Study or Work, DIY Teachers, Semester Endings, and TV Shows

Jun 08, 2025 8:16 am

This Week: Study or Work, DIY Teachers, and Semester Endings

Questioning whether it's better to push through a subject you don't like or just go get a job? Could you build your own AI tutor? What’s the best way to say goodbye to a semester? And what are people watching these days in China?

🎵 Listen to the latest podcast episode

Available on Libsyn, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

🎥 This Week’s Videos

🎮 What Would You Do – Study or Work?! - A short video with a big question: keep studying or get to work? 👉 Watch here
🧠 Would You Train Your Own Teacher?! - Could you create an AI teacher just for you—or is it easier to hire one? 👉 Watch here
🎓 How Do You Like to Finish Your Semester? - Quiet reflections, blue skies, and one last look back before summer begins. 👉 Watch here
📺 Chinese TV Shows - Looking at a list of TV shows to watch (downloadable list!)

🎮 What Would You Do – Study or Work?!

This short video (from China, interestingly) suggests: study and land a comfy office job, or slack off and work a manual job. But is that always true? In North America, trade work is getting more respect—and better pay. So what would you tell a young person to do? Keep pushing through school or start working?

👉 Watch the full video

🧠 Would You Train Your Own Teacher?!

We’ve got AI voices, video generators, and bots like ChatGPT—but would you build your own AI teacher? Learning to automate can save you time… but building your own tutor can take time away from learning the language itself. So, what's the best option: train a bot or hire a human?

👉 Watch the full video

🎓 How Do You Like to Finish Your Semester?

Semester’s over. Grades mostly in. And the skies? Clear—because the GaoKao is coming. As students across China prep for this all-important test, cities go quiet and skies go blue. Meanwhile, I’m walking out of Teaching Building #2 for the last time this term. How do you say goodbye to a school year?

👉 Watch the full video

📺 Chinese TV Shows

Lastly, as a newsletter exclusive, I ran a little bit of a poll on XiaoHongShu asking for TV show recommendations, otherwise known as serial dramas. I don't watch much TV but I know others might be interested in such a list. Further, I should probably make a go at watching at least a few of these so I can develop my Chinese reading and listening skills (by way of the subtitles).

List below or download the Google Doc.

1. 三国演义 (Sānguó Yǎnyì) – Romance of the Three Kingdoms

2. 甄嬛传 (Zhēn Huán Zhuàn) – Empresses in the Palace

3. 大奉打更人 (Dà Fèng Dǎ Gēng Rén) – Lord of Mysteries / The Guardian of Da Feng (popular web novel; animation released; live-action in production)

4. 潜伏 (Qiánfú) – Lurk

5. 三生三世十里桃花 (Sān Shēng Sān Shì Shí Lǐ Táohuā) – Eternal Love / Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms

6. 美人心计 (Měirén Xīnjì) – Beauty’s Rival in Palace

7. 大明王朝1566 (Dà Míng Wángcháo 1566) – Ming Dynasty in 1566

8. 漫长的季节 (Màncháng de Jìjié) – The Long Season

9. 沉默的真相 (Chénmò de Zhēnxiàng) – The Long Night

10. 隐秘的角落 (Yǐnmì de Jiǎoluò) – The Bad Kids

11. 折腰 (Zhé Yāo) – The Legend of Zhuohua (currently airing)

12. 藏海传 (Cáng Hǎi Zhuàn) – The Legend of Zanghai (upcoming)

13. 知否知否应是绿肥红瘦 (Zhī Fǒu Zhī Fǒu Yīng Shì Lǜ Féi Hóng Shòu) – The Story of Minglan (often shortened to 知否 - Zhī Fǒu)

14. 父母爱情 (Fùmǔ Àiqíng) – Parents Love

15. 陈情令 (Chén Qíng Lìng) – The Untamed

16. 琅琊榜 (Lángyá Bǎng) – Nirvana in Fire

17. 庆余年 (Qìng Yúnián) – Joy of Life

18. 将夜 (Jiāng Yè) – Ever Night

19. 亮剑 (Liàng Jiàn) – Drawing Sword

20. 我的团长我的团 (Wǒ de Tuánzhǎng Wǒ de Tuán) – My Chief and My Regiment

21. 编辑部的故事 (Biānjí Bù de Gùshì) – Stories of an Editorial Board

22. 东周列国春秋篇 (Dōngzhōu Lièguó Chūnqiū Piān) – Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms – Spring and Autumn Period