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New member needs to conduct an interview
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Posted by: clarkscottkent

My college professor has given me and my classmates only 5 days to perform an interview with someone from a different culture on the internet. I came across this site as a possibility to get this completed. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Here we go...

Hello to all. My name is Chris Renfro. I live in Mt. Washington, KY, USA. I am a 36 year old college student. I have been working in a Ford Motor Company factory for over 15 years, but am looking to obtain a college degree in the next two years. I hope to teach middle or elementary school after retiring from Ford Motor Company. I will be 51 years old when I am able to retire from Ford. I hope to teach part-time as a substitute teacher after retiring from Ford. I was assigned a project of interviewing someone from a different culture to get a better understanding of their everyday life. I am attempting to find websites where I may be able to conduct an interview with college students or individuals that are older about the culture of Russia. If anyone is willing to help, please answer some or all of the following questions. Thank you! Please provide a brief introduction…name, age, marital status, any children, occupation, level of education, etc…

Chris: Where were you born? Where do you currently live?

Chris: How long have you lived there?

Chris: Is English a widely spoken language where you live?

Chris: At what age did you begin speaking English?

Chris: At what grade or age do they start teaching students English now?

Chris: In the United States, we have twelve years of schooling, 5 years of elementary school, three years of middle school, and four years of high school. How does this compare to the education system in Russia? Do students in Russia go to school year round? In the United States, we have a summer break that is usually about 3 months long.

Chris: If a student, what school do you attend? If not a student, do you have a job/career? Where do you work? How many hours a day and/or week do you work or go to school?

Chris: How far is your daily commute to and from school or work?

Chris: What is your mode of transportation? Do you ride a bicycle, own a car, use public transportation, etc…?

Chris: What is your family/home life like? How close is your family? Is an effort made to have dinner together as a family every night? Are there many scheduled activities that are completed together as a family or are family members taught to be more independent?

Chris: Could you briefly describe your average day to me? What time you get out of bed, what time do you go to work or school, what time do you get home, what time do you eat dinner, what time do you go to bed?

Chris: What about entertainment? What do you like to do with family or friends to have fun? Do you engage in any sports or hobbies? What do you like to do with your free time if you have any?

Chris: What is the social/economic status like in Russia? In the United States, we have the lower, middle, and upper class. The middle class is slowly vanishing in the United States. With the loss of manufacturing jobs, we are slowly on our way to having two classes of people, the “have” and the “have nots”…either rich or poor. How does this compare to Russia’s social/economic status?

Chris: What are some of the signs in Russia that one has succeeded in life? Could it be a career or job that they have obtained? Is it material items that make them appear wealthy? Education…must you be educated in Russia to succeed?

Chris: What are your expectations of yourself? Do you have goals set for yourself to achieve? What are you trying to obtain in life in general to consider yourself a success?

Chris: If I were to visit Russia, and only had two days, where/what would you recommend I see? What city would you consider to be the most beautiful in Russia?

Thank you very much for your time! Have a wonderful day, Chris Renfro

Posted by: Pin Boy

you really wanna be a teacher? i'll trade ya my job!

just joking. maybe someone will reply to this, although the number of active former soviet union citizen members is a small % of the overall membership. may want to consider scaling it back a bit. welcome and good luck.

pin boy

Posted by: clarkscottkent

and I hope to retire from Ford Motor Company. But I also know that retiring at the age of 51, I will need something else to do. Substitute teaching would be a nice part-time job...work when I want, tell them no when I don't want to.

I did include "answer some or all of the questions".

I was joking with my professor earlier by telling him that I might be able to find a bride online before I get someone to answer this survey. I have this survey posted on about 18 message boards and can't get a single reply. I'm trying Russian, Asian, and South American forums. I have had lots of my posts deleted without any notes why. Guess they don't like my questions.

Thanks for replying, you are the first. lol
Heck, you could role play and answer the questions.

Posted by: Pin Boy

that would be cheating then now wouldn't it??? worse than some of my students!!

Posted by: Stirlitz

I live in Ukraine and I am not sure if I fit the requirements because it is no longer part of Russia.

Posted by: clarkscottkent

Actually, you would be perfect. I need someone from a different culture to complete some or all of my survey. If you would be willing to help, it would be greatly appreciated.

Posted by: Chrismc

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarkscottkent

Actually, you would be perfect. I need someone from a different culture to complete some or all of my survey. If you would be willing to help, it would be greatly appreciated.

