Trần Nguyễn Phương Uyên

2057010305
TOPIC: 1

OUTLINE:

- Intro: What was the event, where did I go

- Para 1: What happened in the first place
- Para 2: The climax when things went wrong
- Para 3: get to the place
- ending: opinion

ESSAY
I come from a rural town 100 kilometers away from Saigon, so I cherish every chance I have
to traverse there. To me, Saigon is not just a charming and mesmerizing place with all those
buildings and shopping malls, but also a magnificent land with many historical marks. I have
had many beautiful recollections with Saigon during my adolescence, but I will never forget
that day when I had the chance to spend time with my friends in the Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts
Museum, even when things went slightly wrong.

Our trip was a spur-of-a-moment decision. I read a review on a Facebook group about the Ho
Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum and told my friend that how nice it would be if we could go
there to take some pictures, so there we were, hitting the road at 9 in the morning without
thinking much about anything. It was a not-so-tranquil Thursday morning when all lanes
were so stuffed with people that we could barely move. The sun was burning, and I was
upset. We should have gone in the afternoon when the weather had been milder. Little did I
know that things were about to go out of hand, and that was just the start.

When the road was somewhat empty, my two friends in the other motorcycle rushed to the
intersection and hit another older adult, much to my surprise. I heard the sound of someone
yelling for compensation and many curse words trembling all over the place. Both my friends
and the man's vehicles were damaged, but my friends were the only person to blame. He told
us that if we did not give him any money, he would call his family and teach us a lesson. We
were shaking, frustrated, but mostly afraid of knowing that on this land, we were all alone.
We gave the man what he wanted and hurriedly got back on track. At that time, nothing
seemed to matter anymore. We just wanted to finish our trip and went straight home; we had
gone too far to turn back.

Finally, we arrived at the Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum, and suddenly, all the tiring just
went away. This whole trip could have been an excruciating and unpleasant memory, but
thankfully it was not. We were captivated by the beauty of all the paintings there, especially
by Nguyen Gia Tri's final work "Spring Garden of the Central, South, and North Regions."
We wandered all over the place, tried not to touch anything, and talked for hours; we barely
took any pictures since we were busy contemplating those splendid works of art with our own
eyes. I felt a sense of gratitude as we did not give up and still finish our journey. Or else, I
would have never had this chance to soothe my exhausting mind.

This trip was partly frightening but primarily wonderful, and that was why dare I say, it was
the most unforgettable experience I have ever had in Saigon. The traffic was horrific; we
were caught in an accident, but we made it to where we wanted in the first place. I do not care
if the trip will be rough again; I have fallen in love with that Museum, and I will go back
there repeatedly to create some new good memories.

Word count: 557