Part 1: Friends

Do you have many friends?

No, I don't. I just have a few close friends from university. Although we don't see each other face to face pretty often because of our hectic working schedule, we usually keep in touch through social networking sites.

Which one do you think is better: having a lot of friends or just some close friends?

Generally speaking, I believe having a few close friends is better, regardless if you're an introvert or an extrovert. To be more specific, with close friends, people can honestly show who they really are, even in the craziest way. Also, close friends are the ones who will help us to overcome difficult times, unlike distant friends.

Who do you like to spend your time with, family or friends?

I prefer spending time with my family members. You know, friends come and go like ocean waves while family will stick with you throughout your lifetime. Therefore, it is much more important to spend time building up family bonding.

Are you still in touch with your childhood friends?

Not many of them really, we launched on our own paths ever since we left, primary school. And as a matter of fact, I can't recall the face or the names of my classmates in grade 4 or 5, if I happen to bump into them, they would just, look as strangers to me. Having said this, I still keep some close contacts ever since, and such friends have become my soul mate. To be honest, I couldn't think of how miserable life would be if living without such friends.

Part 2: Describe a time you spend with your friend in your childhood / Describe a childhood friend of yours

Who is this friend

What did you do at that time

How did you know about each other

And explain why you describe this time

Luckily, I had a happy childhood, free from study burdens that many children today are facing up to. Off the top of my head, I would describe a time that my soul mate and I used to hang out frequently at a spot near our house, which I guess was at least 15 years ago.

At that time, industrialization and modernization are the terms that no one heard of. Paddy fields cover a big area, and there were meadows, streams, ponds and lakes, giving quite in idyllic and tranquil atmosphere. I and my friend, who is my next-door neighbor and have known each other since we were knee high to a grasshopper, often played together at this rural area.

The reasons I describe this time is because it helps me reminisce of my past when I had the total freedom to explore and enjoy life to the fullest. Catching crickets at dawn, going fishing in the early afternoon, swimming in the crystal clear water and other activities did fill me with great excitement. Especially, hanging out together with my best buddy was just an out-of-this-world experience; we had the time to confide in each other our secrets and ambitions share ups and downs in life together.

My friend's now residing in the US, so I really miss him. We skill keep in touch often and are still proud of our happy childhood.

PART 3

Why some people lose contact with their childhood friends?

As for my generation, at the time we didn't have any smartphone to keep contacts, so it's easy to lose precious relationships. In contrast, today we can snap some photos, add friends on face book, to name but a few, which is hugely conducive to the maintenance of personal contacts. Another reason can be that there are some friends we often do not get along well, and there's no point in keeping such contacts. At the end of the day, it's quite a matter of taste and preference in friend selection that really counts.

How do people in your country make friends these days?

Well to be honest, I would say that people have many different ways to get to know one another. The most common place is at the coffee shop where people of different ages would gather together and share their own stories about themselves. The second way is via Social networking websites like Facebook or Twitter. Needless to say, many teenagers today would log on the web and join some chat groups, which I reckon is the quite useful but may have some potential risks

Do you trust friends that you meet on the Internet?

When it comes to friends on the virtual networks, I am pretty cautious. Although, social networking websites like Facebook or Twitter are wonderful platforms for people of all ages to get to know one another, most of the time. It is not reliable to lend your trust to those online friends. This is simply because some guys may treat your nicely and act like your close friends but the reality is that they are, trying to con some money out of your pocket. So the point is we should try to be on red filter when making use of the internet in general and social networks in

How do you get along with people you don't like?

Well, there is a couple of ways that help when trying to be on good tarns with those you don't want to have a talk with. The first method lies in a person himself. It is true that we should open our hearts and make efforts to nuke others feel at ease. During a conversation, it's better if we feather our confidence and bring up the topic first hatha than waiting for others to break the ice. Secondly, individuals had better find more time to be close to each other and find out what they have in common. For example, after watching a comedy at the movie theater, two people found out that they love this type of film, and then they tried to arrange time to spend more time together. The two people ended up being intimate friends forever

Why is it hard to maintain friendships for some people?

Generally speaking, several factors are to blame when it comes to why some. people have a hard time getting along with other surrounding people. The first cause usually lies in the person himself. They tend to distance themselves from others and don't have frequent talks and time to spend together. As a particular consequence, less mutual understanding is established and the relationship becomes weaker and weaker. Another culprit might be fast-paced lifestyle people suffer from nowadays. After a stressful day at the workplace, it is not uncommon to see many lose their temper or just want to stay home to let their hair down. This makes people spend time on their own, which means less time is spent on others.

Do you think it is possible to be friends with someone if you never meet them in person?

This is advanced age and many of our real life tasks are done virtually by using few mouse clicks. To be a friend, one does not need to be physically present with the others to make a friendship. Using different social communication platforms, we could easily make friendship with the other people living at different parts of the world. They do not need to meet every day in person to share their feelings and emotions. Rather, they are communicating easily using the social communication platform features like chatting or messaging, sharing their pictures etc. As a result, the necessity of meeting each other in person every day or after a specific period appears to become less and less.