The Premise: II

The time before the big move to China is getting shorter, and I've been doing more and more to prepare myself for the big trip.

After reading dozens of books and articles about ethnology surveys and anthropology field work, and reading dozens or interviews
I've come to some decisions about the interviews I'll be conducting which will be a hybrid of life histories and cultural surveys.

My theme, my overarching question, my main goal in learning will be to learn:
Who are the people in The Peoples Republic of China, and what makes them unique?
and
What similarities do they share with other people?

The following are potential questions I hope to use to learn more about the people:

How much would you say your culture/country influenced your development as a person?
How much influence has your family had is your development as a person?
What experiences in your life have influenced your development as a person?
How similar do you think you are to an American?
What characteristics do you have that you think are very similar to other people?
What characteristics do you have that you think make you unique?
What do you think our purpose as people is?
What stories do you know about your ancestors?
What kinds of dreams of the future did your mother/father have?
Did your parents live through any wars? What did they tell you about life before/during/after the war?
Where did you grow up?
Was your childhood happy, sad, difficult?
Tell me about your family growing up.
What do you remember about birthdays when you were younger?
What experiences have you had in gaining an education?
If you could learn one thing, or develop one skill, what would that be?
If someone wanted to learn from you, what could you teach them?
What has been the most important experience in your life?
Who was the first person you ever fell in love with?
What do you remember about your wedding day?
What is the kindest thing you've ever done for another person?
What is the kindest thing another person has ever done for you?
What are some small things that make you happy?
What things make you happy in life?
What do you think it means to be truly happy?
Tell me about a memory of being happy, sad, disappointed, etc.
What sort of things worry you about your own life?
What sort of things do you see in the world that worry you?
What are some changes for good you've made in your life?
How would you measure progress in your life?
What do you wish you could change about your life?
What is the most important lesson you've learned in your life?
Are you happy with your life right now?
What influenced you to decide your career/career path/hobby/etc.?
What would you say are your main motivating factors for doing what you do (work, school, art)?
What is your dream career? Are you doing that? Why?
If you weren't a (career/hobbyist/etc) what would you be?
What do you do in a typical day?
After a particularly frustrating day, what do you do to unwind?
In ancient China people revered and worshiped heroes from stories. Do you feel that today Chinese people do the same thing?
What is something that you have trouble understanding?
Tell me about a time when someone took cheated you.
Would you say you are an optimist or pessimist? Why?