I'm English is that different enough

Posted by: Stirlitz

Chris: Where were you born? Where do you currently live?
Odessa, Ukraine. Odessa, Ukraine.

Chris: How long have you lived there?
Since I was born in 1972.

Chris: Is English a widely spoken language where you live?
Not really. At least I can make my living as a translator.

Chris: At what age did you begin speaking English?
About 25 when I started working as an interpreter. Before that I just studied it.

Chris: At what grade or age do they start teaching students English now?
4th grade.

Chris: In the United States, we have twelve years of schooling, 5 years of elementary school, three years of middle school, and four years of high school. How does this compare to the education system in Russia? Do students in Russia go to school year round? In the United States, we have a summer break that is usually about 3 months long.
It used to be ten years in the Soviet Union and it was more than enough. Now it is twelve years too. The summer break is three months too.

Chris: If a student, what school do you attend? If not a student, do you have a job/career? Where do you work? How many hours a day and/or week do you work or go to school?
I am a freelance translator and interpreter, self-employed. It depends

a lot.

Chris: How far is your daily commute to and from school or work?
I usually work at home unless interpreting.

Chris: What is your mode of transportation? Do you ride a bicycle, own a car, use public transportation, etc…?
I have a car but I rely on public transportation mainly because gasoline is very expensive here compared to the income level ($4.20 a gallon on the average). It costs me about $8 to drive to the downtown and back while the bus is less than $1 two way. Besides, my garage is two freaking miles from where I live. So I choose the bus most of the time. Luckily, I do not have to commute to work due to the freelance nature of my work. A bicycle is not an option really because the downtown is 10 miles away. I am considering a 50 cc scooter. When I travel to other towns I also prefer the bus because it is at least twice as cheap. For example, a ride to Kiev or the Crimea (about 300 miles) is about $20 one way, or $40 round trip while the car would burn about 100 liters which is $110. (It runs 20 miles on a gallon).

Chris: What is your family/home life like? How close is your family? Is an effort made to have dinner together as a family every night? Are there many scheduled activities that are completed together as a family or are family members taught to be more independent?
My family is me, my wife and daughter. We are very close. And apart at the same time because we spend too much time in our dens at computers.

Chris: Could you briefly describe your average day to me? What time you get out of bed, what time do you go to work or school, what time do you get home, what time do you eat dinner, what time do you go to bed?
I get up between 9 and 10 a.m. and usually stay at home. I eat when I am hungry. I go to bed about midnight.

Chris: What about entertainment? What do you like to do with family or friends to have fun? Do you engage in any sports or hobbies? What do you like to do with your free time if you have any?
In the summer we spend a lot of time in the beach. Sometimes we go to the movies. Once a month I meet friends who own cars like mine (we have a club of old Volga funs). We may drive to another town together or drive around our town. I go to the gym to work out. What I do for fun is monkey around with cars. Mine and others’.

Chris: What is the social/economic status like in Russia? In the United States, we have the lower, middle, and upper class. The middle class is slowly vanishing in the United States. With the loss of manufacturing jobs, we are slowly on our way to having two classes of people, the “have” and the “have nots”…either rich or poor. How does this compare to Russia’s social/economic status?
I am not sure about Russia but here it is heading much the same way. You are either very poor or very rich. There is virtually no middle class. It is easy to tell by the cars. In the street you see either decrepit, rotten and rusty old cars dating back to 1980s, mostly Soviet and Japanese made, or brand-new luxury cars like Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, etc. The middle class is a position which is hard to stay in. If you are able to get there, you usually go higher because you gathered enough impetus to get there. Or you lose the balance and spiral down to poverty. You cannot just stop there and stay this way. For once between 2000 and 2007 we saw the middle class grow up. However, 2007 was a decline which is under way now.

Chris: What are some of the signs in Russia that one has succeeded in life? Could it be a career or job that they have obtained? Is it material items that make them appear wealthy? Education…must you be educated in Russia to succeed?
It’s a hard question. Education does not matter at all. At least when it comes to success. Yes, you need your diploma to obtain a stinky $300 a month job where you are not going to do anything like you were taught in your college. But to become a business owner, and that is probably what most people regard as success you do not need to be educated, and in fact it is going to be in the way a little because educated people tend to try to do everything in the right way while it is not always what you have to do to become rich and successful. I would say that people deem a person successful if he has an expensive car and property and some business. I am not sure.

