Describe an interesting conversation you had with someone

I have to admit that I’m not much of a social person – I mean, I am quite shy and inhibited, so most of the time I tend to avoid talking to strangers. But I do remember a time when I had to talk to a complete stranger, and as I remember it was around 5 years ago, on my very first trip to Ho Chi Minh City. It was just a short conversation but I can still remember it quite well.

I was a 20-year-old freshman back then, and I was unable to navigate my way to the HCMC University of Education where I was about to start studying. Back then Google Map’s wasn’t as popular as it is nowadays, so the only way I could figure out the way was by asking a local. So after hours of wandering around, I finally resorted to asking a lady who was selling noodles at a food cart near where I was standing. I asked the lady if
she would be so kind to tell me the way to the HCMC University of Education and she kindly replied by pointing to the big building across the road and saying ’it’s over there’.

The university was being renovated back then, so I was unable to recognise it, but before I went off to study I decided to sit down and order some noodles from the old lady and have a chat with her. It turns out that she was also from Ninh Thuan, which is my hometown. So we ended up chatting for ages about our lives and about how and why we had come to HCMC.

You know, I think I found this conversation so interesting simply because I found Mrs Kim to be such a nice lady. As the conversation went on and I got to know her better I realized that she had had quite a tough life, yet she had managed to maintain such a sweet and gentle personality that many other women who have been through similar struggles to her would have lost by now.

1. admit – to tell the truth

2. not much of – not really

3. social person – someone who likes to talk with and be around other people often

4. inhibited – unable to relax and act natural

5. navigate my way to – find my way

6. wandering around – walking around without a fixed route or destination

7. resorted to – to do something because there is no other option

8. renovated – to repair and improve something eg. a building

9. recognise – to know someone or something because you have seen it before

10. a tough life – a difficult or challenging life

11. gentle – calm, kind or soft

12. struggles – to work hard to do something