Inspired by the never-give-up spirit of football and its countless twists and turns, Robert has been a devoted Manchester City supporter for years and has always admired legendary players like Lionel Messi. In this episode, we talked about the final between Spain and Argentina, where Spain dominated much of the game. As a friend, it always brings me joy to see someone so genuinely passionate about a sport they love. From there, our conversation moved on to the different ways we de-stress from our busy schedules before naturally leading us into some deeper questions about happiness and our relationship with material possessions. As always, my heartfelt thanks go to my dear friend Robert for his generosity and for sharing his thoughts so openly. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Robert 是曼城的忠实球迷，也喜欢梅西这样充满传奇色彩的球员。对他来说，足球最迷人的地方，不只是输赢，还有比赛里永远充满悬念的起伏、逆转，以及那种不到最后一刻绝不放弃的精神。 这一期，我们从西班牙与阿根廷的决赛聊起。虽然西班牙在大部分时间里占据优势，但足球真正吸引人的，往往不是比分，而是比赛过程中那些让人心跳加速、充满未知的瞬间。看到身边的朋友因为一项热爱而投入其中，我也会由衷地感到开心。 后来，我们的话题慢慢从足球延伸到了生活。忙碌的时候，我们如何让自己放松下来？什么才是真正的快乐？物质究竟能给人带来多少幸福感？这些问题没有标准答案，但每个人都会有属于自己的思考。 也谢谢 Robert 一如既往真诚地分享他的时间、经历和想法。希望你也会喜欢这一期的聊天。

Although I asked Pickles to describe herself in three words, I quickly realized she couldn't be put into just one category. An academic, someone who is always asking questions, a girl chasing her dreams while missing her culture... she is all of those, yet so much more. What truly defines her is her curiosity and her love for the world, and she's constantly discovering new parts of herself through both. We talked about the people and ideas that inspire us, what led her to study Bioengineering, and the wonders of the human body. She told me she never wants to become a boring adult with nothing to talk about except work. I have every confidence that she'll build a life full of wonder, curiosity, and fulfillment. She also wanted every girl out there to know this: You can do anything if you put your mind to it. And so can you. Love you lots and lots. Enjoy the show :) 第一次见到 Pickles，你会觉得她身上有很多标签。她是学霸，是生物工程专业的学生，是一个总爱追问“为什么”的人，也是一个离开家乡、努力在更大的世界里寻找自己的女孩。 可聊完之后，我反而觉得，任何一个标签都不足以定义她。她对世界有一种很纯粹的好奇心，总想去理解更多，也愿意不断挑战自己。或许正因为这样，她才能在探索世界的同时，也慢慢认识真正的自己。 这一期，我们聊到了那些塑造我们的经历，聊到了她为什么会选择生物工程，也聊到了人体那些精妙到不可思议的奥秘。最让我喜欢的一句话，是她说自己不想成为一个除了工作就无话可说的大人。保持好奇，保持热爱，让人生一直有新的故事，我想这也是她一直在努力的方向。 节目最后，她想把一句话送给所有女孩：只要愿意相信自己，并且认真去努力，你可以做到任何你想做的事情。 希望这一期节目，也能给你一点勇气，去拥抱更大的世界，也去成为那个你真正想成为的人。

Tim曾在美国学习和工作多年，长期生活在中美两种文化之间，也因此拥有很多有趣的观察和思考。 我们从彼此相识聊起。作为英语聊天室里的老朋友，我们因为一次次聊天和共同经历慢慢建立起了友谊。也聊到网络时代的人际关系，为什么不要把很多事情看得太个人，为什么真正能够维系一段友谊的，从来不是聊天的频率，而是共同经历、相似的价值观，以及彼此的真诚。 后来，话题很自然地转到了AI。Tim分享了科技行业正在发生的变化，AI如何提升了工作效率，也带来了新的不确定性。作为父母，我们也讨论了一个越来越无法回避的问题：当AI越来越聪明，我们究竟应该培养孩子什么样的能力？什么才是未来真正不会被取代的东西？ 科技正在快速改变我们的生活，但人与人之间真实的连接始终珍贵。无论时代如何变化，真诚的友谊、有意义的对话，以及用智慧和同理心陪伴下一代成长，或许才是最值得我们坚持的事情。 Tim has lived, studied, and worked in the United States for many years, giving him a perspective shaped by both Chinese and American cultures. We first talked about something surprisingly meaningful: how an English chatroom brought us together. Through shared experiences and similar values, a simple online conversation gradually grew into a genuine friendship. We also agreed that one of the healthiest mindsets for communicating online is to not take things too personally. After all, lasting friendships are built on shared experiences, mutual respect, and common values. From there, our conversation naturally shifted to AI and the future. Working in the tech industry, Tim shared how AI is already transforming the way people work by improving efficiency while also creating uncertainty about what comes next. We also reflected on a question many parents are asking today: in a world where AI can do more and more, what should we really be teaching our children? As technology continues to reshape our lives, perhaps the things that matter most haven't changed at all: genuine friendship, meaningful conversations, and raising the next generation with wisdom and empathy.

