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[00:00.39] Todd: So, Jen, the holiday season is coming up, and many cultures give gifts around the New Year's for different holidays.

[00:08.14] First of all, do you like to give people gifts?

[00:11.64] Jen: What kind of a person would I be if I said, "No, I don't like people giving people gifts?" But yeah, I'm not really good at choosing gifts for people though.

[00:24.64] Todd: Why do you think that?

[00:27.39] Jen: Because every time I go and buy something for someone, I want to buy something that I like, and I would think that it would look good on them or something.

[00:37.14] But then my friends end up being like, you know? They don't really like the gift so much because it doesn't suit them, or something?

[00:45.89] Todd: Yeah.

[00:46.39] Jen: For example, I bought this pair of earrings for this friend, and then I realized that she doesn't really like jewelry and stuff, so she never wore it.

[00:58.39] Todd: Right, yeah. It's kind of hard to know what they want. Actually, for that reason, I don't like giving gifts at all.

[01:05.89] I think it's because of my background, like studying economics. It's just, to me, it's inefficient. You're buying something, you don't know if they really want it, and they say, "Oh.

[01:14.89] It's the thought that counts." But the time that you waste finding the gift and then you give them the gift, and maybe they don't use it.

[01:23.14] So I'm not a big fan of gift-giving. Even for birthdays.

[01:26.39] Jen: I actually agree with you.

[01:27.64] And for me, if it was my birthday, I would rather have someone make a card for me.

[01:34.14] It would have more value than someone buying gifts for me anyway, you know?

[01:39.14] Todd: Yeah. I think, like in Asia, it's more common, which I like. And that's kind of the gift you give to somebody when you travel. So if I travel somewhere, I'll pick something up for my mom, from a country I went to.

[01:52.89] Or somebody ... Let's say they went to Korea or China during their break, they might bring back some special food to the office, and everybody can have a cracker or a cookie, or something like that. I like that.

[02:04.64] Jen: I'm from Nepal, and here too. In my country too, they would rather give us like, fruits and like a different kind of ... Other sweets and stuff rather than clothes and jewelry, you know?

[02:22.64] Todd: So true. Yeah, actually another thing I like to do is sometimes buy a really nice gift, and then for one year, and then maybe for the next year or two, don't buy the person a gift.

[02:34.14] For example, like maybe one year, I bought my landlady, who I'm very close to, I bought her an iPad. I'm like, "She's kind of older, and she never had an iPad."

[02:45.14] So I bought her an iPad, but then the next year, I didn't buy her something really expensive.

[02:50.14] I bought her like a box of chocolates or something, you know.

[02:51.64] Jen: In that case, I think it would create a problem, because once you give someone a really special thing, then the next year, they will expect something more, you know?

[03:01.64] Todd: Yeah.

[03:02.39] Jen: So like, it'll be really disappointing if they get something that's not very valuable than it was the year before.

[03:10.14] Todd: Yeah, it's kind of hard to climb back from that, isn't it?

[03:12.89] Jen: Yeah. Off an iPad? It would be bad.

[03:16.89] Todd: Though, she's a really nice woman. She definitely ... I don't think she thinks that way at all.

[03:22.14] She's actually better at giving me gifts. She's always giving me gifts.

[03:25.89] So, have you gotten any gifts recently for anybody? Are you already planning to get your gifts for the end of the year?

[03:35.14] Jen: I actually just presented a pair of shoes for my friend, because it was her birthday.

[03:41.39] The thing is, we don't really celebrate New Year at this time of year. It's kind of different for us, because we celebrate the Lunar ...

[03:50.39] Todd: Ah right, which is in April, right?

[03:52.14] Jen: Yes.

[03:52.64] Todd: Okay, cool.

[03:53.64] Jen: So haven't really thought about like Christmas gifts or anything.

[03:56.39] Todd: So in your country, in Nepal, like when do people give gifts? On what occasions?

[04:01.39] Jen: During our New Year. We have a lot of festivals, so more than gifts, we just invite people and ... you know? Gather around and eat good food, that's it.

[04:16.64] Todd: Yeah, that's the best.

[04:17.64] Jen: Yeah, I believe so too.