I had a plan when I was returning from Shenzhen to Boston.  I didn’t tell anyone of my plan prior to doing it, but I planned to stand at my house’s 门口 (entrance) and 按 (press/[ring]) the 门铃 (doorbell), as this would 肯定 (definitely) be a great 惊喜 (surprise).  Previously I had arranged for my parents to have a 网络视频 (internet video) chat.  I rang the house doorbell and watched my dad leave the room to go up the 楼梯 (stairs) where he came to the front door and saw me- startled at where I was.  The whole affair seemed like a recent television 广告 (advertisement) for a wireless telecommunications company.  Although it is my impression that I crossed more 时区 (time zones) than did the female protagonist in the ad.  No matter what, I continually 错过 (miss) that commercial, so I cannot make a judgment or comparison between our two surprises yet.

门口 men2kou3 – doorway
按 an4 – press
门铃 men2ling3 – doorbell
肯定 ken3ding4 – definitely, surely
惊喜 jing1xi3 – (pleasant) surprise
网络 wang3luo4 – network (internet here)
视频 shi4pin2 – video
楼梯 lou2ti – stairs
广告 guang3gao4 – advertisement
时区 shi2qu1 – time zone
错过 cuo4guo4 – to miss (something you were expecting)