Have you ever experienced failure? Chances are if you have ever learnt another language, you might say that you have. You might think of the many times you have forgotten a word that seems to be at the tip of your tongue, or when you forgot how to conjugate a particular verb, or when you simply froze and refused to speak in the language that you have been learning for a couple of years. And after a few instances of these failures, you decided to give up on the language that you thought would give you new insights into the world that seemed exotic to begin with.

However, what I would like to share today is that learning a language, as with a lot of other things in life, might be more about the journey and the experiences gained on the journey, than the end result.

In 2003, I decided to take on a project for the company I worked for, to start up a manufacturing facility and related sales company in China. I was 30 years old, ambitious, optimistic, and ready to conquer the Chinese market. Seven and a half years later, the manufacturing operations was shut down, we were looking for a buyer to take over the company, and I was beaten, mildly depressed, and in an escapist mode. I was, what I thought, a failure.

That sense of failure followed me around for a number of years, as I searched for a second career where I could find “success” and “achievements”. I wanted to teach business at polytechnics, leveraging on the years of on-the-ground experience I had in China, but was not given a chance because I did not have the right degree. Headhunters found it hard to place me because I had management experience that was too broad, and industry experience that was too specific. All of these just added to the notion that I was a failure, especially on paper.

But one day, as I recounted my failures to my sister, she reminded me that life is about experiences, including what might seem like failures, and the more important thing is whether you fully appreciate the experiences for what they are, and whether you have learnt anything from them. So what is one aspect of learning that I have garnered over the years? I think it is that I have gained some wisdom, as well as more compassion, not through the smooth-sailing parts of my life, but rather when I started to experience failures. What I keep reminding myself now is that it is not a problem to experience failure, and that it is necessary sometimes to move oneself out of one’s comfort zone even if there is a chance of failure. That is the same learning attitude to hold when learning a language. It is ok to fail, or to make mistakes. Only when one moves out of his comfort zone, and start to speak the language, will he ever experience the joy of communication with otherwise strangers.

When I left China in 2011, I escaped to South America for 3 months. The idea was to clear my mind, look for inspiration, and find some clarity in direction for my second career. When I left the continent, did I have greater clarity on my career? Not really. But what I did have was a renewed appreciation of the diversity the world had to offer, nominal knowledge of Spanish, and some positivity that rubbed off from spending lots of time in nature. What also left an impression were the journeys that were taken: the journey through the amazing salt flats of Uyuni with five worldly and intelligent French college students; the journey as I trekked through the Andes, bonding with other like-minded travellers over hot cocoa in sub-zero temperatures; the journey trudging together with a German lad through muddy hills searching for the lost city in Colombia; and the journey sailing through table top mountains to Angel Falls with the most bubbly Venezuelan family possible.

The most bubbly and boisterous Venezuelan family warming my heart and body (with a carajio – coffee with rum).

Partaking in journeys that will help to expand one’s mind and heart, that is, the Language Domus dream. “Domus” is Latin for “home” or “家(jiā)”, which is the middle character of my Chinese name. In Chinese, “家(jiā)” also means “family”, an important Asian concept instilled since young. However, just as I experienced in South America, this earth is truly a global family after all. Language Domus is my best efforts from within to our big global family, and with Dimsum Mandarin, I am taking my small step, in bite-sized chunk, to share with everyone the diversity that exists within over one billion people. This is a people whose heritage forms an integral part of my cultural and identity, the global Chinese in the 21st century.

Thank you for joining me in this journey of exploration of oneness through experiencing the diversity the world has to offer. As with any journey with twists and turns, I hope we will not be afraid of any roadblocks or failures, and truly embrace the illuminating joy of making mistakes in the process of expanding our oneness.