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1. When is your birthday? How do you celebrate your birthday these days?
2. Where were you born? How old was your mother at the time? What do you know about your birth*?
3. To what generation do you belong to**? Do you feel lucky to have been born into that generation? Why?
4. What is your birth order (e.g. first son, second child)? How much older and younger are your siblings? Do you feel fortunate about your birth order? Why?
5. Do you have kids? If yes, what do you remember about their birth(s)? If not, would you like to have kids? Why?
6. Japan has a rapidly falling birth rate and an impending population crisis. Tell me about one thing you have heard about that families, celebrities, local governments, central government, businesses or non-profits have done to encourage more births in Japan.

* time of day, location (home/hospital), complications at birth, duration of labor, first visits from family etc. ** 1920~1949 = "Interwar Baby", 1950~1069 = "Baby Boomer", 1970~1985 = "Generation X", 1986~1999 = "Millennial", 2000~ = "Centennial"

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Question 1

My birthday is on April 6. I usually celebrate my birthday by going out to eat in a really nice restaurant with my loved ones. I usually have a cake too!

Question 2

I was born in the Philippines. I think my mom was only 28 years old. I know I was a cesarean birth and my mom had a difficult pregnancy. I also came out premature but still heavy for a premature baby, haha!

Question 3

I belong to the millennial generation. I do feel lucky to have been born as a millennial because we got to experience playing outside but also grew up with technology as it developed. I don't like how the media makes millennials appear like we're always complaining, each generation has its differences.

Question 4

I'm the middle child. I don't really feel fortunate about my birth order. I feel like I've always been left alone to figure things out on my own. My older brother doesn't really act like an older brother, he doesn't really help out our parents that much. I was the one that helped out my parents more, but also got into more fights with them. My youngest sister is obviously the favorite and can get away with most things, but she almost never gets in trouble anyway. But, I guess, things turned out better this way. I became really independent and I'm more adventurous than my brother and sister. I'm the only one to have already moved out of our parents' home and I also live abroad! I'm happy about that.

Question 5

I don't really want to have kids. I still have so many things I want to do. I understand all the benefits of having children, like how they make life more fulfilling for other people, but that's just not how I feel about it. I don't want the responsibility of another person's life in my hands. I also don't think we should keep bringing in more children into the world when the environment isn't doing so well and resources are becoming more limited.

Question 6

When I used to live in Wakayama, the government had a program where they will give a large amount of money to a new couple with a baby. They also offered to look for new housing for the new family and moving them to their new home, free of charge. They also offered to pay for the rent partially for 1 year.

Tough Vocabulary