Home, Accommodation & Room:
• Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in?
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.
• How long have you lived there?
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.
• What do you like about living there?
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.
• What do you dislike about living there?
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 much small but I have a personal preference for living in a large room.
• What sort of accommodation would you most like to live in?
I like to live in a large house 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 proper ventilation system.
• Describe the room you live in?
Well, it is a medium-size 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, 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.
Family:
• Do you have a large family or 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 the 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 degree in Computer Science and have a plan to finish my Master 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 time when I am out for my university. But after my return from the university, I do not make any late to share the day-long events with the family members, especially with 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 for 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 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 the 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 disagreement 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 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 personality and a desire to be independent, but that should not harm our family relationship.
• 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 the people prefer to be with their families and do everything for the members. But exceptions are everywhere. The people living just opposite of 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 senior 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 than 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 companies.
• 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 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 having 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 my 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, going long drive 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 the friendship. I am no exception.
• Do you think friendships change as we get older? How?
Yes, I believe so. In early ages, we are prone to make many friends and only a few of them remain for a long. At this stage in life, the 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 ages, 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, good listener, would criticise me whenever needed, 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.