在这一期节目中，我和 Chris 聊了很多话题，包括他对于“家”和“心理安全感（security blankets）”的思考，对“失去”与“得到”的理解，以及他创立 California English，并将自己原创的 Affective Filter Learning 学习方法付诸实践的新旅程。 我们也聊到了，在充满未知与挑战的人生旅途中，为什么真诚与善良始终是我们最珍贵的品质。希望这期对话能带给你一些启发。如果你也正站在人生的十字路口，希望你做出的选择，不是出于恐惧，而是出于爱与勇气。 In this episode, I asked Chris many questions about his thoughts and feelings on "home" and "security blanket," loss vs. gain, and his new adventure of starting California English with his self-created learning method, Affective Filter Learning. We also talked about how sincerity and kindness are always the keys in our exciting yet challenging life journeys. We hope to empower you. If you are also facing a crossroads, please choose not from a place of fear, but from a place of love and courage.

除了是一名高中英语教师之外，Dave还是一位奇幻小说译者。他在作品中感受字里行间的每一处推敲，既是最忠实的读者，也是看不见的创作者，用一个个精准而生动的汉字传递文学作品的魅力。 他的专业与热爱，让我感动，也让我感到骄傲。 对于英语学习，他也有自己的见解：真正形成“英语思维”，需要完整的阅读与深入的思考。以下是他为大家推荐的书单： 1. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin; 2. Death of a Red Herione by Qiu Xiaolong (裘小龙)；3. The Chilli Bean Paste Clan by Yan Ge(颜歌) translated by Nicky Harman (original <我们家>). 李翊云. She writes in English and has just won the Pulitzer award this year for non-fiction.

Dave is an English teacher. Different from many of the high school teachers I remember from my own school years, he is warm, intelligent, funny, and talented. He told us about the teachers who helped shape the person he is today, as well as the wonderful students he teaches and guides in his classroom. His love for English is so apparent and contagious. His passion for English is unmistakable and infectious, and I couldn’t be prouder of him or happier for his students.

Bullies come in many shapes and forms. To Max, they are the voices of kids calling him names, the numbers on the scale, the darkness that comes to visit from time to time. They can also be ourselves, when we have lost faith and hope, when we look at ourselves through others' lenses, and when we stop loving ourselves. In this episode, Max walks us through his journey of being a fat kid, battling with obesity and depression, and eventually learning to love himself. I am so proud of what he has accomplished, and I cannot wait to see him shine, like the star he is! Please find Max on 抖音 and 小红书@Max英语

I am speaking to you, a fellow deep-talk lover and someone who receives and gives energy. I am also speaking to myself. Thank you for being here and for helping create this beautiful healing space with me.

Hey friends welcome to another episode with my husband Steve. This walking chat ( a conversation recorded during our evening walk) started with our thoughts and feelings post our family trip to Puerto Rico, and extended to various directions including neighborhood drama, parenting and future plans 😂 also ADHD. Steve is very excited that one of our listeners wanted to hear more from him. Let’s show him so love, shall we? Have a beautiful day or night friends, and I’ll see you soon!

Anthony出生于我的邻居城市苏州，但他的人生版图早已延伸到了英国。在那里，他和家人生活了11年，也曾作为一名持证教师教授经济学。经历了一些人生转变并回到中国后，他开始以全新的视角重新理解自己，关于人与人之间的“连接”，关于如何以不同的心态去玩人生这场“游戏”，以及如何与中国年轻一代一起探索更多新的可能性。 我们有很多相似的价值观和人生经历，所以这次聊天格外轻松、有趣，也非常投入，虽然我可能说得稍微有点多。无论如何，希望你会喜欢这期播客，听两位依然头发健在的中年人，一起聊聊人生 😊 FIND ANTHONY @岸冬泥的英语角 Born and raised in my neighboring city of Suzhou, Anthony later expanded his life “map” to the UK, where he lived with his family for 11 years and also worked as a certified Economics teacher. After going through some major life changes and moving back to China, he gained a deeper understanding of himself, developing a new perspective on “bonding” with others, approaching the “game” of life with a different mindset, and exploring new possibilities with the younger generation in China. We share many similar values and life experiences, which made this conversation especially fun and engaging, even though I may have talked a little too much. Still, I hope you enjoy this podcast featuring two middle aged people who somehow still have all of their hair 😊

