Possible questions and suggest answers

1. Good morning, my name is Jake Edward. Could you tell me your full name please?

My family name is Huang, and my given name is Qi Guang.

2. And what shall I call you?

Most people call me Xiao Huang.

3. Can I see your identification please?

Yes, here it is.

4. Does your name have any special meaning?

a. Yes. My family name "Huang" means yellow. My given name has two parts. The first part "Qi" means something like enlightenment or the start. The second part "Guang" means light. It was given to me by my grandfather. Actually, all the boys of my generation in my family have the character "Qi" in their names.

b. The first part of my name means "bright" — as in light. The second part means "true" or "truth". Taken together, my name means "Bright Truth". My grandmother gave this name to me.

5. What's the literal translation of your name?

Well, Huang literally translates as "yellow", and "Qi" means "enlightened or the start". "Guang" literally means "light or bright". So, taken together, my given name means something like "the beginning of light" or "being enlightened with light" or something to that effect.

6. Where do you come from?

a. I was born in Xi'an, which is one of the major cities in China. It used to be the capital city at one point in China's history.

b. I come from Shanghai, but I was born in Xi'an. My parents moved to Shanghai when I was just 4 years old, so I really don't know much about Xi'an, apart from occasional summer visits to see some good friends of the family. In fact, I don't have any relatives at all living in Xi'an.

7. Where were you born?

I was born in Xi'an, which is in the centre of China. It's a famous historic city, and is also well known to tourists who travel the Silk Road.

8. Where about is your hometown?

Xi'an is located in Shanxi Province, which is in central China.

9. What kind of landscape surrounds your hometown?

Xi'an is surrounded by plains, and is bordered by a plateau to the north and the Qinling

Mountains to the south.

10. Could you tell me something about your hometown?

a. Hmm ... well, the population is about 6 million. It's famous for its historic sites, especially for the Terracotta Warriors. Xi'an was named the capital of China several times over many dynasties. Also, Xi'an is the starting point of the famous Silk Road, which was important in ancient times. The weather is extremely hot in summer, about 40 degrees Centigrade, and fairly cold in the winter, about 14 degrees Centigrade below zero.

b. Okay. Well, first of all, my hometown is "X". I was born in the city, but moved to the

outskirts of the town when I was small. "X" is a fairly large city — a pretty important economic centre actually. It has a population of 3 million. It's pretty flat, and is situated right near a large lake.

11. What are the main tourist attractions in Beijing?

They are the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace. Beijing has a lot of other famous sites as well.

12. What is the climate like in your hometown?

It's generally very hot in summer, about 40 degrees Centigrade. In winter, it's cold — about minus 14 degrees Centigrade. The spring and autumn are both mild and pleasant, with temperatures ranging from 12 to 25 degrees Centigrade. Oh, and the summer time is extremely humid as well. There are four seasons. Winter is cold and snowy; spring is short and rainy; summer is hot and humid; and autumn is beautiful.

13. What are the people like in your hometown?

They are usually very friendly and somewhat conservative. If you were to visit Xi'an, you'd soon notice that the people still retain many ancient customs and traditions, which is what I mean by conservative. You'd also notice that people there are very helpful. If you ask someone for directions, they will try to help you out, or find someone else who can help you.

14. What are the differences in accent between the people of your hometown and Beijing?

a. In (name of hometown), we pronounce (a word) like (hometown's pronunciation), but in Beijing, they say (Beijing's pronunciation).

b. There are quite a few differences between my hometown dialect and Beijing dialect. I can't even describe them. When I speak in my local dialect, people in Beijing have no idea what I'm saying.

c. Well, you know Beijing dialect usually has an "errr" added to a lot of words. We don't do that in my hometown. Also, some of the tones are different, and there are slight differences in pronunciation. In Beijing, people might say "shi" meaning "ten", but in my hometown, we say "si". Those are the main differences.

d. In my hometown, if we want to say "a little", we say "yi dian dian". But in Beijing, they say "yi diar". The accent in Beijing has a very strong "rrr" sound to the end of words. We don't have that at all in my hometown. And, I found it hard to get used to at first when I came to Beijing.

15. What kind of food and dishes do people eat in your hometown?

Definitely jiaozi or dumplings. My province is famous for its vinegar, which is used when we eat dumplings.

