<p class="ql-block">The other day, out of the blue, a pal cornered me with a question that made my brain do a double - take: "Hey, how on earth do you learn foreign languages?" I felt like a deer in the headlights, because the truth is, I'm not grinding away for grades or chasing some career - boosting certification. Nah, I'm just in it for the ride, soaking up new words and phrases like a sponge on a sunny day, treating language learning as my personal playground rather than a battlefield. And that got me thinking about the stark contrast between my laid - back approach and the reality for so many kids these days. They're stuck in a never - ending rat race, buried under a mountain of textbooks and flashcards, with the weight of exams hanging over their heads like the Sword of Damocles. They don't have the luxury of learning just for the sheer joy of it, like I do.</p><p class="ql-block"> </p><p class="ql-block">It’s a bit like what my next - door neighbor, the retired bigwig who used to be a top - dog bureau chief, is up to now. Now that he’s kicked back into retirement, he’s taken to cracking advanced math problems like they’re his favorite puzzles. He’s not doing it to climb the corporate ladder or impress anyone; it’s his jam, his way of keeping his mind sharp and his spirit alive. As the saying goes, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” and he’s living proof that hobbies can be the spice of life.</p><p class="ql-block"> </p><p class="ql-block">I guess what I’m trying to say is, learning doesn’t have to be all business, no pleasure. Just like my neighbor with his math equations, I’ve found that when you approach learning as a labor of love rather than a chore, that’s when the real magic happens. You start to notice the beauty in the nuances of a new language, the way words dance and flow together, and before you know it, you’re not just learning—you’re falling head over heels for something new. And if I could, I’d tell my friend, and all those stressed - out students out there, to take a page from my book: loosen up, have some fun, and let curiosity be your guide. After all, as Mark Twain once quipped, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.” I’d add that the person who doesn’t enjoy learning has no edge over the one who can’t learn at all. So why not make the journey as enjoyable as the destination?</p>