In the second half of our conversation, things became much lighter and warmer. Amber shared a touching little story about her child bringing shrimp home from school just for her — such a simple moment, yet full of unconditional love. She told me how becoming a mother has slowly helped her heal parts of herself she didn’t even realize were still hurting. We also talked about the many wonderful people she has met through her livestream community, and how meaningful genuine human connection can be in today’s world. More than anything, I hope Amber realizes that she herself is already one of those beautiful people — brave, sincere, and deserving of all the love and kindness life has to offer. Amber抖音：@咕噜咕噜 这一期的后半段轻松了很多，也让我觉得特别温暖。 Amber 和我分享了一件很可爱的小事：她的孩子从学校给她带回了一些虾。就是这样一个简单的小举动，却让她深深感受到孩子那种毫无保留的爱。她也聊到，成为母亲之后，她其实是在一边养育孩子，一边重新疗愈自己。 我们还聊到了她在英语直播间里遇到的许多优秀又真诚的朋友，以及人与人之间那些真实连接所带来的力量。 而我也特别希望 Amber 能意识到，其实她自己就是那个勇敢、温暖又美好的人。她值得被爱，也值得生命里所有好的东西。

I felt deeply touched by my friend Amber’s story, especially as someone who also grew up being raised by grandparents. There was something very familiar in the emotions she described — the quiet loneliness, the longing to be seen, and the complicated love that exists within many traditional families. What moved me even more was her resilience and honesty. Despite growing up with the absence of parental attention in certain ways, she has remained incredibly warm, thoughtful, and genuine. Listening to her speak, I kept feeling how much strength can exist inside someone who has gone through difficult experiences without losing their softness. In this episode, we talked about childhood, healing, motherhood, and the long journey of understanding ourselves and our parents. I’m truly proud of the person she has become, and I can’t wait for you to hear her story. Find Amber @咕噜咕噜 on 抖音 这一期的聊天让我很触动。作为一个同样由祖辈带大的孩子，我在 Amber 的故事里听到了很多熟悉的情绪——那种成长中的孤独感、渴望被看见的心情，以及传统家庭里复杂而真实的爱。 但更打动我的，是她身上的坚韧与坦诚。即使成长过程中缺少了一部分来自父母的关注与理解，她依然保有一种非常温暖、真诚又有力量的状态。她没有因为经历过的事情变得冷漠，反而更加能够理解别人，也更认真地面对生活。 这一期，我们聊到了童年、疗愈、成为母亲之后的变化，以及如何重新理解自己与父母之间的关系。 我真的很为她感到骄傲，也很期待你能听见她的故事。

In the later part of our conversation, Sherely and I reflected on our roles as daughters and mothers. Through raising children and building committed relationships with our spouses, we’ve both come to understand ourselves more clearly as individuals. Growth is hard, and motherhood can be deeply challenging, but the rewards are also uniquely meaningful and beautiful. 在谈话的后半部分，Sherely 和我一起聊到了作为女儿与母亲的角色。通过养育孩子，以及与伴侣建立长期而坚定的关系，我们都更加清晰地认识了“自己”这个人。成长并不容易，母亲这个身份也充满挑战，但它所带来的满足、意义与幸福，同样是独特而珍贵的。 Sherely抖音账号：🌰栗子说英语Sherely

Sherely is a daughter, granddaughter, wife, mother, and English content creator. Beyond all these roles, she is also a fun-loving, empathetic, and resilient woman who grew up in the mountains. In the first half of our conversation, she shared stories from her childhood and reflected on how becoming a mother has helped her understand herself more deeply through the mirror of motherhood. Sherely是一位女儿、孙女、妻子、母亲，也是一名英文内容创作者。 在这些身份之外，她还是一个在山里长大、热爱生活、富有共情力且坚韧的人。 在访谈的上半部分，她与我们分享了自己的童年故事，也谈到了成为母亲之后，她如何通过“母职”这面镜子，更深地理解自己。Find her on 抖音@🌰栗子说英语Sherely

In this episode, I sat down with my friend Patrick — a trilingual interpreter who has worked at the highest level, including live interpretation for global events. We talked about what it feels like to move between languages, how culture shapes the way we see the world, and what it means to share your voice on social media today. More than anything, this conversation kept returning to one simple idea: how to stay true to yourself while navigating work, life, and opportunity. Patrick shared reflections that stayed with me — about following intuition, enjoying both work and life, and the belief that the purpose of life is to leave this world with a cleaner, more refined soul. It was an easy and joyful conversation, and I hope it brings you something meaningful too. 这一期，我和朋友 Patrick 聊了一次很轻松但也很有深度的对话。 他是一位多语种的同声传译，长期在国际舞台上工作。我们聊到了语言之间切换的感受，中国与拉丁文化的差异，以及在社交媒体表达自己的体验。 但这期让我印象更深的，是我们反复谈到的一个点——在不断变化的环境中，如何保持内心的真实。 他分享了很多让我很有共鸣的想法，比如顺从直觉去选择生活，享受工作本身，以及那句我很喜欢的话：人生的意义，是让自己的灵魂在离开时，比来时更纯净一些。