LESSON 7: CHILDHOOD

1. Did you have a happy childhood? What was your first memory of your
childhood?
When it comes to my childhood, it takes me back to the happy memories. I was
carefree, I could play as much as I wanted to, I had no worries. I’d say that I
enjoyed my childhood in a way that makes me happiest.
The first recollection I have is playing with my neighbor’s child who was around
the same age as me. We were like two peas in a pod and did everything
together. There was a time when we chased a dog and almost got attacked by it.
We were not allowed to come near that fierce dog but we didn’t. However, after r
running so hard to avoid the dog, we got scolded a lot, but it was a memory I
can’t forget.

2. What was your favourite toy when you were a child?

Although I have many toys, I want to talk about the teddy bear that my parents
gave me on my seventh birthday for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, he was like my childhood friend, who always stood by me whenever I felt
lonely. I used to feel lonely when my parents were away from work, but once I
had my teddy bear, I didn’t feel lonely anymore.
Secondly, whenever I felt a little bit blue, I looked at his face with a happy
smile, and it cheered me up immediately. For me, he was not just a toy but a
close friend, who could raise me up whenever I was down in the dumps.
So, if I had to talk about a special toy in my childhood, I'd have to be my teddy
bear.

3. Did you have many friends when you were a child?

When it comes to my childhood friends, I’d say that I was not a social butterfly
so I only had a couple of friends just around the corner from my. We were born
and grew up in the countryside. Mind you, later, my childhood friends moved out
with their parents for some reasons. Because the technology was not as
advanced as it is now, I lost contact with some of them.
4. What activities did you use to enjoy when you were staying with your
grandparents?
Well, I remember vivid memories of my grandparents when I was probably four
or five years old, I was really small. Meanwhile, my grandfather was tall. So I
leaned on one of his legs, reached up with my arms, and clung to his leg. I’d then
laugh. It was my favorite game.
Otherwise, I loved going for walks in the parks with my grandmother because she
would invariably buy some treats like homemade ice-cream or cakes, which
my mother never bought for me.

LESSON 8: STORY TELLING

1. What was the worst thing that ever happened to you?

I had the worst thing happen to me three days ago. That day, I had an important
interview at 9 am. I prepared a lot of things and got ready for that interview.
About 8:15 a.m, when I was about to leave, I reached in my pocket for my
keys but I didn’t find it. My mom, who left home before me, didn’t leave the keys
to me and I was locked in of my house.
I was feeling nervous because I was afraid I would be late. I immediately took out
my phone and called my mother. Fortunately, my mother picked up the phone
and came home to open the door for me. And I also went to that important
interview on time.

2. Describe a situation that made you feel embarrassed.

Each of us must have been in some very embarrassing situation at some point.
For me, one of the highlights of some such moments was when I invited a new
friend to eat out but I didn’t have my wallet.
About a year ago, while learning Korean, I met a Korean friend.
That, as you can imagine, was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.
One day, while we were talking, she told me she was going to Vietnam next
month and she wanted to meet me. I felt very happy and said I would take her
out to eat a lot of delicious food.
One month later, she contacted me as soon as she arrived in Vietnam and I
went out on a date with her. We had a great time with stories and delicious
food. Mind you, when the check came, I realized that my wallet was missing.
My friend, of course, because she was new here, she hadn’t changed her money
yet. I had to leave her there and drove home to get my wallet. Even though I said
sorry many times and she said it was okay, I still feel guilty and embarrassed.
That, as you can imagine, was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.

3. Describe a time you were late.

Well, one such event that I can recall now is when I was late for an important
exam. It happened about 6 months ago when I was a student at the university.
I had an exam at 9:30 a.m so I took the bus at 7 a.m to go from my hometown to
Hanoi to take the test. Mind you, because of the traffic jam, I was late. According
to the schedule, I was supposed to be here half an hour ago.
I reached the exam hall at around 10 a.m, and it was knocking me for a loop to
learn that the exam would end in 30 minutes. I was so worried and anxious that I
could not think clearly about what I should do. I tried to ask the teacher if I could
go to class and take the exam. And luckily, after she checked some necessary
documents, she allowed me to take the test within the remaining 30 minutes. As
my preparation was good, I had been able to answer all the questions in due
time.