A new look (and a new project I’m working on)
I’ve lived in black and white for a long time, but my favorite wall is actually retro green. It made me realise: textbooks are black and white, but real-life conversation has color.
你好，朋友, 最近怎么样？I have something to share with you.
To be honest, I’m a “black and white” person. My closet is entirely monochrome, but if you saw the room I work in every day, you’d see a retro green wall, and this year, I would like to add a splash of green in my work too. Adding that splash of green is my way of adding a bit of “life” to the new year, and to the new chapter.
Life Isn’t Black and White—Language Isn’t Either
Because life need color, and our language too. If I had to name one thing that transforms "textbook" Chinese into real communication, it is this: Speak words that Connect, not just Correct, this perspective is built on years of navigating the language barrier from both sides—as a student and a coach.
I Quit My Job and Moved to Belgium
My journey with language hasn't just been professional—it’s been personal. After five years of university linguistics and years of HSK coaching, I moved to Belgium: I got my Iron Bowl 铁饭碗, story about why I quit my work in the EP here.
I eventually stepped away from HSK coaching because of a realization that hit me hard: if I can’t help my students speak naturally, I’ve lost my “why.”
Most professionals I work with already have the certificates, yet they remain stuck in “Exam Mode.” They have successfully “collected” enough words, but those words fail to flow the moment the pressure is on in a high-stakes meeting.
I only truly understood this struggle the moment I moved to Belgium.
I Returned Back to My True Calling.
As I mentioned, I was deeply inspired by Dan Koe to return to my true calling: helping people master spoken Chinese. I decided to leave my job at the European Parliament. and after that I spent two years navigating the process of becoming self-employed here in Belgium. Finally, I launched Classy Mandarin the Mandarin Flow System.
Speak to build connection, not friction.
Textbooks give you the words, I make your words “flow”.
I truly hope it helps you find your “flow”, not just Mandarin flow, also the natural flow in life, your vibe, your routine, your passion.
Cheers,
Selina Xue
Classy Mandarin
