45.

A time when you gave advice to others(repeat topic a prize that you receive)

To be honest, I feel quite uncomfortable with the topic because I’m not the type of
person who wants to boast about my achievements. But there was this one
particular time when I had greatness thrust upon me. I was only six years of age at
the time when there was a singing competition at school, as part of the end of the
school year ceremony. At the time, I possessed an immense passion for singing, but
I was unbelievably diffident about singing in front of the public. I would normally sing
only when I was taking a shower. Everyone close to me, including my parents and
my best friends, knew that I could sing really beautifully. So my best friend at the
time filled in the application form for me, and persuaded me to enter the competition.
She told me that I would only get scared until the moment I got onto the stage. After
that, when I was lost in my own singing, I would forget everything, including my own
stage fright. And she was correct. The seconds before I appeared on stage, I could
barely stand straight up. But when I started singing, the audience faded gradually
and there were only me and my song left. I won the first prize that evening, along
with 5 notebooks. I never felt so proud of myself before, because I stepped out of my
comfort zone to achieve something.

46. A famous person you are interested in

When it comes to describing a foreign celebrity that I love, I would gravitate towards Ed
Sheeran, one of the most popular singers in the world at the moment. His full name is
Edward Christopher Sheeran, but he goes by the stage name “Ed Sheeran”. He was born in
February 1991, in England. He started his career by having the first recording in 2004, but
did not receive much attention. However, this never discouraged him, evidently. His next
three albums would forever change his career and his life. His debut album, + (plus), was
released in September 2011 and topped the UK Album Chart which also contained his first
single hit, “The A team”, from which he started to rise to stardom and fame. The next two
albums of his, x (multiply) and ÷ (divide) had brought about great success and broken many
records. His achievements are completely remarkable. He is one of the few pop artists who
have won multiple Grammy Awards and, in his case, a total of four with a total of 14
nominations. In the same year, 2015, he became a double winner for having achieved Song
of the year and Best Pop Solo Performance, both for the song “Thinking Out Loud”. Until
now, Sheeran has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the world-
best-selling music artists. My personal favorite song by Ed is “Afterglow” released in 2020.
It’s classic Ed, a very simple-looking man with a guitar and just sings his heart out.
47. Something that you are interested to learn or improve
When it comes to describing a talent that I want to improve, I would gravitate towards
singing. I’ve always had an immense passion for singing since I was just a kid. I see singing as
a way to alleviate stress and express myself emotionally. But unfortunately, I was not born
with an angelic voice. However, I would sing whenever I could, during study time or in the
shower. And my parents would get so frustrated and irritated because of my constant off-
key singing. Then they sent me to a music center where I received vocal music lessons.
There I learnt that though innate talent is indeed an important part to become a good
singer, it is hard-work, practice and exertion that decide if one will be able to sing
beautifully. In my life, singing has done a lot for me. It helps recharge my batteries as
whenever I sing, all my worries go away and it’s just me, the music, and my thoughts and
feelings. Although I don’t hope to rise to stardom and become a prominent singer, I will
never stop singing because it is something so crucial to me.

48. A person who solved a problem in a smart way (repeat math problem)
I remember this one particular time when I encountered a nerve-racking math problem. The
question was related to geometry, which I must say was my forte. However, this time the
problem was rather odd and probably one of the most challenging questions I had faced up
until that point. Usually, it only took me about 10 minutes before the “Eureka” moment hit
me, but this time that moment never arrived. I struggled with it all night long with my eyes
glued to the drawing on my scrap papers. I sought help from my friends, who were also
incapable of coming up with an answer, I even asked my dad, who specialized in math and
went to Thái Bình high school for the gifted. He, too, let me down. The next day at school, I
was so hungry for an answer that the first thing I did when I saw my teacher was to run up
to her and ask for a solution. She, of course, delivered it. The solution was astoundingly
elegant and subtle. It entailed turning the entire drawing of the problem upside down and
viewing it from that perspective and everything was crystal clear then. I will never forget
that math problem as it taught me to see things from a variety of perspectives and never to
stick to one-direction thinking.
49. An exciting book you enjoy reading (repeat book fair)

I remember this one particular time when my school organized an outdoor book market for
its students. The event took place several months ago and I still remember it vividly. When
the students were informed of the book market, I was totally exhilarated. The outdoor book
market offered a variety of genres, including adventures, sci-fi, detective, romance, which
are my favorite genres. Furthermore, all the books there would be on sale, from 10% up to
30% discount. I thought to myself: “This is a real bargain, I can buy the books that I like so
much and save money at the same time” (smile). The day finally arrived and it was all worth
waiting for. I was immediately captivated by this book with the title “The perks of being a
wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky. I had heard about a movie adaptation with the same name
before but I had not seen it, nor had I read the book. The summary at the back of the book
said it was about a boy named Charlie who wrote letters to an unknown person about the
world he lived in, the world of high school. The content of the book sounded appealing to
me. Reading it, I could identify with the main character, because his life events coincided
with mine. The book also taught me a great deal about mental health, especially
depression, which Charlie himself had to face.

50. A café you like to visit (repeat)

I usually spend time in quietude in this small café just around the corner in my
neighborhood. It’s called … I suppose that very few people know about this café despite its
top-notch quality drinks. The place doesn’t offer a variety of drinks but their cappuccino and
tea are second to none, in my opinion. Just a small sip is enough to make you want more
and more. After a hard-working day at school, I would love to indulge myself with a nice
drink and a good book. Since very few people know about it, it’s very quiet, tranquil even
and virtually nothing can disturb you there. Spending time there really helps me recharge
my batteries. I feel as if that café is like a portal to another dimension where there are no
worries and responsibilities required from a teenager, the place really offers an emotional
escape from reality for me.