Lesson 10

M: Rachel, a bit of a deep question, but where do you see yourself in 30 to 40

years?

W: Wow, that is a very profound question! I never really thought about it but
I think if I had to think about it quickly, I see myself with my husband and maybe
some grandchildren running around in my large backyard. But that’s the extent
of it. Have you thought about this question?

M: 30 to 40 years… Well, I hope I’m retired. I really hope I’m not still working
at that age, but at this rate I don’t really plan for the future financially. I may still
have to be working into my 70s and 80s.

W: Oh, no. You should just start saving now.

M: Yes, okay. Better late than never, right? How about you, do you plan for
your retirement, in that kind of sense? In the financial sense.

W: I haven’t, actually., bBut right now as I’m preparing for my wedding, I am

thinking a lot about finances. And I’m thinking about putting…, making a joint
account with my future husband. Aand I think from there, we’ll branch out and
think about savings, and retirement funds, pensions and stuff like that.

M: That’s so complicated, right?

W: It is complicated.

M: When you’re young, in your twenties and thirties, that seems like another
lifetime away.

W: It does, but it’s not, to be honest.

M: Not at all, like in another thirty, forty years we’ll be sitting here frail and
old and thinking we should’ve started saving earlier.

W: But it’s ok, because money isn’t everything, either. Now that I think about
it again, when I’m retired I wouldn’t mind living in some remote country and
volunteering and working, living on not a lot of money, a place where it’s not so
expensive to live.

M: Sure, like you said, a nice big backyard, like a big nice house and maybe
where your grandkids and come and play. I think family is the best thing about
retirement. You can spend more time with your wife and your kids, as long as
they come and visit.

W: Right exactly, are you grandparents or your parents like that? Do they
relax a lot and think family first right now?
M: No. My father still works. He’s very old now, but he’s still working, so I
guess that’s my anti-role model. I don’t want to be like him, but you know I hope
that we’re both, at least, living and healthy in thirty to forty years.

W: Health is so important.

M: Definitely.

I guess I will be working even in my 70s and 80s because I want to work until I die.
Because, I want to be productive and energetic even when I’m in my 70s and 80s. I guess
that’s the key of living young for a long time, I guess. And also when I get old, I want to
travel with my then husband because I love traveling and my dream is to travel all
around the world. It would be so nice to, you know, see other people and meet other
cultures (meet other people and see other culture) as well. And yeah, that’ll be so nice.
And, well, to be honest, I didn’t really think about my future as a long term in details
because you know you can’t really predict your life, your future. I think it’s the beauty of
life. So, well, I try to enjoy every single moment.