My name is Randy. I teach English as a Foreign Language in Beijing, China. In my free time, I learn languages, write stuff here on this blog, tinker with code, enjoy music, or read things like philosophy. I speak Mandarin Chinese to a high level. I’m interested in reading Brodsky’s reading list, which I’ve started working on, albeit slowly.

How this blog is structured

This blog is split into three sections: The Café, where I write my thoughts on general topics related to daily life; The Library, where I write about things I’m learning or reading about; and The Office, where I write about things related to work, which includes teaching topics but also some business-oriented things.

A note about AI

Like just about everyone, I use AI for all sorts of things. I do also use it as a writing tool—for example, as part of the revision and proofreading process—but everything I write on comes from my brain via my fingers, clicking away on my laptop keyboard. In other words, I may use AI for help in the revision process, but I always do the actual thinking and writing myself. That means if there’s a really dumb or cheesy metaphor, yes, it’s mine. Sorry!