Speaking
Practice

An occasion when I met someone I had not seen for several years was when I unexpectedly met an old classmate at a café. His name is Quang, and we had studied together in secondary school.

We had not seen each other for about six years. After school, we went to different universities and gradually lost touch, apart from occasionally seeing updates online. One Saturday afternoon, I was waiting for a friend when Quang walked into the café.

I recognised him almost instantly, although he looked a little different. We both laughed because neither of us expected the meeting. Since we go back a long way, the conversation became easy very quickly. We sat down and caught up on university, work, family and some people from our old class. He showed me a few recent photos, and we also talked about funny school memories that I had almost forgotten. My friend arrived later and joined us for a while.

I felt genuinely happy because it was such a pleasant surprise. Meeting someone from an earlier part of my life brought back many memories. We exchanged numbers again and have stayed in touch since then, which made the unexpected reunion even more worthwhile.

A person I met recently and liked was a woman named Mai, whom I met at a weekend photography workshop about a month ago. She made a good impression on me almost immediately.

At the time, I was trying to understand how to use one of the camera settings, and I looked a bit confused. Mai was sitting nearby and asked whether I wanted some help. We struck up a conversation and discovered that we were both beginners who mainly used phone cameras before joining the workshop.

During the practical activity, we were placed in the same small group. Mai was approachable and thoughtful, especially when another participant was struggling with the instructions. She explained what she understood without pretending to know everything. During the lunch break, we talked about travel, cafés and places where we liked taking pictures. We had quite a lot in common, so the conversation never felt forced. Before leaving, we exchanged contact details and later shared some of our photos from the workshop.

I liked her because she was easy to talk to and genuinely interested in other people. She was friendly without being too familiar, and she made the group feel more comfortable. I would be happy to meet her again at another workshop.

A friend I spend a lot of time with is my university friend, Linh. We met in our first year during an orientation activity, and we have remained close ever since.

We share several interests, especially reading, trying new cafés and going on short walks. Neither of us needs very complicated plans, so our time together is usually quite low-key. We probably meet two or three times a week because our schedules are similar.

A normal afternoon might involve studying in the library for an hour and then getting something to drink. We often talk about classes, family or small problems in daily life. If one of us is worried about something, we tend to talk things through rather than immediately giving advice. Last semester, I was uncertain about choosing an optional course, and Linh helped me compare the choices without telling me what I should do. That conversation made the decision much clearer.

I like spending time with her because I feel comfortable around her and do not need to behave differently. I can be myself, even when I am tired or quiet. Our friendship is not based on exciting activities; it is based on trust, shared routines and easy conversation.

A friend who is very important to me is my old school friend, Trang. We first met in Grade 10 when we were placed in the same class, and we have known each other for many years now.

We used to sit near each other and gradually became friends through school projects and lunchtime conversations. Even though we now live in different parts of the city, we keep in touch through messages and usually meet once or twice a month.

Trang is one of the first people I turn to when I have an important decision or difficult week. A few years ago, when I was preparing for a major exam, I became very stressed and started doubting whether I was ready. She listened without making the problem sound small and helped me create a simple study plan for the final days. She also sent short messages to encourage me. In return, I try to be there for her and share both good news and difficult moments.

She means a lot to me because our friendship is based on mutual trust rather than convenience. We do not need to speak every day to remain close. I know that if something important happens, we can contact each other and talk honestly.

A person I know who has interesting ideas and opinions is my older cousin, Phong. He works in marketing, and I often talk to him at family gatherings or over coffee.

He is open-minded and enjoys discussing topics such as technology, education and how cities are changing. What I like is that he does not simply repeat popular opinions. He usually tries to see both sides of an issue before deciding what he thinks.

A recent conversation we had was about working from home. I had assumed that remote work was always more convenient. Phong agreed that it saves travel time, but he challenged the idea by pointing out that younger employees may learn less if they rarely meet experienced colleagues in person. He backed up his opinion with examples from his own workplace, where new staff had found online communication difficult at first. His point did not completely change my view, but it made me think twice and consider the disadvantages as well.

I find his ideas interesting because they are thought-provoking without being extreme. He often gives me a fresh perspective, and he is willing to change his own opinion when someone gives a strong reason. That makes conversations with him useful rather than argumentative.