Describe a time when you were surprised to meet a friend.

You should say

• Where it was
  • Who you met?
  • When was it?
  • Why were you surprised?

1. I have very few friends and we are very close to each other.
2. So, it is not often I get surprised.
3. However, last year, I got a big surprise when I met one of my friends in Chandigarh at Rose Garden.
4. I went to Rose Garden with my family during last summer.
5. We were all sitting on mat, which we had laid out on the grass, and were enjoying a picnic lunch.
6. Suddenly, I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder.
7. I turned around and I was surprised to see one of my closest friends Siddharth.
8. I knew he was in also in Chandigarh, but I never expected to see him at Rose Garden.
9. He told me that he came to know my whereabouts through the photos which I had uploaded on Instagram.
10. He was doing some shopping at a mall very close to Rose Garden.
11. So, he decided to surprise me.
12. He called my sister to find out, where exactly we were in Rose Garden.
13. So, actually everyone else knew he was coming, except me.
14. It was a big surprise for me.
15. My sister also photographed my reaction when I turned around to see him.
16. After the big shock, he also joined us for the picnic.
17. Then, I spent some time at the mall with him.
18. Not surprisingly, we could only do window shopping.
19. He still sometimes brings it up by saying that remember the time I surprised you at Rose Garden.
20. I am looking for an opportunity to surprise him, like he surprised me.
21. But he is expecting it, so it would be very hard to do so.

Part 3 – Follow up Questions

1. Why do friends meet up?

I think there are various reasons. The first is to just spend some time together because for most people doing things together is more fun than doing things alone. Secondly, I think it is just to talk, share and get advice on matters and so on.

• Are there any meetings that people need to plan in advance?

Yes, there are many meetings that people plan in advance like a doctor’s appointment. In case of friends also, it is better to take an appointment because the other person might be busy with work.

• Are there any jobs related to unexpected things?

I think there are companies that help people plan surprise parties. So that maybe a job related to unexpected things. I can’t think of anything else besides that at the moment. In research also, many findings have been unexpected – gravity for example.

• Do unexpected things lead to progress on our society?

Yes, for sure. Like I said before, scientific discoveries happen by chance. The biggest discovery I can think of was of the microwave. It was discovered by the scientists while working on something completely unrelated and now we can’t imagine a kitchen without a microwave.