16. Tell me about what's the biggest traditional festival in your country.

Definitely the Spring Festival. I suppose it's somewhat like Christmas in western countries. Spring Festival is the only time when all families gather together and stores and business are closed for several days.

17. What do you do during the Spring Festival?

I usually go back to my hometown and spend a week in my parents' home. We eat delicious food, visit family and friends, and watch TV. I also like to try and contact my high school friends and see how they're doing and what they're up to. We give each other presents and we buy yourselves new clothes to wear for the new year.

18. Can you describe one of the main festivals celebrated in your country?

National Day, which is on October 1st, is a big holiday. We get three days off and there are a lot of fireworks displays. There are large flower pictures and other types of flowers decorating the city, and some of the larger cities hold parades.

19. What are some customs in your country that I should know about?

China has a great number of customs. Let me tell you something about friendship. Really good friends will always help each other. I can go to a friend's home any time of the day, and he will drop what he is doing and welcome me. It might sound strange to you, because I know that in the West, people usually schedule appointments with each other in advance. But, our friendships in China are very strong and deep, and it would be unheard of not to drop what you are doing and invite a friend in.

20. How long have you lived in Beijing?

Almost 4 years now. I first came to Beijing in July 1996. It's kind of surprising that I've already lived here for 4 years. I wasn't planning to stay for a long time, but then I got a good job in a joint venture company.

21. What is the weather like in Beijing?

There are four seasons. Winter is cold, dry and windy, with a bit of snow. Spring is short and wet. Summer is hot and humid, with temperatures as high as 30 degrees Centigrade. It's pretty miserable in the summer unless you have air conditioning. Fall is probably the best season — it's very comfortable— not windy, not cold, not humid.

22. How do you compare the climate in Beijing with that in your hometown?

It's about the same, except that we get a lot more snow in my hometown than we get in Beijing. I suppose it has something to do with the geography of the two cities.

23. What places in Beijing do you like best? Why?

I like the Temple of Heaven best because it's very beautiful. The park around it is very spacious and is filled with large gingko trees and some very old trees. Also, in the early morning, it's very peaceful. The older generations are practicing their Tai-ji, while the younger children are running around and playing.

24. What places in Beijing should a foreigner visit? Why?

I would recommend the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, and the Forbidden City. Those are the most famous places in the city. Of course, there are many other places that have less historic significance, but those four places are really worth seeing.

25. What are the majorsocial problems in Beijing? How can they be solved?

There are a lot of people who have recently been laid off work. They have little income and many have a family to support. I think they should be given a chance to get another job — maybe by giving them more training or something like that. Perhaps if the government provided a short-term vocational training course to people who have been laid off ... that would help with the unemployment problem.

26. What is the biggest problem China faces?

Overpopulation. Even though China has the one-child policy, it still has a huge population. The government wants to provide food and education for everyone, but they haven't yet attained their goal. Many of China's problems stem from overpopulation.

27. What places do you recommend a foreigner to visit in your hometown and why?

I'm from Xi'an. I think the Terracotta Warriors is really worth seeing. It is the tomb of Qinshihuang, the first emperor of ancient China as a unified country. There are thousands of Terracotta soldiers buried together with the emperor's body in the tomb. It looks really magnificent.

28. Which city, in your opinion, is the best city in China?

Beijing, because it's the capital of China and has a very rich culture. In addition, Beijing is more beautiful than many other cities, because it's the showcase of China. A lot of money has been invested in Beijing and it is a very interesting place to visit.

29. Has tourism changed China very much?

Yes, very much in the last 10 years. Each year we are getting more tourists coming to China since the adoption of the open door policy. People see more foreigners and are used to the sight of foreigners compared to years ago. This is true in big cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou etc. China is becoming more cosmopolitan and people are getting more knowledge of the outside world.

30. Has the transport changed over the past 20 years in China?

Yes, very much indeed. We used to have very few bus lines years ago. Most people would use their bikes to get to places in the city. But now in big cities, there are more bus lines linking different places so it is a lot more convenient. Some cities also have subway lines so it makes traveling much faster than before. There are also more taxis in cities and more people are also using that as a mode of transportation.

