Home, Accommodation & Room:
Q. Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in?Answer: I live in a large house with my family members. This is a two-storey building with more than 8 rooms. I live on the first floor and this room is comparatively smaller than other rooms. It is a south-facing room with a beautiful garden and lake view. As I am still a student, the room gives the impression that a student lives there.
Q. How long have you lived there?
Answer: I have been living in this house since my childhood and I got my own room when I was around 9 years old. I still live in this room.
Q. What do you like about living there?
Answer: The room is quite comfortable and has got a beautiful view. I can easily reach the rooftop from my room and I like spending time there. The room has got two large windows and allows enough sunlight and air. I have been living in this room for many years and I love this room a lot.
Q. What do you dislike about living there?
Answer: Well, I am quite happy with my room except that it is not large enough. This is the only aspect I dislike about this room. Not that it is that small but I have a personal preference for living in a large room.
Q. What sort of accommodation would you most like to live in?
Answer: I like to live in a large house more than living in a small house or in an apartment. The house must have a large garden in front of it and should be situated far away from the main road. Having a fountain in the garden would be a bonus for me. I would also prefer to live in such a house that offers enough sunlight and air. My room must be a large one and well-furnished based on my personal preferences. The room must have large windows and a proper ventilation system.
Q. Describe the room you live in?
Answer: Well, it is a medium-sized square room which is in the northern part of the house. It is on the first floor and this is the room I have been living for a long time. It has got two windows and an attached bathroom, and it is painted with light green colour. I have got my bed, sofa set, some paintings, wardrobe, study table, one easy chair, a computer, a TV set, one music player, an AC and a room heater in this room. The view from the room is quite beautiful and that’s the main reason I love to line in this room.
Giving and Receiving Gifts:
Q. Do you enjoy giving and receiving gifts? Why or why not?Answer: I enjoy receiving and giving gifts a lot. Both giving and receiving gifts are associated with happiness and joy. When I receive any gift (regardless of the price and its utility) I feel very glad. Similarly, when I give someone a gift and understand that it also makes them happy, I feel a different type of satisfaction that I do not feel in any other way. Moreover, gift exchange trends and customs strengthen our bonds and express that we care. This is why I love this tradition so much. It's like sharing life with people with care and love.
Q. Who usually gives you gifts?
Answer: Usually, I receive gifts from my family and friends. Most of the gifts, I have received so far, were given to me on my birthday by my parents, grandparents and a few close buddies.
Q. Who do you give gifts to?
Answer: When it is my turn, I give gifts to my family members, my friends, my relatives and my neighbours on different occasions. Moreover, when I go to visit someone, I take some sort of gift for my host.
Q. In your country when do people usually give gifts?
Answer: Christmas and New Year's eve are the best time for exchanging gifts. Apart from that, weddings, birthdays, graduation days, anniversaries etc are common occasions when people in my country usually give gifts.
Q. What kinds of gifts do they give?
Answer: People in my country buy a large number of gifts of varied types marking different occasions. The gift range may include a pair of jeans, a cardigan, a nice dress, a box of chocolate, jewellery, cars, electronic items, mobile phones, gift cards and so on.
Q. Do you think gift-giving customs are different now than they were in the past? How?
Answer: I think the core value of exchanging gifts has remained the same - to share our love and happiness. But the items that we exchange have changed. Nowadays, we like to buy gifts for a wide number of people including our colleagues or neighbours and the range of gifts also is wide.
Q. Do you think they will change in the future? How?
Answer: The future is always uncertain and unpredictable, and it is impossible to anticipate it accurately. It is also true when it comes to understanding what types of gifts people will exchange in the future and on what occasions. It may happen that people will move for virtual gifts rather than a physical ones – like someone will send electronic cards or flowers or wishes on the occasions instead of the real-life stuff. They will also give electronic points that the receiver could use to buy the gifts they like.
