Audio File Name:		170202_0073
Date:				2nd August 2017
Comments:			
Duration:			7:20
KEY: 
Cannot decipher = (unclear + time code)
Sounds like = [s.l + time code]
I: = Interviewer (Interviewer in bold)
R: = Respondent.

I:	40. And your education?

R:	PhD.

I:	PhD, and are you currently employed?

R:	Yes.

I:	Is it employed with a salary?

R:	Yes.

I:	And where do you work?

R:	I’m a researcher at <a British university>.

I:	Where do you live?

R:	In Nottingham.

I:	Nottingham. Where do you come from?

R:	From Columbia.

I:	Columbia. Why did you come to the House of European History today?

R:	Because I went for lunch with my friend and he works for the European Commission. So, he told me I could come here.

I:	Okay.

R:	So, that’s how I knew about it.

I:	And then, why did you decide to come?

R:	Because I was interested in the European history.

I:	Okay. Is this your first visit?

R:	To this place? Yes.

I:	And would you come back again?

R:	Yes, with more time. (Unclear 0:00:55.6) in two days, you know. Two floors or three floors in the day and then the other day I do the rest.

I:	Do you visit museums and historic sites in general?

R:	Museums not generally. Historical sites yes but not museums.

I:	How many in a year?

R:	In a year?

I:	Approximately.

R:	Two or three.

I:	Okay. And you don’t like museums? [Laughs].
R:	No, I’m more of a [tape malfunction 0:01:21.2] person [laughs].

I:	Yeah, yeah. What are your impressions of the House of European History?

R:	At the beginning – because you start at the bottom – and it’s all dark. I didn’t like the atmosphere. 

I:	Okay.

R:	But as you are coming up, I understand that’s how they curated it. When I got to the top, I understood why it was like that at the bottom. So, at the beginning I didn’t like it, but once I came up here and it was lighter, I understood the concept.

I:	Okay. And are you interested in the history of Europe? You said…

R:	Yes.

I:	Why?

R:	I’ve been in Europe for ten years already and I just started listening to these podcasts – Columbian podcasts – about the history of England.

I:	Okay.

R:	[Laughs]. So, that’s how I became interested. So, how the different ethnic groups and date and area and then there are displays by another. How the transfer of powers – the power dynamics between these groups happens. So, that’s how I became a bit interested. And just listening to podcasts, rather than reading history.

I:	What was your subject? What were you working on? 

R:	Engineering.

I:	Okay, engineering. Nothing to do with this.

R:	Nothing do with this.

I:	How do you feel about the story of Europe represented in the museum?

R:	It is hard to say. At the beginning, it’s a bit… when I started at the bottom of the building and it’s dark, I found it a bit slow but then I get the hang of it. Maybe, it’s the first time I’m using the tablet, so it took me a while to get used to it. But you get the hang of it and then it’s faster. 

	I don’t know… I think this is one of the places I need to come back.

I:	Okay.

R:	And understand it better.

I:	Is there any part that you find the most interesting?

R:	I like the World War I and World War II. [Laughs].

I:	Why?

R:	I don’t know. It’s again the shifting of the power dynamics. I like this.

I:	Did anything surprise you?

R:	Surprise me? No, not really. No, no, not really.

I:	How do you see Europe? What’s your relationship with Europe? What would you say?

R:	So…

I:	How do you see (unclear 0:03:56.8).

R:	One thing that I find surprising in a good way is the effort that the different European nations make to be together, to avoid wars for instance. You guys… you’re European? 

I:	I’m from Turkey. It’s the country that wants to be…

R:	So, although all these nations come from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, they make an effort to stick together to avoid wars between them. Me coming from South America which had a lot of her culture with neighbouring countries – the language, food and… our cultural background is more common than it is in Europe but we never make an effort to stick together.

	So, that’s how I feel about Europe. I like this concept of…

I:	You like it and then you wish that in America…

R:	Yeah. [Laughs]. And living in England, I don’t like this Brexit business.

I:	Yes.

R:	I don’t think it’s beneficial. For neither Europe or the UK.

I:	What do you feel about the future of Europe and the EU now you live in the UK? (Unclear 0:05:12.0 –  0:05:17.0).

R:	I hope that the UK is not going to come out of the European Union. It is very likely that it will, so that doesn’t make me happy.

I:	Mm.

R:	I don’t know what I think of Europe. It evolves. It’s more an expectation and a hope that they stick together.

I:	In Latin America they speak European languages like Spanish, Portuguese… do you see any heritage from Europe or anything?

R:	Oh, yeah, yeah, of course.

I:	How do you see Europe there?	

R:	It was a colonial power. That’s how I see it. But, again, coming from South America, we are a mixed… you know…so, I’m Columbian and I’m European because that’s how…

I:	The root possibly.

R:	…how it happened. It could have been from China or whatever.

I:	Yeah. But you also feel European? I mean…

R:	No. No, I don’t feel European. Part of my heritage is European but I don’t feel European. I feel Columbian.

I:	Columbian, like Latin American.

R:	Yeah. 

I:	And this is the feeling you get usually in Latin America or Columbia?

R:	Yeah.

I:	Even if people have European roots, they still…

R:	They still feel Columbian, yeah.

I:	Not (over-speaking 0:06:50.3-0:06:53.0).

R:	No, we don’t. I’ve not met a person who feels European.

I:	That’s something (unclear 0:06:58.6).

R:	No, we don’t have a… we know the powerful heritage comes from Europe.

I:	Yeah.

R:	But we don’t appropriate this to say that we are European.

I:	Okay. That’s great.

R:	Not at all.

I:	That’s it. Anything else you would like to…?

R:	No. Why are you doing this?

[End of Recording]