31. Is there anywhere you would particularly like to visit on your holidays? Where and why?

Yes, I would love to visit Xinjiang if I have a chance. Xinjiang is in the west of China and it has a large platform. The people there are mostly minority groups and I saw in the pictures the landscape is incredibly beautiful. If I travel to Xinjiang, I would take a train so that I can see the landscape throughout the journey.

32. Let's talk a little about traveling and transport. For a long trip, how do you prefer to travel?

In my country, if it is a long trip, I would prefer to take a train ride. Not only is train ride more economical, but also the time and route have shortened tremendously in the past few years. Air travel  is more expensive and they are often beyond my budget.

33. Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in either this country or in your village.

In my country, I live in a two-bedroom apartment with my parents. The apartment is not big but we have made it very comfortable to live in. We live on the third floor and there is no lift in our building. The highest is the sixth floor so those who live on the sixth floor have to climb up and down every day.

34. Let's talk about your hometown or village. What kind of place is it?

My hometown is in the outskirts of Beijing. Maybe one hour travel time to get to Beijing. Fairly close I would say. The people there are mostly farmers but many young people have gone to Beijing to work. I like the place because it is very quiet. Unlike the people in big cities who are more complicated, the people of the place where I come from are usually more down to earth.

35. What do you usually do in your holidays?

During my holiday, I would try to meet with friends and go on outings. That's the only time I can relax and do something I enjoy. Other than that, it is really difficult because I am always busy with my work and sometimes I have to work night shifts.

36. Why do you think trains are better than buses?

Trains are better because they don't encounter any traffic, whereas sometimes in the bus, we get stuck in the traffic. Also, it is always difficult to get on the buses during the peak hour but with the train, you can bet that the chances of getting on are always greater during the peak hour.

37. Can you tell me something about your family?

I have 3 brothers and no sisters. Both of my parents are still living, and are still working. My grandparents on my father's side are both living too, though my mother's parents have already passed away. I am also married ... I got married 2 years ago.

38. Do you have children?

a. Yes, a son. He's 2 years old now and he's very active. My mother-in-law takes care of him  during the day.

b. No, not yet. But, I do hope to have more than one child some day.

39. What is your child's name?

His name is Zhang Weijun. It means something like being handsome forever. I chose this name for my son because I thought he was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. So, I wanted to remember his handsome features by his name.

40. What is your son/daughter like? Tell me about his/her personality.

At first, he seems to be quite shy. But, once he gets to know you, you'll find he's very talkative and even a bit bossy. He likes to win and be first at everything, but he will allow other children to take their turns too. He's very funny and loves to play all sorts of word games with me.

41. What does your wife/husband do for a living?

My husband is a teacher. He's been working in Beijing Language and Culture University ever since he graduated from university. I think he really loves teaching, and he'll probably stay in this profession forever, even though it's not a very lucrativejob.

42. When did you get married?

On February 14th, 1994. We chose to get married on Valentine's Day because we thought it would be very romantic. Also, it was about 2 years before, on Valentine's Day when we first met.

43. Tell me something about your wedding, please. What happened? Did you have any kind of ceremony?

It was a small wedding. Just our family and close friends came. We didn't have any special ceremony, just a banquet in the evening to celebrate our wedding. I was very tired during the banquet because we had to constantly take care of our friends. We had to light each of their cigarettes, pour their drinks and just generally serve them. They also played tricks on us to try to get us to kiss or hug each other. It was a lot of fun, but I just remembered being extremely tired when it was all over.

44. What did you/your wife wear on your wedding day?

a. She wore a pink wedding dress — western style, then changed into a red traditional Chinese dress. She also had fresh flowers in her hair and wore a pink veil over her head. When she changed into the red dress, she also changed her hairstyle and shoes.

b. He wore a new navy blue suit with a white shirt and bow tie. Even his shoes were brand new. He still has the suit that he wore on our wedding day, and wears it out only for special occasions.

45. Where did you go for your honeymoon?

We went to Thailand. It's a country that I'd always heard about and had been eager to visit. I must say that I enjoyed it very much. The Thai people are extremely hospitable, and everything in Thailand is very cheap ... even cheaper than in China! It was fun to explore a new country with my husband.