Family:
• Do you have a large family or a small family?I have a small family and there are only five members including my dad, mom, younger sister, younger brother and I am (the eldest son of the family).
• Tell me something about your family.
Well, as I said we have got five family members in our family including me. My father is a Doctor and my hero. My mother is a school teacher and a loving and caring person. We love our parents very much. My younger sister is in grade 7 and she has got all crazy and creative ideas and she shares most of her secrets with me. My younger brother is studying mathematics at a university and he has got a passion for playing football. He dreams to become a professional football player someday though I have my doubts about it. I have recently completed my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and have a plan to finish my Master's degree from a reputed foreign university. We are a happy family and share a strong bonding that makes us care for each other a lot.
• How much time do you manage to spend with members of your family?
I usually try to spend most of the time with my family. But I cannot manage my time when I am out at my university. But after my return from the university, I do not make any late to share the day-long events with my family members, especially my mom.
• In what way is your family important to you?
Well, my family is the centre of my universe. My parents did everything humanly possible to raise me up and ensure my education and well-being. Their sacrifices and contributions to my life are unparalleled. I will always be grateful to be a member of such a happy and caring family. My family members know me better than any other person and they will always be with me no matter what. They are the people who had always been with me and supported me in every way possible. I believe that family comes first and that’s why my family is the most important aspect of my life.
• What sorts of things do you like to do together?
Frequently we watch movies in theatres and also go for some day outs during the holidays. Actually, my dad likes a lot to go out with family members when he is free from his professional engagements. But my mum prefers going to the cinema and thus we, the kids, are to settle the issues.
• Did/Do you get well with your family? Why?
Yes, I get very well with my family members. They are supportive, positive, intelligent and caring. I would not say that we never had any disagreements but that’s usually momentary. Love is stronger among us and that conquers any misunderstanding that might arrive among us. In fact, I am happy to be a part of such a wonderful family. They love me as much as I love them.
• Who are you close to in your family?
I am close to every single family member in my own way. However, in terms of sharing personal secrets and spending time, I am more close to my mother than my father. My younger sister considers me her best friend and thus we have a unique relationship.
• Should we rely heavily on our families or is it better to try to be independent?
I believe that being independent does not contradict our reliance on our family. Every single person should be economically and personally independent at a certain age and should be close to his/ her family at the same time. If being independent means living separately and not having a strong relationship with the family, I do not want such independence and freedom. We all possess unique personalities and a desire to be independent, but that should not harm our family relationships.
• Do you get along well with your family?
Yes, I do get along well with my family members. We have a strong bond among us and that makes us a happy family.
• What is your special moment with your family?
Celebrations are remarkable, particularly the celebration of any special occasions like a birthday, the anniversary of my parents or any special achievement by my siblings etc. These events have so many special memories and we consider those occasions as our special moments.
• Are people in your country generally close to their families?
Most people prefer to be with their families and do everything for the members. But exceptions are everywhere. The people living just opposite our apartment do not have a strong bond among the family members and always engaged in quarrelling with each other which is unwanted and indecent.
Friends:
• Are your friends mostly your age or different age? Why?Most of my friends are my age and I have a few friends who are seniors to me. The reason I have friends of my age is that they were mostly my classmates initially and then became my good friends. Most of my friends are from my high school and college and that naturally make them to be my age.
• Do you prefer one or two close friends or many friends?
When I was in my early teens, I preferred many friends but nowadays I have few friends but they are very close to me. So I would say, I prefer having few close friends to having too many ordinary friends.
• Do you usually see your friends during weekdays or on weekends? Why?
I usually see my friends during weekends. Weekdays are busy days and after I get back home in the evening, I prefer to stay at home with my family members.
• Do you prefer to stay alone or with your friends?
I usually prefer to be with my friends. However there are times when I need my personal time and in this case, I prefer solitude rather than company.
• The last time you saw your friends, what did you do together?
