My birthday

A Birthday in China: A Story of Miracles and Unforgettable Moments

Today is my birthday, and for the first time since I arrived in China in 2018, nobody here discovered or remembered it. To be honest, I’m not the type to announce my birthday in advance. I don't go out of my way to hide it either, so if someone asks, I’ll tell them. But here's the amazing part: for six out of the seven years I've been in China, someone always remembered—by some miracle. Every year, like clockwork, someone would surprise me, and I’ve even got some pictures from those memorable birthdays celebrations to prove it! (below)

Of course, my family and kids in Brazil and the USA always remember, but here in China, where I’ve been on my own, I expected the default: no one would know, and therefore no one would remember. Yet, year after year, something special happened. Today, though, after seven years, the miracle streak broke, and for the first time, no one remembered. But here's the thing—I’m actually happy about it! I mean, it took seven whole years for this to happen, and that in itself is kind of miraculous, don’t you think? Instead of feeling down about it, I’m choosing to embrace the bright side.

Something good also happened today: I received an unexpected gift—from the Chinese government, no less! I spent most of the day at the tax bureau working on my tax refund. I haven’t received the money yet, but it's coming, and that was a nice surprise! After that, I attended a welcome party for the new freshman students, and it was a great way to wrap up the day, filled with lively presentations and meeting new people. As always, I made a few more friends around the city, at the bank, in the subway—it’s just how the day went.

So even though no one remembered my birthday today, it turned out to be a pretty amazing day after all. A day full of unexpected gifts, new connections, and reminders that life, even on your "forgotten" birthday, can still surprise you in the best possible ways.

YouTube / YouKu

Article by Marcelo Gameiro

Published 25 Sep 2024

 

But you didn’t

Let’s dive into a question I often hear when chatting with girls: "Why don’t they want to get married?" A lot of them share that marriage feels unsafe—mainly because they can't always tell if a guy is truly a good man. There’s the fear of being mistreated, taken advantage of, or ending up with someone who isn’t what he seemed. And that fear has driven some to raise the bar significantly when it comes to marriage requirements.

It’s like now, it’s not just about love; it’s about assets! The guy’s gotta have a car (or two),a house, and a solid income. Oh, and let’s not forget the expensive dowries, often with the woman’s name on the title. If things go south and there’s a divorce, she might keep the gifts, the money, and more. That leaves the average guy wondering if he can even meet someone willing to marry him.

But let’s get back to the core of the issue: How can a girl know if the guy she’s dating is a good man?

The answer is surprisingly simple—and it’s probably staring us all in the face. Now, of course, no method is 100% foolproof, but what I’m about to share can really lower the risk of ending up with the wrong person.

Here’s the thing: People don’t date with purpose anymore. It’s all about having fun, but many skip the deep conversations—those really important talks about values, life goals, or even how many kids they want. Believe it or not, these are things that can (and should) come up before you even start dating.

Personally, I often get a sense of whether I’d want to date someone during our first conversation, just from the little things she says in casual small talk.

Now, I get the counter-argument: people can lie or fake their behavior, especially at the beginning of a relationship. It’s true. I’ve seen couples rush into marriage after just a few months, only to face big problems later. But here’s the flip side: it’s really hard to fake who you are for a long time. So, a key takeaway here is to date for at least a year before even thinking about marriage. Pay attention to how your partner behaves, because over time, their true nature will come out.

I always tell my friends: if your boyfriend is lying to you while you’re dating, it’s likely to get worse after marriage. On the flip side, if you’ve been together for a year, you’ll have a solid sense of who they really are. By the time you’re considering marriage, you won’t be in the dark—you’ll have a much clearer picture of whether this person is truly good for you.

So, if you take anything from this, it’s that these conversations and timelines can drastically improve your chances of finding a happy, lasting marriage. But hey, remember—nothing’s ever 100% guaranteed.

To wrap this up, I want to share a poem that’s stuck with me. It’s from a textbook I’m using this semester, and it’s what inspired me to finally answer this question that I’ve been asked so many times:

But You Didn’t

Remember the day I borrowed your brand new car and dented it?
I thought you’d kill me.
But you didn’t.

