1.

A TIME YOU LEARNED A LESSON

It was my bad experience when I realized that my secret should not be told to anyone. I have
a very close colleague in the company, so she and I often share many stories about our life
and work. One day, I told her that working environment and benefits of our company were
not good. I said that I wanted to move to another company with better salary and I applied
for a few jobs. I asked her to keep my secret because I did not want my current job to be
affected. However, I later learned that she had told a few other colleagues in the company
about my plan and it had already spread to our boss. I was surprised and angry about what
she did. She apologized to me about it, but we were not as close as we used to be. I learned
that once a secret was told, it was no longer a secret.

2. A TIME YOU WERE AFRAID

I was so scared when I had to stay at home during the rigid and unprecedented lockdown
period because of Covid-19. It was around July 2021 when the lockdown was imposed
nation-wide to stop the spread of the Coronavirus which was responsible for the death of so
many people in Vietnam and around the world. The first two weeks were tough because I
was not used to being at home all day and working online. Over the next two weeks, things
became more difficult when my family had to find food supplies instead of going to the
market as usual. After that, when the number of people who were tested positive soared
rapidly and the death-toll kept on increasing, I felt very intimidated and afraid. I was anxious
about the uncertainty of the situation, about my parents who were both over sixty, about the
fear of being contacted and then infected by the Coronavirus and the tough economic
pressure that was mounting on me. This was perhaps the only time when I felt completely
trapped and clueless for so many weeks and being able to do nothing about it. It was such a
situation that is comparable only to our worst nightmares.

3. AN EMBARRASSING MOMENT
The most embarrassing moment in my life was when I went to the supermaket without
money. It was a cool evening and my mother told me to go to the supermarket to buy some
things for my family. I spent an hour picking out the necessities, loading a cart, and going to
the cashier. However, when the supermarket staff was scanning the barcode to charge me, I
suddenly discovered that I had forgotten to bring my wallet. I could not believe I went to the
supermarket without money. At that moment, I was really confused and did not know how to
handle it. In the end, I had to tell the cashier the truth and ask her to wait while my mother
brought the money. People around started laughing at me and it was a really embarrassing
moment for me. After that incident, I always check and make sure I have my wallet when
going out.

4. YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT

My proudest moment was when I was given my lawyer card. It was my proudest moment
because I had to pass a very difficult exam and was one of the few people who passed. On
that day, when I wore the uniform and badge of the lawyer to attend the ceremony, I felt so
proud of myself. The ceremony to award the lawyer cards began with a speech by the
president of the Vietnamese Bar Federation. Then, when our names were read one by one to
get on the podium to receive our lawyer cards, I was both nervous and excited. That moment
began an important period in my life when I was able to work as a professional lawyer. After
that, we were told to study constantly and maintain professional ethics to become good
lawyers. The ceremony ended with the applause of the attendees and every time I recall it, I
still feel extremely proud and happy.

5. A TIME YOU GOT INTO A LOT OF TROUBLES

I had a hard time with a lot of troubles when I first went to Ho Chi Minh City to study at
university. In the first days, I often got lost because of unfamiliar traffic, so I was late to
school and was reminded by the lecturer many times. The next days, when I decided to
travel by bus, my phone was stolen by a pickpocket. I was very sad and afraid of being
scolded by my parents. But in the end, I had to borrow the phone of my friend and call my
parents. My parents were very worried and told me to be more careful. The positive thing is
that my parents bought me a new phone which is more modern than the old one. However,
troubles did not stop there, I broke my leg while participating in a volunteer activity. As a
result, I had to stay at home for a month and missed three exams. Every time I recall those
troubles, I still feel so terrible.

6. YOUR SCARIEST MOMENT

This is my story about the scariest moment in my life, when I got Covid-19. In March of
2022, when I returned from a business trip in Ho Chi Minh City, I started to have a cough
and high fever. At first, I thought it was just a common cold, but soon my body started to
ache and be tired. I bought a test kit for testing and found out that I was infected with covid-
19. In the following days, I lost my taste and the symptoms of fatigue and pain in my joints
became more and more severe. Coronavirus was responsible for the death of so many people
in Vietnam and around the world, so I was scared. However, after consulting the information
from the internet and my friends who have recovered from covid-19, I have become calmer.
I took the recommended medications and the symptoms started to subside. About 10 days
later, I made a full recovery and was able to go back to work. In conclusion, that moment
was not only the scariest experience but also the most memorable experience in my life.

7. A MEMORABLE DAY WITH SOMEONE

The day my husband proposed to me was the most memorable day of my life. It was
Valentine's Day and we have been together for three years. At noon, he came to pick me up
to eat but I did not see him bring flowers and gifts like every year. I was a bit surprised and
wondering about that but did not say anything to him. After lunch, he took me to a nice
cafeteria and we ordered a small cake. After finishing eating the cake, I saw underneath the
cake liner with the words: "I love you so much, please be my wife!". Surprised by the
unexpected proposal, I raised my head and saw him handing out a box containing a beautiful
golden ring. At that moment, I felt very happy and accepted his marriage proposal. People
around congratulated and clapped for us. In conclusion, even though we had two children, it
was a memorable day in our lives.

8. AN EVENT THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE

I am very happy because after divorcing my bad husband, I have found a good job that
matches my dream. After graduating from the university of economics, I got married and
became a housewife, staying at home and taking care of my husband and children. After 10
years of marriage, I found out my husband had an affair and I decided to divorce him and
become a single mom. I was very sad for a long time, but then I had to become strong to take
care of my children. I started looking for a job as an accountant but it was obviously not easy
for a housewife for many years like me. So, I started learning a short accounting course,
taking part in an English class and asking for some help from my friends. Finally, I was
accepted to work as an accountant for an import-export company, and now, I have been
promoted to chief accountant. If there was not that big event, I would still be a housewife,
not doing the job that I love.

9. A UNION WITH A LONG-LOST FRIEND OR RELATIVE

I was delighted to see Van, a long-lost college classmate, at a conference that we were both
invited to. She and I were both very happy to recognize each other even though we both
changed our appearance quite a bit. She wore a turquoise dress and her hair was shorter.
Even though she gained weight, she was still very beautiful. I asked about her work and
family, so I knew she was married three years ago, had a daughter and worked as an
accountant. We exchanged new phone numbers and arranged to meet at a cafeteria. After
that, we kept in touch regularly and recalled a lot of old stories from our university days.
Now we have become very close friends and often help each other in life. Through her, I
reconnected with some other old friends and I feel extremely happy about it.

* Nha Trang is a great place to spend a wonderful summer vacation for the following two
reasons.