Well, we played badminton together and had our dinner at a nearby restaurant. That’s the last thing I can recall doing with my friends and that would be about a week ago.
• In what ways are your friends important to you?
I share many common interests with my friends and that makes us have pleasant activities and conversations together. They are quite helpful and supportive to me in times of desperate time. I can share almost anything with them and that makes them special to me. Having good friends is like being blessed and that’s why they are very important to me.
• What do you prefer: going out with your friends or spending your spare time staying at home?
That depends. Sometimes I prefer being with my friends and sometimes I prefer staying at home with my family members. I try to maintain a balance in terms of spending time with my friends and with my family. For example, while playing any outdoor sports, I prefer going out with friends. However, I enjoy watching movies and dining out with my family members.
• Do you have many friends? Why? Why not?
As I've already said, I had many friends when I was in high school. But these days I have comparatively fewer close friends.
• What do you usually do with your friends?
I enjoy playing outdoor games, watching movies in a theatre, having conversations related to recent political and international issues, sharing my updates and concerns, and going on long drives with my friends. The best part is the open conversation we can have related to almost any topic.
• Are friends as important to you as your family?
To me, my family is more important. However, this does not make my friends less important to me. Naturally, family comes first for almost everybody and then friendship. I am no exception.
• Do you think friendships change as we get older? How?
Yes, I believe so. At an early age, we are prone to make many friends and only a few of them remain for a long. At this stage in life, friendship is not that deep except in some cases. On the contrary, when we get older we prefer to have few friends but most of them remain as loyal and close friends. In young age, our expectations from friends are to enjoy their companionship and doing all the crazy things with them. However, in older ages, we expect far more from our friends and they become more like family members than being simply friends.
• What do you expect from a good friend?
Well, that’s a tough question! Not that I have not thought about it, but I have never drawn a solid conclusion about it! Umm, my expectation from a good friend is that he would be a good companion, a good listener, would criticise me whenever needed, and would be supportive and positive. He must be honest and would have a sense of humour. Finally, I expect him to be more like a family member than an outsider.
Neighbours:
• How well do you know the people who live next door to you?I would say I know most of my neighbours. We live in a suburban area where people spend their time with their friends and neighbours and I know quite well the people who live next door.
• How often do you see them? Why?
I see them very often, almost twice a week. They often come to visit us and play indoor games. They also invite us to visit them and we often have parties and celebrations together.
• What kinds of problems do people sometimes have with their neighbours?
While good neighbours can make our life easier and happy, a bad neighbour can cause lots of trouble. The usual issues that someone might face from a neighbour include loud noise, quarrels, complaints, disturbance from loud music and issues with children, gardening and garbage.
• How do you think neighbours can help each other?
In many ways, neighbours are most important to us. They live near us and thus they are even more important than our relatives in many cases. They can have good conversations with us, help us in any danger and support us mentally and financially. For example, if someone gets ill and needs to be taken to a hospital, a good neighbour would be there. Neighbours also have parties and celebrations together and can make us happy. We often share our distress and problems with them and they advise us and help us to a great extent. Finally, neighbours become good friends and would share their sufferings and joys like family members.
Communication & Transportation:
• How do you usually contact your friends? Why?Well, I usually call my friends on their cell phones or visit them personally to keep in touch with them. Social media like Facebook and Twitter has also changed the way I communicate with my friends. There are many friends who stay far away and social media is the only way to communicate with them for me.
• Do you prefer to contact different people in different ways? Why?
Yes, as a general rule of thumb, people have their own preferences on how they would like to be contacted or communicated. For instance, my office colleagues prefer to be emailed while my friends’ preference is a cell phone. My parents also prefer cell phone communication while my younger cousins love to do that via Facebook. I usually try to contact people based on their preferences for communication. To contact someone new, I prefer email or text messages.
• Do you find it easy to keep in contact with friends and family? Why? Why not?