And remember the time I dragged you to the beach
And you said it would rain, and it did?
I thought you’d say, “I told you so.”
But you didn’t.

Do you remember the time I flirted with all the guys to make you jealous, and you were?
I thought you’d leave.
But you didn’t.

Do you remember the time I spilled strawberry pie all over your car rug?
I thought you’d hit me.
But you didn’t.

And remember the time I forgot to tell you the dance was formal, and you showed up in jeans?
I thought you’d drop me.
But you didn’t.

Yes, there were lots of things you didn’t do.
But you put up with me, loved me, and protected me.
There were so many things I wanted to make up to you when you returned from Vietnam.
But you didn’t.

Poetry has a way of making us reflect, doesn’t it? Take your time in love, pay attention, and trust your instincts—because finding someone who truly cares isn’t just about checking boxes.

This picture above I was my first year in China, on my second place (Zhuzhou) and I did put this locker on the feet of the statue of Emperor Shennong - but I did not found anyone yet until today. I am wondering if the lock still there. 

Article by Marcelo Gameiro

Published 17 Sep 2024

 

Should men pay for dates?

So, I used to run these fun dating workshops where I'd toss out some spicy questions to get everyone talking and break the ice. One of my favorites? "Should men always pay for dates?" Oh boy, the answers are all over the place! But recently, I stumbled upon something that I never really considered before.

You see, ever since I arrived in China in 2018, I’ve been hyping up my students to step out of their shells, make more friends, and hey, maybe even try dating. A lot of them were pretty shy and would come to me asking for help. I’d playfully guide them with this super fun game (which, by the way, you can find in another post).

Now, here’s where my epiphany comes in. I always tell my students, "University is literally prime time to date! Everyone’s young, single, and at the same level—pursuing their degrees." It’s basically a dating playground! But then I realized something even better: You don’t even need to worry about paying for dates! I kid you not—every time I’ve gone to the canteen and asked a girl to join me for a meal (sometimes a boy),they’re already eating! So technically, I’ve done this over a thousand times and haven’t paid for a single meal (for the other person). Jackpot!

The moral? Make the most of your university years—it’s the easiest, most low-stakes time to meet new people and maybe even avoid footing their bill!

Update

There was a time when I would walk into the canteen at Hunan University of Engineering, unnoticed by anyone, and with no familiar faces around. I was new here and didn’t know a single person. But now, after being here for three years and making an effort every day to connect with new people, my experience is completely different—especially when the canteen is packed with students. I run into old friends, classmates from previous years, and I can easily join them for a meal, catching up on life since we last met. Today, I ate on both the first and second floors, and it gave me the chance to reconnect with so many familiar faces. That's what this post is about: the ease of meeting people, making friends, going on dates, expanding your network, or even just striking up conversations with strangers in a university environment. It's such an incredible opportunity, and I can't quite understand (because it is so easy to do) why more students aren’t taking full advantage of it - Making new friends everyday. 

Below are some pictures of me Today eating with old friends and making new ones too:

 

Article by Marcelo Gameiro

Published 07 Sep 2024

 

Assignment 2024 second semester.

My Foreign English teacher ask me to write a blogpost (on any social media: wechat, weibo, bili bili, etc) about my experience with the (book test) previous assignment: 

https://mgameirollc.uteach.io/quizzes/176

So, my experience is as follows: 

you start your post the same way as writen above - the above part is the same for everybody

the next part (below) is different from everybody, below you start writing your own experience

 

Ideas of what could you write about: 

● 1- what did I learn about when reading this book 

● 2- the test was hard or easy 

● 3- what was the best way to improve English in my opinion 

● 4- why learning English is so important 

● 5- what steps I will take to improve my English 

Obs: this assignment is to be delivered as a link to your post. You can look this example of a similar assignment last year: 

https://www.bilibili.com/opus/910419361793048593?spm_id_from=333.999.0.0

or 

https://weibo.com/7390643436/5012855440543611?sourceType=weixin&from=10E3095010&wm=9847_0002&featurecode=newtitle&s_channel=4&s_trans=7390643436_5012855440543611

 

The other assignment is the book test below:

Article by Marcelo Gameiro

Published 02 Sep 2024