Although my Saturday night didn't resemble John Travolta's iconic experience in the movie "Saturday Night Fever" from 1977, it was still incredibly enjoyable. Being alone in China could have potentially led to feelings of loneliness, but I discovered a simple solution to combat that. All I needed to do was take a trip to the university canteen, where I could find some company and potentially make new friends. Engaging in a pleasant conversation, playing a game, and having an amazing time were all part of the plan.
You may have noticed that I am a person who finds joy in the simple things. I don't require anything extravagant to appreciate life, nor do I feel the need to spend excessive amounts of money or seek attention. In fact, lavish activities lose their appeal when you're alone. Today, I didn't have anything particularly extraordinary planned. Instead, I spent time with some fellow students, enjoyed a delicious meal, and engaged in a lively card game for pure fun and enjoyment.
If you have been following my posts, it won't come as a surprise that I eat with the students every day and befriend them. That's why I usually eat at the canteen. I also encourage the students to do the same, to not just eat at the canteen, but to also make new friends with other students as well.
However, what most of them fail to understand is that I also face rejections when trying to make friends. There can be various reasons for that, but the main one is my inability to speak Chinese, which leads to many misunderstandings.
Let me give you an example of what happened yesterday. I was standing in front of a food booth, trying to decide whether to eat there or not, when a student greeted me and mentioned that the food there was delicious. They offered to help me get the food if I had any trouble. At that point, I thought we would eating together, so I agreed to get the food from there. After getting my food, I noticed that they weren't getting any themselves, and after I got my food they said goodbye because they were going to eat on another floor. That was not what I expected, so I looked for another student to sit and talk with while eating. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on my side, as I ended up sitting with a student who didn't speak English and avoided engaging in conversation with me. After two attempts, most people would give up and call it a day, but I decided to give anther try.
Since I was still hungry, I got something else to eat and attempted to find another student to sit with. On the third try, I finally found the best student for my situation, those are the students who are majoring in English so they were proficient in English, and most of the time when I sit with kind of student, we had enjoyable conversations and a good time together because there was no language barrier. It also served as English practice for them, so they appreciate the opportunity as well.
After eating with them, I even got something else to eat on the first floor. I suppose I was quite hungry yesterday. Coincidentally, as I was leaving the second floor, I greeted a couple of students and noticed that they were now eating on the first floor. Naturally, I joined them and engaged in conversation. Usually people who say “Hi” to you , or greet you, or even establish eye contact from a distance, are the one you can approach expecting a very good interaction.
The lesson from this experience is that you can't lose many times in a row. If someone rejects you or you don't get what you want on the first try, it means you are one step closer to achieving your goal. If you didn't succeed the second time, now you are two steps closer. Keep trying because success may be just around the corner.
Fortunately, I recorded those incidents yesterday. However, I am only posting the positive interactions on YouTube, so the first 2 rejections was not in the video, but rest assured, I did fail twice before finding good company to eat with yesterday.
I believe life is like that for everybody, and knowing this, I hope you continue to strive for what you want. Success usually follows failure, and those who are afraid to try because of the fear of failure will never succeed. This applies to almost anything in life, not just making friends like I was attempting to do yesterday.
Unlocking Opportunities: English Speech Contest and Its Benefits for Students
The reason I didn't go to the English corner yesterday was because I received an invitation to participate in an English speech contest. Initially, I was unaware of the purpose of the invitation, but it turned out that I was invited to be one of the judges. Coincidentally, I also met some of my friends from the English corner at the event.
Participating in the English speech contest was a delightful experience. Towards the end of the event, I was called upon to deliver a few words. I had recorded my remarks, which you can find on YouTube. During my speech, I emphasized the significance of such activities in providing students with opportunities to practice public speaking and overcome their nervousness. Only through practice can one truly develop these skills.
Moreover, engaging in these activities offers a safe environment where there is little at stake. The risks are minimal, perhaps only a few points, unlike real-life business situations where one's job or clients may be at risk. Students can enhance their abilities without endangering anything and have a great time in the process. Personally, I thoroughly enjoy attending such activities and sincerely hope to receive more invitations in the future.
Those who choose not to participate or attend such activities are unaware of what they are missing out on. It's possible that later in life, they may regret having missed the opportunity to improve themselves in a skill that holds significant importance in both business and job settings.
Today I did something different. I got the idea from observing students on campus who found a way to make extra money by selling items. They would place their items on a bench, and others could choose what they wanted and pay for them. The prices were not high, and they relied on the honesty of the person picking up the product, as there was no one monitoring the transactions.
This is where I got the idea from.
My intention was to have fun and engage with students in a new way. Since my new book had just been published on Amazon, I decided to share the PDF version with them and create a small game. However, if they didn't want to pay the small amount of 1 or 2 Yuan required, I would still give them the book. The main goal was to enjoy the experience and not make money.
While doing this, I recorded a video that was quite enjoyable. Many students passed by without responding to my invitation, probably assuming that I was selling something and they weren't interested in purchasing. However, those who stopped to see what it was all about walked away with a free book.
The book I offered was the first volume of my 10-volume collection titled "The World in Your Hands: A Guide to Every Nation." Inside the book, I included a link to the audiobook version, which is available for free on my website. As you may have noticed, I am promoting my book, but the written version must be purchased, while the audiobook can always be accessed for free at the following link: https://mgameirollc.uteach.io/courses/the-world-in-your-hands-a-guide-to-every-nation
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