Part 1 Arts, Neighbors + Part 3 Disagreements & Learning
Part 1
🔷 Topic: Arts
1. Are you good at art?
Not really, to be honest. I wouldn’t call myself an artist in the traditional sense—I’m more of a self-professed collector than a painter. I’m into figurines, design toys, and occasionally digital stuff, but I mostly just admire real artists from a safe distance. I can appreciate good design, but when it comes to drawing, let’s just say I know my limits.
🔹 Cụm hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- self-professed collector – người tự nhận là nhà sưu tầm
- figurines – mô hình nhỏ (thường là để sưu tầm)
- from a safe distance – theo dõi từ xa (không tham gia trực tiếp)
- know my limits – biết giới hạn của bản thân
2. Do you ever draw anything?
Yeah, from time to time. I don’t do it seriously, but I do doodle around when I need to clear my head. It’s weirdly satisfying to see lines turn into something slightly recognizable. I also play around with CAD software sometimes—just sketching things up digitally when inspiration strikes. I wouldn’t call them masterpieces, but they definitely help me decompress.
🔹 Cụm hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- from time to time – thỉnh thoảng
- doodle around – vẽ linh tinh giải trí
- clear my head – làm đầu óc thư giãn
- CAD software – phần mềm thiết kế kỹ thuật
- sketch things up – phác thảo
- masterpieces – kiệt tác (dùng mang tính hài hước ở đây)
- decompress – giải tỏa căng thẳng
3. Do you prefer traditional drawing or digital art?
I’d say digital art. There’s something really versatile and exciting about being able to sketch things up on a screen. Plus, I can undo mistakes in one click, which is honestly the dream. With tools like Procreate or Illustrator, you can really let your creativity run wild without the mess. But I do respect traditional artists—it takes a different kind of patience and skill.
🔹 Cụm hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- versatile – linh hoạt
- undo mistakes – hoàn tác lỗi (hành động tiện lợi trong vẽ số)
- the dream – điều quá tuyệt vời
- let your creativity run wild – tha hồ sáng tạo
- respect traditional artists – tôn trọng nghệ sĩ truyền thống
4. Why do people draw or paint, even if they’re not professionals?
I guess it’s a way to let off some steam or express what words can’t. For some people, drawing is like therapy—it helps them unwind, reflect, and even reconnect with their inner child. It doesn’t have to be gallery-worthy. Sometimes, it’s just about feeling better after a long day.
🔹 Cụm hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- let off some steam – xả stress
- unwind – thư giãn
- reflect – suy ngẫm
- reconnect with their inner child – tìm lại “đứa trẻ bên trong”
- gallery-worthy – xứng đáng treo trong triển lãm (nói vui)
- feeling better after a long day – cảm thấy nhẹ nhõm hơn sau ngày dài
🔷 Topic: Neighbors
1. Do you think it’s important to have a good relationship with your neighbors?
Absolutely. Having a good neighbor is of paramount importance, especially when life throws you a curveball. Think about it—during a pandemic lockdown or if you suddenly fall ill, it’s the person living door-to-door who can check in or help. Sometimes you just need someone to watch over your flat or keep an eye on your stuff when you’re away. It’s practical and honestly, comforting.
🔹 Cụm hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- of paramount importance – vô cùng quan trọng
- throw you a curveball – xảy ra điều bất ngờ
- pandemic lockdown – phong tỏa vì dịch
- door-to-door – sống cạnh nhà
- watch over your flat – trông nhà giùm
- keep an eye on your stuff – để mắt đồ đạc
2. Have you ever needed help from a neighbor?
Yes, actually. There was this one time I locked myself out in the middle of the night—classic me. Luckily, my neighbor downstairs was still awake and let me crash at their place. That moment made me realize how amazing it is to have a dedicated person living next door. Seriously, that was a blessing in disguise.
🔹 Cụm hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- locked myself out – bị khóa ngoài nhà
- classic me – tôi mà, đúng kiểu tôi
- crash at their place – ở nhờ nhà ai đó
- dedicated person – người tận tâm
- blessing in disguise – điều may mắn trong rủi ro
3. How can people build better relationships with their neighbors?
Well, there are quite a few ways. You could organize an open cookout, join apartment meetings, or simply have someone over for a meal. If your place has a shared gym or playground, they’re great for a quick meet-and-greet. Honestly, just smiling in the hallway now and then breaks the ice.
