Talk about a gift for which you spent long time to choose/make
You should say:
- What it was?
- Who was the person you gave it to?
- How he or she felt about it?
- Why it took long time for you to choose?
Model answer:
- I am not very gifted in arts and crafts and so I normally don’t make things myself.
- I prefer to gift people cards and flowers.
- However, a few years back when I was in 9th standard, one of my closest friends decided to immigrate to the US.
- On his last birthday before leaving, I wanted to do something really, special for him.
- But unfortunately, I did not have much saved pocket money.
- So, I went to my mother to get some money to buy him something expensive.
- But, my mother suggested me to personally make him something rather than buying him something, which he may not even care to take with him.
- At that moment, I came up with an idea of drawing a sketch of me and him together.
- It took me a lot of time to come up with something satisfactory since my drawing skills were not so good.
- I remember I spent nearly 4- 5 days making that sketch.
- My mother helped me a bit too.
- Then I handcrafted a wooden frame for the sketch and gifted it to him on his birthday.
- I still remember his shock when he opened my present since he expected it to be a wall painting because of the shape of the present.
- But after finding out what it was, his eyes swelled up with tears.
- He didn’t say anything, we just hugged each other.
- 2 months later, when I was talking to him on facetime, I saw our portrait hanging on the wall in the background.
- At that time, I realised that nothing could ever be as special as a handmade present.
Part 3 – Follow up Questions
- Have you received anything that was handmade by the person who gave it to you?
Yes, I have received handmade cards many times from my students. But I particularly remember a time when I received the handmade bag from my friend. It was finished to the minutest details and it was made as if it was tailored for me. I still carry it with pride wherever I go. It is a very smart shoulder sling bag - When receiving a gift, do you prefer something that was self-made, or something bought in stores?
When I receive gift, it is the intention that matters to me the most not whether it is expensive or inexpensive. When I know I am receiving something from a friend who has made it for me sparing his or her time it certainly feels good but the giver should be as happy to give as I am to receive. That matters to me the most. - Which is better, self-made food or food that you buy?
When it comes to food, I always prefer self made food and I enjoy the compliments I receive after after the guests relish the food that I serve. I certainly love to cook at home rather than buying food from the market or opening the packet and eating the food that is stuffed with preservatives and harmful additives. But sometimes when I am busy at work I can buy food from outside but I am very selective about the food being freshly cooked. - Are art classes important in schools?
These days children are under lot of stress from their academic workload. Art classes are stress busters. Moreover, art has been known as a fine value from times immemorial. Why would people work if there were no amusement and entertainment activities available? Hence art classes are very important for the holistic development of the children. - Do Indian people often give gifts?
Yes, Indian people like to give gifts. They give gifts on special occasions such as marriages, birthdays and anniversaries etc. - What’s the value of giving presents?
Gifts are gestures of love. They give happiness to the giver as well as the receiver. - What kinds of gifts are suitable for friends to give each other?
Friends know each other well, so they can give any gift, which can be useful to the other person. The gift need not be expensive. It should be taken as a gesture of love and not for economic value. - What factors do people consider when buying a gift for friends?
People consider a lot of things when buying a gift for friends. They consider the friends requirement and they consider their own pocket. - Why do people give presents?
People give presents as gestures of love. Presents give happiness to the recipient as well as the person who is giving the present. - Do children prefer receiving gifts or spending happy time with their parents?
Children are very innocent. They love receiving gifts. They take the happy time with their parents as granted. So, they don’t give it much value. - Compare the kinds of gifts that boys like with those that girls like?
Gender differences are disappearing nowadays. But generally boys like electronic gadgets and girls like barbie dolls and stuffed toys. - Compare the kinds of gifts that well educated people like with those that less educated people like?
I do not think that the literacy level of the person has anything to do with the choice of gifts. Every person has his or her own taste. A very educated person may not appreciate a book as a gift, which may be very much liked and appreciated by a less educated person - Are expensive gifts always better than cheap gifts?
I definitely do not think so. A simple inexpensive flower may give more happiness to the person than a very costly gift. - Do men and women have the same attitudes towards gift giving?
There are no gender differences nowadays. Both like to give and receive gifts and even the choice of the gifts is almost similar nowadays. - How are gifts that people give each other today different to gifts when you were a child?
Today we belong to an era of globalization. The market today is flooded with choices. You can buy any gift, and there are gifts to suit every pocket. Earlier, the choices were restricted. Today we have a lot of electronic items also.
