1. What do you usually do on your birthday?

: 저는 보통 친구들이나 가족과 함께 보내요. 친구들을 만나서 맛있는 레스토랑에 가서 밥을 먹습니다. 그 후엔 카페에 가요. 특별한 무언가를 하진 않지만, 그들이 제 특별한 날에 같이 시간을 보내주는 것에 감사해요.

=> I usually spend time with my friends or family. My friends and I go to a nice restaurant which serves good food, and then go to an instagrammable cafe that we saw on social media. We do nothing special, but I appreciate that they spend time with me on my special day.

2. Do you think it is important for you to celebrate your birthday?

: 아뇨, 그렇게 생각하지 않아요. 어릴 때는 매우 중요해서 생일엔 꼭 행복해야 하고, 특별한 무언가를 해야 한다고 생각했어요. 하지만 20대 중반 이후에는 그냥 많은 날 중 하나처럼 느껴져요. 그럼에도 불구하고 생일날 다른사람들로부터 축하 받으면 매우 기뻐요.

=> No, I don’t think so. When I was young, it was important, so I thought I have to be happy and do something special on my birthday. However, after my mid-20s, it feels like it’s just one of my normal days. Nevertheless, I feel really happy when people celebrate my birthday.

3. What did you do on your birthday when you were young?

: 어릴 때는 가능한 많은 친구들을 집에 초대해서 파티를 했어요. 그렇게 했던 이유는 최대한 많은 선물을 받고 싶어서였는데, 지금 생각하면 엄마한테 죄송해요. 엄마와 엄마 친구들이 모두 그 거대한 파티를 준비해야 했으니까요. 어릴 때는 그걸 생각하지 못했어요.

=> When I was a kid, I invited as many friends as possible over, and threw a party. The reason why I did is that I wanted to get as many gifts as possible, but now that I think about it, I feel sorry for my mom. This is because she and her friends had to prepare everything for the huge party. I didn’t consider it when I was young.

4. How did you celebrate your last birthday?

: 회사 동료들이 회의실에서 서프라이즈 파티를 열어줬어요, 내가 전혀 예상하지 못했었던. 그때 우린 프로젝트 때문에 매우 바빠서 늦게까지 일해야 했어요. 그래서 저녁에 다같이 케익과 치킨을 곁들인 파티를 즐기고, 계속 일했습니다.

=> My colleagues threw a surprise party for me, which I didn’t expect at all. On that day, we were very busy and had to work late for a project. So, in the evening, we enjoyed the party eating a cake and chicken together, and kept working late. 

5. What birthday presents do you like to get?

: 아이폰14를 받고 싶어요, 최근에 출시된, 선물로 받기에 너무 비싸긴 하지만. 저는 지금까지 항상 삼성전자의 갤럭시 모델만 써와서, 아이폰을 써보고 싶어요 다음에 핸드폰을 바꿀 때. 또한, 업무용 노트북으로 맥북을 쓰고 있어서, 시너지가 있을 것 같아요.

=> I want to get an iPhone, even though it’s too expensive to get as a gift. As I’ve always used Galaxy model produced by Samsung electronics, I’d like to try iPhone next time I change my smartphone. Also, I use a Macbook as a business laptop, so I expect that there will be a synergy.

6. How do children celebrate birthdays in your country?

: 그들은 파티를 하는 것 같아요, 집에 초대하거나 맛집에 가서요. 초대받은 친구들은 파티에 생일자를 위한 생일선물을 가져가요. 제가 어렸을 때는 스마트폰이 없었어서 직접 종이 초대장을 만들었었는데, 요즘 아이들은 스마트폰 메신저로 초대할 것 같아요.

=> I think they throw a birthday party either at their home or at a fancy restaurant. Those who are invited bring a gift for their birthday friend. When I was young, there was no smartphone so I made paper invitation cards by myself, but I guess children these days invite through smartphone messenger.