🔹 Cụm hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- open cookout – tiệc nướng ngoài trời
- apartment meetings – họp cư dân
- have someone over – mời ai đó đến nhà
- shared gym / playground – khu sinh hoạt chung
- meet-and-greet – gặp mặt làm quen
- breaks the ice – phá vỡ sự ngại ngùng ban đầu
4. Do neighbors still matter in today’s fast-paced world?
Even more than before, honestly. In such a fast-paced and disconnected society, having someone nearby who can look out for you is priceless. Whether it’s giving you the heads-up about local stuff or just saying hi in the lift, that human connection is rare but gold.
🔹 Cụm hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- fast-paced world – thế giới nhịp sống nhanh
- look out for you – trông chừng bạn
- giving you the heads-up – cảnh báo trước, báo tin trước
- human connection – kết nối giữa người với người
Part 3
🔷 Topic: Disagreements
1. Why do small disagreements sometimes lead to bigger conflicts?
Because people often bring ego and emotional baggage into the conversation. What could’ve been a simple discussion quickly turns into a shouting match or worse, a bogging match, where both sides are just trying to overwhelm the other rather than listen. Once it stops being about understanding and becomes about winning, things escalate. It’s no longer a disagreement—it’s a battle. And when feelings get hurt, or someone feels undermined, sometimes there’s no going back.
🔹 Cụm từ hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- ego – cái tôi
- emotional baggage – gánh nặng cảm xúc mang theo từ trước
- shouting match – cãi nhau ầm ĩ
- bogging match – cuộc đấu đá, công kích qua lại
- overwhelm the other – dìm người khác để thắng
- winning – thắng bằng mọi giá
- feelings get hurt – cảm xúc bị tổn thương
- undermined – bị hạ thấp, bị làm cho mất giá trị
- no going back – không còn đường quay lại
2. Do you think people today are less tolerant of opposing views than in the past? Why or why not?
I think so, yeah. We’re living in a digital era where everyone’s stuck in their own little echo chamber. People mostly hear what they want to hear, and when someone says something that challenges that view, it feels personal. Plus, when people become too overconfident in their opinions, it creates a sort of domino effect—others push back, it turns into a backlash, and suddenly it’s not a disagreement, it’s a full-on war. We’ve kind of lost the ability to agree to disagree, which is a shame.
🔹 Cụm từ hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- digital era – thời đại số
- echo chamber – môi trường chỉ toàn thông tin cùng chiều
- overconfident in their opinions – quá tự tin vào quan điểm của mình
- domino effect – hiệu ứng domino
- backlash – phản ứng dữ dội
- agree to disagree – chấp nhận sự khác biệt ý kiến
3. In what situations is it better to stay silent rather than express disagreement?
When speaking up would completely ruin someone’s pride or reputation, it’s better to zip it. You know, if someone’s on the edge of being publicly embarrassed, and your disagreement is only going to humiliate them further, you’re not solving the issue—you’re just burning bridges. In those moments, you’ve got to hold your horses, take a deep breath, and ask yourself: Is this really worth it? Sometimes silence is the smartest move.
🔹 Cụm từ hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- completely ruin someone’s pride/reputation – làm mất mặt ai đó hoàn toàn
- zip it – im lặng (cách nói vui)
- publicly embarrassed – bị bẽ mặt trước đám đông
- humiliate them further – làm họ mất mặt thêm
- burning bridges – phá hủy quan hệ
- hold your horses – bình tĩnh lại
4. What role does emotional intelligence play in handling conflicts effectively?
A huge one. If someone’s well-versed in emotional intelligence, they can read the room—sense tension, observe body language, and spot when it’s time to speak or stay quiet. It’s not just about what you say, but when and how you say it. You avoid speaking out of turn, and you don’t pour oil on the fire by saying something that’ll escalate things. Sometimes, even a well-timed light joke can ease the tension and bring everyone back to baseline.
🔹 Cụm từ hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- well-versed in emotional intelligence – thông thạo về trí tuệ cảm xúc
- read the room – cảm nhận không khí, bầu không khí
- body language – ngôn ngữ cơ thể
- speaking out of turn – nói không đúng lúc
- pour oil on the fire – đổ thêm dầu vào lửa
- light joke – trò đùa nhẹ nhàng, đúng lúc
🔷 Topic: Learning
1. Why do you think some of the most valuable lessons in life aren’t taught in school?
Because school, for the most part, happens within the confinement of a classroom, where the end goal is to ace the exam or tick the right box in a quiz. It’s all bookmarked, directed, and theoretical. But real life? It’s messy. You gain wisdom by trial and error, by stepping out of your comfort zone, and by having real encounters with real people in the real world. Some things—like negotiating rent, or dealing with failure—are just too far from the textbooks to be taught in class.
