Yesterday, in my English class, the teacher asked each of the students what their favorite place was. That was a good question for me because my favorite place is a bit unusual. I knew that when I said it, everyone would laugh. The teacher asked each of my classmates first. I dreaded hearing my name …
Category: Surprises
My First Flight
I was born in 1975 in the village of Gulmazor (translated as Flower Village from my native language, Tajik), in Tajikistan. I want to tell you about one interesting day of my life: After graduating from university, I went through interviews to become a flight attendant. I took special courses for more than two months, …
My Lost Pearl Bracelet
I have always thought of pearls as an icon of style, simplicity, and perfection. I’ve always loved pearl necklaces and bracelets. When I was picking out material for my wedding dress, I chose the material with pearl decorations. The pearls made me glow on that cold December day in New York. What made my bracelet …
When I Lost My Wedding Ring
I came home from work one day in March 2017. It was about 7:00 p.m., and I went into the kitchen to prepare dinner for my wife. As I started, I realized that I had not removed my wedding ring. I went to the bedroom, put my ring on the bedside table, and returned to …
My Coffee Makes Me Sad
Dear Coffee, You know how good I feel when I wake up in the morning, brush my teeth, and have my shower, knowing after that, just before I step out the door, I will be having a nice cup of you on the table, waiting for me. But for some reason or other, this morning …
A Tale About the Ghost of Bamboo
My family moved to the east of Taiwan-Hua Lie when I was a third-grade student. I spent 15 minutes each day walking along the lane to school. Halfway to school, there was a farmhouse surrounded by a bamboo forest and a harvested vegetable field. One late autumn morning, which was cloudy and windy, a classmate …
Ghosting: The Night Before Halloween
In the year 2000, I was working with a family of four. Susan and Mitchell loved taking their kids, Sarah and Jordon, to have fun on Halloween. Seventy-five percent of people celebrate Halloween. Well, I, for one, did not know anything about Halloween; this was my first time celebrating. I am also a Roman Catholic, …
Superstitions
It can be fun to compare superstitions from different countries. Here are some interesting superstitions from Korea: First, shoes are not a good idea as a gift for your partner. He may use them to run away! When I was young, I would not buy shoes for my boyfriend because I was worried that he …
Win a Million
One day, I called my cousin Najla. We spoke in Arabic. I changed my voice and my accent from Yemeni to Saudi Arabian. I told her, “Congratulations, you won a million.” She didn’t believe me, so I spoke to her and convinced her. I said, “I’m working with MBC channel.” She knew the channel. “We …