"A Story of 50 People of the Same Generation, in Different Cities"

We all live in the same era, but we easily forget that fact as we worry about our own lives.
It means that there are others who have the same concerns as me and are living through various attempts.
What if I listened to their stories, not mine, for once? Perhaps in those stories I could find a clue to the answer I've been seeking.

The only thing similar is age—different races, nationalities, genders, occupations, values, and life paths.
Ask and answer questions about their interests, careers, loves, dreams, visions, and worries.
In this book, we interviewed 50 people in their 20s and 30s from 34 countries around the world, sharing various stories about their lives.

* Interviewee: MARIA, MIE, KIT, JULIA P, NEERAJ, ICING, JOCELYN, STEFF, JULIA K, GAELLE, SOFYA, TIA, OUMAYMA, MARINE, HANAFI, TOMIN, MAC, SAMANTHA, MICHA, UNSHEEN, DIRA, BASSEL, DREW, TEFO, AIRI, ERIKA D, JULIA G, EDINA, NAT, BELLA, ROB, ADELA, PATRISSIA, HAJAR, ANDREW, ERIKA R, TROY, MATT, GENARO, YANN, TIM, JONA, ZIREK, CRISTIAN, CHALE, MARIANA, MARIAM, ALDANA, PRAE, HATICE

I don't think I can represent the 'average Colombian woman in her 20s'.
Thanks to my parents, I graduated with a master's degree from a private university and I can speak English.
In this respect, I have no choice but to admit that I belong to the privileged class of society.
But at the same time, I have a great smile and I am interested in beauty.
I can speak English with a Colombian accent and even dance salsa.
In this respect, I think it somewhat matches the image of Colombian women.
Ultimately, I may or may not be able to represent Colombian women.
(Maria/Medellín, Colombia)
--- p.18

In Berlin, the definition of 'normality' seems to have changed.
A hundred years ago, or in our parents' generation, the standard for normalcy was a heterosexual white male, but now that standard itself has become blurred.
In Berlin, many people identify as bisexual or pursue non-monogamous relationships.
A lot of my friends are queer or enjoy cross dressing (men wearing women's clothes or women wearing men's clothes).
In Berlin, anyone can love whoever they want.
I'm so happy to be able to live in a place like this.
(Julia K/Berlin, Germany)
--- p.86

Networking is important in the summer tourism industry.
You need to connect with people in places like restaurants, cafes, and hotels to be able to work.
My brother also worked on a big island.
He worked for two summers to save up money to buy a motorcycle.
Summer in Athens is endless, and people enjoy the sun, succumbing to summer like defeated soldiers on the beaches stretching out along the Aegean Sea.
We live holding on to the end.
(Tia/Athens, Greece)
--- p.108

Actually, I started dancing to K-pop.
K-pop is a mix of many genres, and seeing it made me want to dance.
When I first learned EXO's "Overdose," I watched the video and practiced on my own for a month.
Then I took hip-hop and choreography classes.
I also remember the first time I cried while learning dance in Indonesia and Singapore, when I was so moved by other people's dances.
I cried when I saw you putting emotion into your body.
(Hanafi/Jakarta, Indonesia)
--- p.138

Racism affects me every day.
If class discrimination was more pronounced when I lived in Johannesburg, then returning to Cape Town, racism has become even more evident.
In Cape Town, I am reminded every day that I am black.
When I go into a store, I have to take out my iPhone or MacBook to show that I'm a safe black person.
Even on my way to work, I sometimes get asked by the university security guard how long I've been working here.
If I were white, I wouldn't be asked that question.
The funny thing is, I actually find walking around Cape Town very comfortable.
Thanks to this, I can always walk down the street comfortably without worrying about being robbed even late at night.
To the white people of Cape Town, I am a scary black man.
(Tepo/Cape Town, South Africa)
--- p.219

When I was twenty-eight, I felt like I couldn't handle life as a lawyer in Mexico.
I had no time, no savings, and I never dreamed of owning a home.
I didn't want to continue living like this in my 30s.
My friends got married and had kids in Mexico, but I wanted to live abroad.
My friends who work in the service industry in the US earned more and lived more freely than me.
I wanted to leave Mexico and see the world.
So I went to New Zealand in February 2023.
A new life has begun.
(Erica D/Adelaide, Australia)
--- p.237

When I had less than 6 million won left in my bank account, I bought AMD stocks with 3 million won and bought a plane ticket to the US with the remaining money.
I needed a place to stay in the US, and thanks to all my friends who were willing to help me, I was able to stay on the streets.
Luckily, AMD stock was soaring at the time that I bought a Volkswagen Jetta and started driving for Uber.
After that, I traveled around the United States as an Uber driver, meeting various passengers and hearing their stories.
Sometimes, there were people I connected deeply with even in fleeting encounters, and that was the fun of being an Uber driver.
(RAP/Cleveland, USA)
--- p.283

I think happiness is the feeling I get when I achieve my goals and the feeling I get when I'm with the people I care about.
But I don't want a life full of only happiness.
Life requires challenges and risks, and I want to forge my identity through those adversities.
If God gives me an easy life, I will reject it.
How can one love a life where learning is effortless? I believe an easy life is not a blessing, but a disaster for individuals.
(Hajar/Marrakech, Morocco)
--- p.310

I am just a small tool in the political system, but I believe that my efforts will have a butterfly effect and make more people interested in politics.
I believe that politics can change our lives.
Each country's political system affects the lives of its citizens, and I want to change Thailand.
So I want to continue living in Thailand.
(Team/Bangkok, Thailand)
--- p.370

In Hindu philosophy, dharma means the essential reason for existence, or purpose.
If you want to give something to the world, you must first have the heart to give to others from within.
Ultimately, it means that to achieve anything in life, you must first know yourself.
Based on this Dharma, I divide life into three periods.
The first is the time to grow, the second is the time to cultivate, and the last is the time to give to others.
I am now living in the second period.
So I'm trying to grow myself more and build the elements of my life.
(Jona/Baeksjö, Sweden)

--- p.378