist or a student from another country who is not here permanently but is a tourist or a student from another country who will return home after a short period. I investigated of such a person and got one by the name William Collins who is from Kenya and has come in United States with three missions that is; as a student undertaking further studies and go back to his home country after the completion of the intended purpose. Besides that, he has come as a tourist and to do business.

This man is so free to be interviewed and give back feedback to the best of his knowledge. He has allowed me to make quotations in the paper by the use of his name. My goal and intention is to find out about William Collins’ experience as a tourist while in United States of America. He says that the dominant language that is used in Kenya is English and Kiswahili and is also able to speak his mother tongue language according to his culture which is the Kikuyu language. In addition to that, he goes further to add that there are some gestures, signs and symbols that are used are used to communicate and it will be of much importance if he mentions a few so that anyone who wants to learn his culture would have a very easy time when it comes to communication (Zhu, 2011). An example of a gesture commonly used for communication includes the gesture of beckoning which is used as a sign of calling someone to come towards your direction or to where you are calling him or her from. Another gesture is that of waving which is used almost by every Kenyan as a sign of offering greetings. The Kenyans use the symbol of their national flag which has three colors which has their own significant meaning. The national flag is a symbol of oneness and unity in Kenya. Collins says that since he came to United States of America he has noticed that almost all gestures used there are similar in meaning to the ones used in his home country and that there is no gesture he can consider as rude or arrogantly expressed.

He has been in the United States for one and half years and cannot speak the US primary languages fluently but has a little knowledge of some words (Judith, 2008). He finds himself speaking some words but at the end of it all he finds himself mixing with his country’s language since he has not mastered the US language fully. He says that when it comes to business, the US business people are so much different from the ones in Kenya in the way they do their business and handle customers. They have treated him so well and made him to have his dreams fulfilled. They have been so kind to him and have created a conducive environment for him to learn new ways of carrying out business and how to handle and deal with customers. The business people observe courtesy of the highest degree. In general William Collins felt much welcomed by the host culture and attests that no one has ever portrayed hatred towards him and no one intimidated him because he was black and they are white. He has warmly been received by the people of the host culture and due to that has learned so many things.

The people in my home country’s culture dress modestly and there are the rules that are set in terms of dressing according to gender. Women are supposed to wear the clothes that belong to female gender while men dress with the clothes meant for their gender. He says that here in United States things are different because people dress what they feel like (Charles, 2013). Ladies can wear trousers if they don’t feel like wearing skirts and dresses. This experience stressed my comfort zone in a negative way and this observation could affect my intercultural communication because some of the cultural practices that are done in Kenya are so different from the way they are done here in United States.

References

Zhu, H (2011): The Language and Inter-cultural reader. Routledge Publishers.

Judith, M (2008): Understanding Culture and Communication ( Critical Intercultural Communication Studies.) Peter Lang Publishing.

Charles, S |(2013): Interviewing: Principles and Practices. English Publishers.