Invitation to Participate in "The Key to Learn English" Contest
If you are my student or a student at Henan University of Engineering (HUE),you are welcome to join the contest I’m about to announce. Since publishing my book, The Key to Learn English, I’ve been providing it to all HUE students for free.
Due to recent changes in my agreement with the company hosting my teaching website, I have made significant updates, including a new test for The Key to Learn English.
If you don’t already have the book, feel free to message me on WeChat, and I’ll send you a free PDF copy.
I’m inviting all students to take the test again. The top three participants who score 100% will win a prize for first, second, and third place. Prizes will be awarded at the university, and we’ll take a picture together to celebrate!
Good luck, and I hope to see your participation!
The pictures with the winners will be updated here.
2024 Nov 22 - 21:12 pm: We just got our 3 winners. I will be updating the blogpost with their pictures when I deliver the prize to them tomorrow.
Many students often ask me, “Do you like Chinese food?” The answer is a big, enthusiastic YES! In fact, I’ve been enjoying it daily for the past 7 years.
Most of the time, I eat at the campus canteen—not just because the food is amazing, but also because it gives me the chance to share meals with students.
It’s a great way to meet someone new every day! The only exception is Sunday, when I cook and eat at home.
The photos in this post capture my favorite dining spots and meals. You’ll spot some non-Chinese treats like burgers, pizza, and ice cream, but the rest are classic Chinese dishes I enjoy almost daily.
One of my absolute favorites is huΗguΕ (hot pot). However, you probably won’t catch me eating it at the canteen—it’s a dish I save for special outings with good company outside the university.
What’s your favorite Chinese dish? Let me know—I’d love to try it!
Halloween is just around the corner, and I’m sure you’re all excited to dress up, enjoy some spooky fun, and maybe even indulge in a little candy. But, before you dive headfirst into the Halloween spirit, I need to remind you of one important thing—your assignment due on October 31st!
Now, whether this will be a "Happy Halloween" or a "Not-So-Happy Halloween" is entirely up to you. That’s right, the outcome of this fun-filled holiday will depend on how well you manage your time between now and the deadline.
Imagine this:
Finish your assignment ahead of time—you get to enjoy Halloween stress-free, candy in hand, and a costume that truly shines.
Procrastinate—and well, the spookiest thing on Halloween night won’t be the ghosts or ghouls but the ticking clock, reminding you that your assignment still isn’t done. ππ»
I know that deadlines can sometimes feel like the villains in the story of our academic lives. But here’s the thing: our lives are what we make them out to be. Just like in Halloween, where you choose your costume and become whoever you want for a day, in life, we are constantly choosing how we respond to challenges. Every day, you decide whether to work toward your goals or let them slip away.
This assignment is one of those choices. It’s not just about meeting a deadline—it’s about shaping your future and taking responsibility for your success. If you tackle it now, you’ll be free to enjoy your Halloween to the fullest. If you wait until the last minute, well… let’s just say that the Halloween spirit might feel a little less festive with an unfinished assignment hanging over your head.
So, here’s my challenge to you: Take control of your time, get the assignment done early, and make this a Halloween to remember for all the right reasons. I’m not extending the deadline, but that’s because I know you’re capable of rising to the occasion and making the most of the time you have left.
Let this be a reminder that life—like Halloween—can be sweet or spooky, depending on the choices you make. I believe in each and every one of you. You’ve got what it takes to ace this assignment and have a fantastic Halloween. It’s all in your hands!
ππ» Happy Halloween! ππ»
Whether it’s happy or not, well… that’s entirely up to you. π
Update (sunday Oct 27 2024): I will share the following picture with my students on our wechat class group on wednesday midnigh (Oct 30 2024):
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.
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.
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:
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:
