Prepare 10 questions about agriculture, food, and cuisine in China. Design your questions carefully and make most, if not all, of them open-ended yet not too broad or vague. One example: What is the most famous dish in your hometown/home province and what makes it famous? Ask follow-up questions until you find a satisfying answer. Prepare 2-3 additional questions in case your interviewee is unable or feels uncomfortable to answer some of the 10 questions you have prepared. Please include your 10 questions at the beginning of your paper (1 pt).
Conduct with an ethnic Chinese from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan; take notes. Write down the name of the person and that of his/her hometown (Romanization), but do not include such simple questions as “What’s your name?” or “Where are you from” in your ten questions.
Write a paper (minimum 850 words excluding the ten questions) on what you have learned from the interview. If an answer is different from what you learned in class or from your own opinion, do some research, compare different sources, and elaborate on a point or two. Cite all your sources in footnotes or parenthesis.
Your essay should be a comprehensive one, moving smoothly from one point to another. It should have a clear thesis, a proper beginning and ending, avoid a conversational tone (e.g. “well,” “I think that’s cool,” “right?”), and should not simply put together the answer from your interviewee.
