Možná někteří z vás nevíte, že tento rok na naší škole studuje další cizinec, devatenáctiletý Nicholas Wheeler ze Spojených Států. V rámci anglického semináře studenti 3. B udělali se svým dočasným spolužákem rozhovor, který nejdříve nahráli na své telefony, napsali doslovný přepis a pak přeložili.
Janka/Zuzka: Which countries could you choose when you decided to go for an exchange? And why did you choose Czech Republic?
Nick: There was a long list of countries rating from Asia to Africa,…ehm not Africa – South America. Africa is not on the list at all. So there was a lot like Taiwan, Indonesia, Peru, many places. But not English speaking countries. We could only pick places that didn’t speak English because there you can learn a different language. I picked Czech Republic. You could choose of the five, like your top five. And I chose, that I think it was third, because I knew it is in the centre of Europe and so I thought if I go to the centre of Europe, I can go many different places in Europe. So..ehm..but my first choice was Austria and then Denmark. Austria because I’ve never seen a snow and my parents told me that they have beautiful snow. So I want to go to Austria first. And then, Denmark because I just (COUGH) read lot of things about it. So.. I think I picked Czech Republic because it’s in the middle.
Filip/Matěj: What were your expectations before you arrived? Could you compare it with reality?
Nick: Hmm, expectations, well, Czech Republic isn’t very well-known, where I am from. I didn’t know name, I didn’t know here it was, I didn’t know anything, so I didn’t have many expectations. I expected to be European, like different languages and different culture, weather and stuff. And I guess, it did meet my expectation, because it’s new language and different types of people. It’s good, I like it, I enjoy it.
Kuba/Petr: Could you compare our school system with American one?
Nick: Personally, I really don’t like this school system. I much prefer the one that I got used to in America. In this system the classes are really random. Some days, you have classes, some days you don’t. Some days you have totally different teacher, like everybody seems to know automatically, where to go and this, but I just don’t understand sometimes, how you even figure out you have to go here. I don’t understand.
Kuba/Petr: So, in America you have every day the same schedule?
Nick: Yes. Every day in America you have 7 classes, except for on Wednesday, Wednesday is a short day. You go home one class earlier. It’s nice, but we used to have the same classes without the last one.
Kuba/Matěj: And you can choose your classes?
Yes. We can choose our classes. And we have classes, that you can’t choose and also classes that you can choose. The classes that you can choose are electives and the one ones that you can’t choose are called core classes. These classes are like Math, Reading, English, Science, etc.
Anna/Karol: Are there any differences in American products, which you can buy here, too? I mean for example Coca-Cola.
Nick: Like Coca-Cola in America and Coca-Cola here. Ehmm… I don´t think so.
Anna/Karol: No? I´ve heard from my friend who was in America that the taste of American Coca-Cola is better than here.
Nick: (SURPRISE) Well, maybe, I don´t know. Because I know the Americans tend to use more sugar and more salt in their foods. Ehm … It is just something like we do. I don´t think I´ve had Coca-Cola since I´ve been here. I had Kofola which is very good.
Anna/Karol: Ok. Do you know any examples of different tastes?
Nick: (THINKING) I know potatoes taste much better here than I´ve tasted in America. But I think everything is a same product it is just in Czech Republic.
Anna, Petra: Would you like to stay longer, come back or visit another European country?
Nick: All of them – I would like to stay longer, I would like to come back and I would like to visit different countries. I think Czech Republic is awesome. I like many people. And a city of Opava is beautiful city so I would like to come back, maybe stay longer. And another countries like Africa. I know it isn´t country, but beautiful continent is Africa.
Anna: Why Africa?
Nick: Because it is so different. From Florida, Europe it so different and from Europe, Africa is so different.
Anna: And Australia, Asia or Africa?
Nick: I have been … Australia is … They speak English. And Africa, I don´t think, maybe they do but everything is different language. All of them are good places where I have to like work „normal“ language, like here I don´t know Czech, but I work on it and … Australia is English, Africa is total different … it´s like jungle.
Everyone: Thanks a lot for the interview.