A Surprise

A time I was pleasantly surprised was about two years ago, when I received an unexpected email offering me a scholarship to study in South Korea. The surprising part was that I’d completely forgotten I’d applied. Eight months earlier, a friend had sent me a link to the programme, and I’d filled out the application late one night, mostly to keep her happy. I assumed I had very little chance, because thousands of people apply and only a handful are accepted from each country. Then one morning, I was sitting in a minibus on my way to work, scrolling through my emails, when I saw a message titled “Congratulations”. I genuinely thought it was spam at first. I read it three times before I understood that it was real — a fully funded master’s programme, including flights and accommodation. I remember gasping so loudly that the woman next to me asked if I was all right. I was surprised for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I had genuinely forgotten about it, so I had no expectations at all. Secondly, I’d always thought opportunities like that happened to other people, not to me. It taught me that sometimes it’s worth trying even when you think you have no chance.

Kontekst (unutilgan ariza) → lahza (aniq joy va reaksiya) → nega hayron (2 sabab) → saboq.