| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | When I was young, I always wanted to get a bike. All my friends around the same age had one. I asked my parents to get me one but they refused because I was not behaving as they were expecting and my school performance was just acceptable. I was six years old at the time. I decided to work hard to earn the bike. I made sure my clothes remained clean throughout the day so my mother would not have to wash them every day. I made my bed every morning when leaving, cleared the table after dinner, and also helped my mother take care of my younger brother. At school, I decided to listen more to the teacher's instructions. Instead of watching TV after school, I spent more time reviewing the lessons and doing additional assignments. After three months, my parents noticed I had improved my social behavior as well as my performance at school. For my birthday, my parents surprised me with a bike as a present. It was nicer than the ones my friends had. Every one of them acclaimed me during the birthday celebration. They all admired me and envied me as well. I was so glad because I no longer had to beg them to ride their bikes. It is still my most memorable childhood experience. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I identify most with my mother. She is the closest family member, the one I talk to the most. My mother and I have had a strong connection since my childhood. Later we found out that we enjoy and share the same interests. We both love jazz music, horror movies and cooking. My mother never judges me when I go through a tough situation. She would rather work on resolving the issue and let me learn a moral out of it. I admire her positivity and limitless fighting spirit. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I like to mingle with individuals who are kind, unselfish and willing to help others.
I consider myself a sociable person. I constantly care for my loved ones and I am willing to sacrifice my own interests in certain situations to help. In return, I expect the same from the people around me. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | I was on the phone with a friend when I told him I was going to take a shower and then call him back. I hung up the phone, put it on the sink and got in the bathtub. While I was taking the shower, I started singing "Dream On" by the group Aerosmith. After three minutes, I started to hear sarcastic laughs but was not sure where it was coming from. I approached the sink and found out the phone was not hung up as I thought, and my friend over the phone was still listening to me singing and making fun of my poor performance. I must admit I have talents for certain things, but singing is definitely not on that list. I felt very embarrassed as my friend was not alone and the people near him also listened to me singing and also laughed at it. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | If time and money were not an issue, I would love to travel to Australia. I have seen in documentaries and magazines that Australia has exotic and rare animals such as kangaroos, ostriches, giant turtles... I have always been fascinated by wild animals and rare breeds. This would be a great opportunity to discover a new environment. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I would teach them to count on themselves to succeed, and earn their rewards instead of them just being given. My father was raised in a poor family, but that situation did not keep him from being successful later. He learned that growing up in a poor family is not a handicap. While my father is now wealthy, he rarely spoiled me. For example, my father gave me allowances every month. When I turned fifteen, I started to get more money than usual. I spent all the money as I was receiving it. After six months, I asked my father to give me some money to buy a new pair of shoes. He asked me what I was doing with extra money he was giving me, and I responded that I spent it all. My father told me his intention was for me to learn how to save money and be financially responsible. He told me he would not give me the money for the shoes but would continue to give me the same allowance; I was in charge of managing the money efficiently. I have learned since then how to be financially responsible, and it has helped me to this day. I would like to pass that on to my kids as well. |