Chris: What are your expectations of yourself? Do you have goals set for yourself to achieve? What are you trying to obtain in life in general to consider yourself a success?
I am happy with myself except for being too lazy, irresponsible, laid-back and nonchalant, and I am also trying to develop a more happy and cheery personality than I am because I tend to be sullen sometimes. My goal has been to be myself and I think I am doing well. So far I was able to give up my regular job and become independent. This is great because I save on transportation working from home, save my health because a regular job is always a stress and you end up with a damaged nervous system. Many people have heart attacks or strokes because of work where you are under pressure to make everybody happy (and they are not trying to make you happy at that at all) and do your job at the same time, and with the ridiculous salaries ($500 a month is very, very good while it is very, very small to live on) it is just a joke that people actually work there. I am rid of that bliss and I have wealth of free time at that while I make more as a freelancer. I have a wonderful wife and daughter. Of course I am aiming at higher income but it is not critical. I AM and this is what I regard as success.

Chris: If I were to visit Russia, and only had two days, where/what would you recommend I see? What city would you consider to be the most beautiful in Russia?
In Ukraine it is Odessa and Sevastopol. Kiev is interesting too. In Russia they say St. Petersburg is beautiful. My choice number one would be Odessa though. And I have been in most Ukrainian cities so I know.

Posted by: clarkscottkent

Thank you so much! I was beginning to think I was going to fail on this project. Greatly appreciated!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Chris Renfro

Posted by: Chrismc

Stirlitz

Having spent a lot of time in Ukraine and just getting back last week after 3 weeks there, part of my trip meant doing some research for possible business opportunities, meeting with business owners, factories etc I agree with what you stated here, especially in the Western Ukraine area :-

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stirlitz

It’s a hard question. Education does not matter at all. At least when it comes to success. Yes, you need your diploma to obtain a stinky $300 a month job where you are not going to do anything like you were taught in your college. But to become a business owner, and that is probably what most people regard as success you do not need to be educated, and in fact it is going to be in the way a little because educated people tend to try to do everything in the right way while it is not always what you have to do to become rich and successful.

That is certainly the impression I got also.

Posted by: clarkscottkent

I actually just now read what you has answered, and I am very impressed. I could see us being friends.

I'm big into cars...my friends and I are big Ford Mustang fans. Are there any Mustangs in the Ukraine?
I want to reply to some of what you entered:
1. Gas in the United States has always been considered cheap compared to what other countries have been paying for decades, but it's finally rising rapidly over here as well. It is supposed to reach $4 a gallon this summer. It has been as high as $3.70 this past winter.
2. I can't relate to having a garage, which stores your car, two miles from the place you reside? That sounds quite odd to me.
3. Family life must be the same in most places now. Everyone in the house has their own computer and that's where they can be found. LOL
4. If you could, attach an image of your car. I have never seen a Volga.

I'm gonna simply copy and paste my favorite answer of yours:

Chris: What are your expectations of yourself? Do you have goals set for yourself to achieve? What are you trying to obtain in life in general to consider yourself a success?
I am happy with myself except for being too lazy, irresponsible, laid-back and nonchalant, and I am also trying to develop a more happy and cheery personality than I am because I tend to be sullen sometimes. My goal has been to be myself and I think I am doing well. So far I was able to give up my regular job and become independent. This is great because I save on transportation working from home, save my health because a regular job is always a stress and you end up with a damaged nervous system. Many people have heart attacks or strokes because of work where you are under pressure to make everybody happy (and they are not trying to make you happy at that at all) and do your job at the same time, and with the ridiculous salaries ($500 a month is very, very good while it is very, very small to live on) it is just a joke that people actually work there. I am rid of that bliss and I have wealth of free time at that while I make more as a freelancer. I have a wonderful wife and daughter. Of course I am aiming at higher income but it is not critical. I AM and this is what I regard as success.

