ordinary people have remarkable stories.
home.
This ordinary loves pastries and ice cream. How would you describe yourself? Word search wizard, sudoku solver, kimchi maker, yum cha connoisseur, and Hawaiian hula dancer. This is me. How has your home shaped your identity? Home is everything. Hawaii is everything. I don’t know how to explain it. Home is who I am it’s…
politics.
This ordinary loves reading. She studied English and Political Science, and now, she’s working for a political campaign. What did you study in college and what inspired you to study it or them? In undergrad I studied English and Political Science. I think I decided to study English because I thought that was what I…
growing.
She sings, dances, speaks six languages, and plays the flute. If you were to see yourself from ten years ago, what kind of person do you see and what would you say to her? I see someone who is both nervous but also confident. For the nervous side of her, I would say “It’s okay,…
colorful identities.
This interview was originally for an article, but of course, it was too good for it to go unnoticed. Based on your experience and perspective, what is race and ethnicity? I have always seen race as an external label and ethnicity as a community-defined or personal label. Race is usually defined in terms of phenotype,…
a humble surgeon.
This ordinary has a soothing voice who knows how to speak clearly and listen attentively. Could you tell us a little bit about your work? I’m a third year surgery resident. I’m currently at a Children’s Hospital in Atlanta, GA. What motivated you to pursue medicine – particularly, to be a surgeon? I think I…
paw-ny interview.
This ordinary is an opinionated canine! (Answered by the dog’s owner) What’s your favorite time of the day? When my family comes back home from work and when my owners walk me! Woof! What do you like to eat? Anything. But, I love mangoes, lettuce, celeries, sweet potatoes, carrots, and Korean pears! To name a…
bluntly honest.
This ordinary is an honest person. “I’m overwhelming,” she says. But I say she’s a passionate individual that we can learn from. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? (How would you describe yourself as a character?) Well, I am kind of a handful and I would say I’m pretty passionate about things,…
interacting and people loving.
“I am recessive!” she said. If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be? Loud, caring, and memorable. What influenced you to positively interact with people? I have always loved to spend time with people and get to know them — like get to know their hearts and why they are the…
exploring faith.
This ordinary takes her faith and passion of being a Christian very seriously. Perhaps you can say, “Amen” after reading her answers. How and when were you introduced to Christianity? I grew up as a Christian because my family is Christian. So I always went to church, Sunday schools, youth group, and now I am…
identifying.
This ordinary is very involved in his community. “Don’t suck and go dawgs!” he says. What would you identify yourself as? I’m a second generation American, I am a Pakistani American. And I’m a male, and I use he/him pronouns. What are some challenges that you face in this country? In my opinion it deals…
learning and knowing.
This ordinary and I sat at Jittery Joe’s Coffee and talked about all sorts of things. We eventually started talking about philosophy and she said, “I like to learn and obtain knowledge.” How would you describe yourself as a learner? For me, I think that you can learn from anyone and anything. And, that’s a…
seeking and following.
Could you tell me a little bit about your introduction to Christianity and church? My parents. I was born in a pastor’s family. When I was growing up, I went to church. The way I personally got to know him was in high school; that’s when I felt like I was personally invested. I was…
doctor who.
What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine? I never really thought that I was mad for science, ever, and then when I went to college, I really liked chemistry. So, I was a chem major for two years, but when I became a junior, I didn’t want to get stuck in labs. I…
peaceful faith.
What do you identify yourself as? Growing up [Muslim], that’s what I was raised with, and now that I learn more and more, I identify as a Muslim because I am open to everybody. I love everybody equally — both Muslims and non-Muslims. Do you think there is a negative perception against your religion and…
an evening talk with a quirky feminist.
If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be? Quirky, curious, and creative What impression do you want others to make of you? I like to be seen as funny. I just think it’s a positive energy to bring in a group…humor is like a good route for me. If they made…
immigration.
My mom has always worked the night shifts at carpet mill. It has been 15 years. She goes out at 10 pm and comes back at 7 am. She’s been doing that so that she could see us go to school and come back from school — instead of us possibly going out, doing drugs…
humanity back in action.
What are some challenges you face as an immigrant and POC? Adjusting to the lifestyle, people, and the ways of living here. Trying to make it feel like home. Do you think there is such thing as “white privilege”? Yes. They get benefits that we people of color don’t…like they are placed on priority list for…
positivity.
If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be? Passionate, loving, and happy. What is one thing that you hate your peers do? I hate that my peers are judgmental, and assuming things about people when they should be getting to know the real person. If you could live in a movie…
tricolon.
I’ve been following “Interviewing the Ordinaries” for quite some time now and have been interviewed myself in the past. This time though, I wanted to reverse the roles: have the original blogger answer a few questions from one of the interviewees. The “three” theme you might notice in this post was intentional. I remember my…
musings of a college student.
What is the most challenging thing as a college student? Time management. Academically, managing your time to study and finding time to invest your time for your friends. And also, taking time for yourself–like eating, sleeping, and etc. If you can manage your time and take care of the components of your life, your college…
public education.
What are you teaching now? ESOL Social Studies. What were hardest classes that you’ve taught? Why? Either English or reading. It’s not the subject matter but the students. There are so many different languages with so many different levels. That’s the hard thing about teaching because there are so many standards. It’s hard to moderate…
acceptance.
What are some challenges that you face as a person of color in America? When you try to talk about racial issues, a lot of people deny that it exists and majority, which are caucasian, don’t like to talk about it. So talking about the subject is difficult. When was the most frustrating or upsetting…
meeting with a creative writer.
