ChinaTalk heeft dit gerepost
This morning, I received an email from my student Erryn, from OSG Piter Jelles It simply said, “2025见!你是一个非常好老师😊” (means “See you in 2025. You are a wonderful teacher!”). That message truly made my day, and it made me reflect on all my students and the joy they’ve brought into my life throughout 2024. I feel so grateful for the opportunity to work with students from all walks of life—each with their own unique motivations for learning Chinese. Stijn Kamphuis recently shared how comfortable he feels using Chinese in China, connecting with business contacts, and how his language skills have truly supported his career. With Amy van Boxel and Salvador de Vaan, we’ve been reading their daughter’s favorite book "Raad eens hoeveel ik van je hou" in the Chinese version, and even recreating their family’s traditional Christmas dishes into a Chinese menu. With Erryn, he’s been working on writing the Sinterklaas story in Chinese. With Linda Stoffers, we’ve been practicing the most useful phrases she’ll need for her business trips to China, while exploring the cultural differences and nuances in international business. Jonny Gausel has been preparing his speech for the China International Import Expo, and I’m thrilled that he was even interviewed by CCTV (China Central Television). Suzanne van Willige and I have had deep discussions about AI, GDPR, and the challenges of navigating cultural differences. With Myrthe Pardoen, we’re preparing for her AIPPI Intellectual Property conference in Hangzhou! With Robert, more life philosophy! And with my younger students, we’ve been bringing stories to life through character paintings. Looking back on 2024, there were some challenging moments, but there were also so many more moments of growth, learning, and self-reflection. After living in the Netherlands for 11 years and participating in various coach trainings, I feel more connected to myself—understanding my strengths and where my heart lies. In addition to teaching Chinese, I began teaching Dutch to Chinese living in the Netherlands. I wanted to offer them the support I wish I could had when moving to the Netherlands. The heartfelt feedback I’ve received from my students has been incredibly moving and energizing. It’s reminded me why I do this work. Meanwhile, the other half of ChinaTalk, Ed Sander (艾德), has been working incredibly hard to provide nuanced insights into China’s e-commerce landscape: keynote presentations, reports for Tech Buzz China, and interviews to TV stations, radio programs, and magazines. Ed has also led study tours for professionals to China. In collaboration with K5 - Future Retail, for a group of German CEOs, the ChinaTechTrip tour earned an outstanding average rating of 9.5 out of 10! We deeply appreciate the trust and collaboration we’ve built with all our partners and students, and we’re excited to continue our work together in 2025 and beyond! Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2025!