Band 6 sample answer
I want to talk about the time I borrowed a barong Tagalog. It is the formal shirt for men in the Philippines, very thin, with embroidery on the front, and we wear it for weddings and important events.
This was last year, in Cebu. My cousin was getting married and I was one of the groomsmen, so I needed a barong. But I didn't have one, because the last one I had was from my high school graduation and it was too small already.
I borrowed it from my uncle, my mother's brother. He is about the same size as me, and he has many barong because he works in the city hall and he need to wear it for events. He was very happy to lend me, he said just don't put any food on it.
Why I didn't buy? Mainly the money. A good barong, the ones made from piña fabric, is very expensive, and even the cheaper one is maybe three or four thousand pesos. For me that is a lot of money for something I will wear only one or two times in a year. And also I thought, why buy when my uncle has five in his closet?
It worked out good, mostly. The barong was very nice and everybody said I look smart. But during the reception, someone bumped into me and a little bit of sauce fall on the sleeve. I was very nervous. I took it to the laundry the next day and paid for special cleaning, and luckily it came out clean. When I returned it, I told my uncle the whole story, and he just laughed. Next time I think I will still borrow, but I will be more careful with eating.