To be honest, English was just a subject to me.
I studied it to pass exams.
I memorized what I needed.
I answered what would get me a grade.
That was it.
I wasn’t thinking about guiding international tourists.
I wasn’t imagining conversations with travelers from the US, the UK, Australia, the Philippines… or anywhere else.
I just wanted to pass.
But life prepares you in ways you don’t understand at the time.
Years later, something changed.
I met someone from South Africa who helped me go beyond textbook English.
Not just grammar. Not just vocabulary.
Real conversations.
Real expressions.
Real confidence.
That was when English stopped being a subject…
and started becoming a tool.
Fast forward to today.
Now I use English every single day — not in a classroom, not on an exam paper — but on the streets of Chongqing.
I use it while explaining why our city feels like a “vertical maze.”
I use it while guiding guests through hidden alleys, mountain staircases, and night views that don’t look real.
I use it while sharing stories about our food, culture, and daily life here.
The same language I once studied just to get through school…
…is now the bridge that connects me to the world.
And the best part?
I’m not using it for grades anymore.
I’m using it while doing something I truly enjoy — guiding, sharing, connecting.
Sometimes the things we think are “just for school”
become the very tools that shape our future.
I didn’t see it back then.
But today, I’m grateful for every lesson — and for the people who helped me grow.
— Jay