That is a great response that many could live by. I have been very tired of working for a large company like Ford Motor Company. I, too, was lazy and very immature when I graduated from high school in 1989. I had high hopes of obtaining an engineering degree, but I wasn't near mature enough to handle the schooling. I feel like I have wasted 15 years of my life working in a factory. One HUGE advantage we have at our employer is that they will pay for schooling. No one takes advantage of this fact. Americans are lazy by nature. I am about done with my education, but as long as my employer will pay for it, I plan on continuing my education. I enjoy the challenge. It's simply a shame I didnt' enjoy the challenge right out of high school. Regardless, I would still be working for someone in engineering. You said it best...I have always believed that as long as you "are working for someone else", you haven't made it. If you are your own boss, that's priceless. As you already stated, the difference this has on your health alone is unbelievable.
Good luck to you Igor! Sounds like you are doing well and have made some good decisions in your life.

Posted by: Jutman

HTML Code:

Gas in the United States has always been considered cheap compared to what other countries have been paying for decades, but it's finally rising rapidly over here as well. It is supposed to reach $4 a gallon this summer. It has been as high as $3.70 this past winter.

I think next time I will have to fill my gas at my car it will be at 8,20 USD per gallon.

for my wallet.

BR Jutman

Posted by: Chrismc

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarkscottkent

Are there any Mustangs in the Ukraine?

I saw two brand new ones last week in Chernivsti.

Posted by: Stirlitz

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrismc

That is certainly the impression I got also.

I can even add more. However funny, unbelievable and ridiculous it sounds, it is actually often stupid people who make big bucks because they don’t think even for a moment if this ought to be done or not, they only think if they need it or not. People with a bit of intelligence will always have a lot of things to take into account. It is a paradox. To be successful you need to be either highly educated, very intelligent, wise and well-read, determined and responsible, hard-working and professional… or simply stupid and egoistical, damn the rest.

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarkscottkent

I actually just now read what you has answered, and I am very impressed. I could see us being friends.

You are welcome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarkscottkent

I'm big into cars...my friends and I are big Ford Mustang fans. Are there any Mustangs in the Ukraine?

There are some. But it costs ridiculous and crazy money to import one, so they are not many. I don’t think I have seen one recently. I am not sure I remember seeing one in person at all

They are here for sure, but I might have seen photos.

Mustang is great. But I would not mind a Plymouth Belveder '57

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarkscottkent

2. I can't relate to having a garage, which stores your car, two miles from the place you reside? That sounds quite odd to me.

I live in a high rise of 9 floors. The area is congested with similar buildings. There are a few garages in front of the house but the room is very limited and the garages belong to the lucky people who had privileges like war vets. Most of the ordinary people keep their cars in open parking lots along the main street with guards or in garages which are along the railroad (the area next to the railroad is not used for living buildings). Parking lots are closer but I like the privacy of a garage where you can keep things and fix your car. Besides, a garage costs less than a parking lot, and the parking lots can be torn down tomorrow if the officials decide to build something there while no one needs the land next to the railroad. The problem is there is no parking envisaged when the neighborhood was built because it was built in the Soviet Union in 1970-1980s when there were very few private cars. There are garages closer to where I live but selling one garage and buying another is a problem.

Though I have another home in the Crimea, it is a private house with a courtyard and a garage so when I drive there I am very comfortable

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarkscottkent

4. If you could, attach an image of your car. I have never seen a Volga.

http://photofile.name/photo/stirlit...ge/28709588.jpg
http://photofile.name/photo/stirlit...ge/28709489.jpg
http://photofile.name/photo/stirlit...ge/28709323.jpg
http://photofile.name/photo/stirlit...ge/28709252.jpg
http://photofile.name/photo/stirlit...ge/28709209.jpg

Posted by: Chrismc

A nice car Stirlitz, I like this one though

Posted by: clarkscottkent

Good looking car...love the big chrome grill.
Kind of reminds me of the old Studebakers from the U.S.

Posted by: Stirlitz

Chrismc,

This car is a remake of Volga but it actually only has some resemblance to it and shares bumbers and sidelights with it. It looks similar to the original. But everything in-between in new. Yet this shows that these cars are very popular in Russia and Ukraine. My car is not shiny new but many people admire it and I am often getting offers to sell it

Posted by: Chrismc

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stirlitz

Chrismc,

This car is a remake of Volga but it actually only has some resemblance to it and shares bumbers and sidelights with it. It looks similar to the original. But everything in-between in new. Yet this shows that these cars are very popular in Russia and Ukraine. My car is not shiny new but many people admire it and I am often getting offers to sell it

Yes I figured it was a bit of a hybrid, I have seen many Volga's on the streets in Ukraine, there are some really nice examples around too.