🔹 Cụm từ hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- within the confinement of a classroom – gói gọn trong lớp học
- ace the exam – đạt điểm tuyệt đối trong bài thi
- bookmarked – theo chương mục (giáo trình)
- directed – được hướng dẫn sẵn
- trial and error – thử và sai
- out of your comfort zone – vượt khỏi vùng an toàn
- real encounters with real people in the real world – trải nghiệm thực tế với người thật việc thật
- too far from the textbooks – quá xa rời sách vở
2. How do people’s attitudes toward learning change as they get older?
At first, learning is often out of obligation—because your parents say so, or because you’re under peer pressure to keep up. You’re doing it to prove yourself to someone, not because you enjoy it. But as people grow up, their mindset shifts. Learning becomes about curiosity, novelty, and bringing food to the table. It’s no longer for a grade, it’s for growth. Older learners tend to be driven by purpose, with an unwavering commitment to succeed—not to impress others, but to build something meaningful.
🔹 Cụm từ hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- out of obligation – vì bắt buộc
- peer pressure – áp lực từ bạn bè đồng trang lứa
- prove yourself to someone – chứng minh bản thân cho ai đó
- curiosity – sự tò mò, ham học hỏi
- novelty – cái mới, sự mới mẻ
- bring food to the table – kiếm sống nuôi gia đình
- driven by purpose – được thúc đẩy bởi mục tiêu
- unwavering commitment – cam kết không lay chuyển
3. Do you think failure teaches us more than success? Why or why not?
Oh, for sure. Failure forces you to stop, reflect, and reevaluate how far you’ve come. It teaches you humility. A temporary setback might sting at first, but it helps you identify your shortcomings, rectify your mistakes, and eventually become a better version of yourself. On the other hand, continuous success can breed complacency—you start thinking you’ve got it all figured out, and that’s when you get undermined. As the Vietnamese say: “Thất bại là mẹ thành công”—failure is the mother of success, and I couldn’t agree more.
🔹 Cụm từ hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- stop, reflect, and reevaluate – dừng lại, suy ngẫm và đánh giá lại
- temporary setback – thất bại tạm thời
- identify your shortcomings – nhận ra điểm yếu của bản thân
- rectify your mistakes – sửa sai
- better version of yourself – phiên bản tốt hơn của chính mình
- breed complacency – sinh ra sự tự mãn
- undermined – bị coi thường, bị đánh giá thấp
- failure is the mother of success – thất bại là mẹ thành công
4. What motivates people to keep learning new things outside of formal education?
A lot of it comes down to personal development and staying relevant in the job market. People want to optimize their workflow, negotiate better salaries, or just stay ahead of trends—like using AI tools or spotting hidden gems in the crypto space. Beyond that, learning outside school gives people the freedom to explore their own curiosity, away from textbook-heavy, didactic systems. It’s about being sharper, faster, more adaptable—and frankly, more competitive.
🔹 Cụm từ hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- personal development – phát triển bản thân
- relevant in the job market – phù hợp với thị trường lao động
- optimize workflow – tối ưu hóa quy trình làm việc
- negotiate better salaries – đàm phán lương tốt hơn
- hidden gems – cơ hội tiềm ẩn (trong đầu tư)
- textbook-heavy, didactic systems – hệ thống giáo dục nặng lý thuyết
- more competitive – cạnh tranh tốt hơn
8. Do you think digital platforms like YouTube or podcasts are changing the way people learn today?
Absolutely. They’ve completely ushered in an era of individualized learning. You can now learn at your own pace, through visual or auditory methods, and even make it a habit—something you listen to on your daily commute. These platforms also cater to different learning styles, which means everyone—from a visual learner to someone who zones out during lectures—can find something that works. And the best part? The knowledge actually sticks because it’s enjoyable.
🔹 Cụm từ hay & nghĩa tiếng Việt:
- ushered in an era of individualized learning – mở ra thời đại học cá nhân hóa
- at your own pace – theo tốc độ riêng
- visual or auditory methods – phương pháp học bằng hình ảnh/âm thanh
- make it a habit – biến thành thói quen
- cater to different learning styles – phục vụ nhiều kiểu học khác nhau
- the knowledge sticks – kiến thức bám lâu hơn