I try to maintain a balance between my professional and personal life. I often meet my friends or call them to get their updates and try to spend my days off with my family. This is not easy as I often struggle to maintain that due to work pressure and personal preferences of reading books or updating my blog. Sometimes a family member complains that I spend too much time with my friends while friends have similar complaints as well. Thus I would say it’s really tough to keep a perfect balance. However, I try my best always.
• In your country, did people in the past keep in contact in the same ways as they do today? Why/ Why not?
Not really. Postal mail, telephone and personal visit were the most three prominent ways of contacting and communicating with people in the past. With the invention of computers and the internet, the scenario has completely changed. The easy access and lower call rate of mobile phones have also contributed to frequent and instant communication among my countrymen.
• How often do you make telephone calls? Why? Why not?
Well, I own a cell phone and I usually call my parents every day whenever I am outside. I also need to call my offshore colleagues for job-related issues. Apart from that, I often call my relatives and cousins who stay far away from our hometown.
• Who do you spend the most time talking to on the telephone? Why?
Well, my mother is the person I talk to on the phone most of the time. This is mostly because she gets anxious whenever I take a longer time to call her. I am very close to her and I love the way she cares for me. Because of that, I love to talk to her. She is a good listener and a great mentor and that’s why I call her for many advice as well.
• When do you think you will next make a telephone call? Why?
Umm, after I leave this exam hall, I will call my mother. She must be waiting eagerly to know how I performed in my speaking test. So she would be the person I will call in 20 minutes on her cell phone.
• Do you sometimes prefer to send a text message instead of telephoning? Why? Why not?
Definitely, there are times when text messages offer a better way of communication than telephone calls. For instance, if I think that someone might be in his office or in an important meeting, I would send him a text message instead of calling on his cell phone. To congratulate someone or to wish him a birthday, I would prefer text messages to phone calls. Finally, when I need to reach a friend or a relative at night, I send them a text message instead of taking the risk to call them and wake them up.
Text messages are concise and convey the exact information. They could be read over and over again and hence addresses and contact information are more secure to be sent in text formats. Calling might interrupt someone while SMS gives does not.
• How popular bicycles in your hometown? Why?
It is quite popular in my hometown. You only need to visit our hometown for a while or obverse the office or schools to find out how popular they really are.
People in my hometown prefer bicycle mostly because it is environment-friendly, less expensive, easy to garage it, and good for their health.
• How often do you ride a bicycle? Why? Why not?
I used to ride a bicycle quite often in the past but these days I can’t do that. I use my office bus to reach my office and to get back home. My family owns a car and I often use it. I do not feel that much passionate about riding a bicycle as I used to do in my teenage.
• Do you think those bicycles are suitable for all ages? Why? Why not?
Bicycles, common in our hometown, are suitable for most of people no matter how old they are. I think this transportation should be promoted and widely used for health and environmental benefits.
• What are the advantages of a bicycle compared to a car? Why?
Bicycles are eco-friendly and require less hassle to maintain and park. Global warming is a threat to our very existence and thus reliance on bicycles could be a great solution to address this pressing problem. Apart from that, people from all economic classes can afford it and can contribute to solving the traffic problem on the roads.
• What are some common transportations in your hometown?
Public buses, metro rails, private cars, CNG-driven auto-rickshaws, taxis and bicycles are some common and popular transportation types in my hometown. Students and workers mostly use bicycles while business people and other executives use their personal cars. Metro rail and public buses are very popular among mass people.
• What changes in transportation have taken place in the past five years in your country? Why?
Well, the metro rails were introduced 3-4 years ago and this transportation system gained huge popularity in the last few years. The number of private cars running on the roads has increased significantly and more people are using bicycles than they did ever before.
Many new roads, buses and flyovers have been introduced to make commuting easier. Old public transportation has been banned and strict traffic rules have been imposed to reduce congestion. However, the number of people in the city areas has increased dramatically in the last five years and so has the number of transportation.
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