What are some challenges you face as a writer? Finding something different to write about and having a really creative outlet because it’s hard for people to say something that is so different. People like different things…you know. What makes writing special compared to other arts? When you are writing you are analytical. Writing is…
ethical issues of pharmaceutical business.
So could you tell me how you got into Pharmacy and Business — and what drives your passion? First about pharmacy, it is a growing industry. The way how I look at is the future of our healthcare; it will become more drug-based and machine-based than it has been in the past, whereas in the…
business and economics.
How would you define “business”? Basically making a profit. What is the toughest thing as a person working in/for business? I think when you are working in business, you start to lose focus on your passion and personal life. I like taking photos, videos, and doing artsy things — but when you get so involved in…
time and patience in music.
This interviewee is a cellist at symphony orchestra. At first, he learned to play the violin but everyday after school, he practiced cello, and now he’s a professional cellist. He can play the viola, too. What is your favorite thing about cello? I like the versatility of the instrument. What is your least favorite thing about…
music as way of healing.
This ordinary is majoring in music therapy and performance. Why do you think music can be used to heal and help people? Music kind of provides a new medium for people to express themselves. Thinking and speaking of your actions is hard. For some people, it’s hard to voice what you are thinking or feeling. It…
“diversifying.”
What are some challenges that you experience as a person of color in America? The fact that I have to think about how I say, move, dress, and act. Otherwise, I will be judged. Do you think there is such thing as white privilege? Yes. Why do you think [white privilege] still exists? Because people are…
straightforward answers but complex ideas.
What do you find challenging as an immigrant living in America? Keeping in touch with your roots and cultures. I don’t want to lose my culture because that’s really easy to do in America. What would you say about the region you reside (the South)? The accents are cool despite what people may think. I…
some simple sayings.
What is your advice to people? You got to love yourself […] There’s no need to be jealous of people with sports cars, expensive watches, or designer clothes. I think [they] are cool, but you need to earn it yourself (with your abilities and work)–without any support like parental contribution. No need to be jealous…
applying equations to the world.
This interviewee studies math and physics in college. So, you study math and physics. Are you passionate about them? I don’t know. Sometimes I do and I don’t. I am passionate when there are hard problems. It makes me pursue harder level math. And then one thing I realized is number theory, and I studied…
problem solving.
This interviewee studies computer science. He is from Russia. Are you passionate about computer science? If so, why? I like how when you are solving a problem, you can approach it in different ways. Since there are multiple ways of solving a problem, every time you approach it, it’s fresh. It’s a very creative process.…
music & violin.
This person is a professional violinist. He travels to perform and he is the concertmaster at UGA Symphony Orchestra. What made you play the violin? When I was a baby, my dad would always listen to classical music. My grandparents bought an old Spanish house; there were really old things in the house. We were looking…
ways of knowing and learning.
This ordinary is from Hong Kong, and studies at Boston University. Traveling is her passion. What are your thoughts on American education? I’ve heard that it’s really shitty, and I am glad that I didn’t have it here because then my math [skills] would be bad. I liked how in Hong Kong, you have classmates…
five random questions.
This ordinary was born and raised in Hawaii. She went to Boston University for college. What is your advice to freshly graduated students? Have confidence in what you have accomplished so far cause I think when you graduate, you are compared–but it’s important to remember that you have accomplished and you are more than ready.…
respect race, history, cultures, and people.
This person was born in Democratic Republic of Congo but was raised in Atlanta, GA. What are some challenges that you face as a “minority” in the U.S? The toughest thing about being a minority is constantly feeling like you don’t belong. Your family life and social life is so different. You don’t know where…
smiling girl.
This interviewee smiles a lot and makes other people smile. How would you like to be remembered? A girl who made people smile. What is one word that you hate people use today? “Ugly.” Heels or flats? Flats all the way Where would you like to travel and why? Tokyo…to see inventions and crazy Japanese…
it’s hard to live in America.
This interviewee has a strong work ethic like no other. She says, “I like to work” a lot but takes care of herself by going on long hikes and baking bread. What is one thing that you like about America? Freedom of people. What is so hard about living in America? Discrimination and it’s hard…
a girl with both sides of culture.
This interviewee is Chinese-American born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She’s a writer. What I admire about her is the confidence of her Asian-American roots. What are some challenges that you experience as Asian American? I think the hardest thing about being an Asian American is trying to figure out your true identity. You try…
super curly hair.
This ordinary just finished her first year of college. We drank tea at my patio and I started interviewing her. How would you describe yourself? Visually, I have brown skin, curly hair, and I am short and skinny! Personally, I am outgoing and I like to talk a lot…I am quirky, weird, and make stupid…
transitioning.
This person graduated from Boston University a year ago. She majored in Human Physiology and is now getting ready for grad school. What are some struggles that you face as a college graduate? Not knowing what I am gonna do for the rest of my life. And being separated from friends that you’ve been friends…
higher education, worth it?
This person graduated from college two years ago. She is still looking for a job. What was your favorite part about college? The opportunity to stretch my comfort zone and got to interact with a lot of different people, perspectives, and ideas. And that’s how you grow. What is one advice that you would give…
with a happy girl.
She just finished her first semester of college. What does being in a relationship mean to you? Well, any relationship I guess would mean two people putting time and effort into each other because they feel like it’s worth it. As for a dating relationship, I feel like it’s a little deeper than that. You find…
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