MY CHINESE language grades were borderline. While I did not have much interest in the subject, I did not dislike it either even when I received an F9 grade.

After I left school, this indifferent attitude changed when I heard the song The Great Wall sung by Fei Yuqing. I was captivated by the song but I could hardly understand the lyrics, which were written like a poem.

I went around asking my Chinese-educated friends, who explained the meaning to me. That was when I was caught by the beauty of the language, something I did not appreciate during my school days.

Since then, I never missed any new songs, especially when the lyrics were by the same writer, Xiao Xuan of Taiwan. That was how my Chinese improved by leaps and bounds.

Years later, when I joined the now-defunct Tang Dynasty City as a guide, I found myself surrounded by China performers. Their inability to converse in English forced me to use Mandarin even more, including writing in Chinese.

Thanks to the three years of total immersion in a Chinese environment, I was able to write Chinese scripts for performances.

I am in the entertainment industry now where outward image and youthfulness count, attributes I do not possess. But my ability to host a show in English and Mandarin has resulted in nearly full bookings for me every weekend for the past year.

I am often mistaken for a mainland Chinese whenever I travel to China.

I therefore agree with Ms Wu Zhi Zhen ('Nub of problem is motivation and attitude', Tuesday) that 'no amount of coaxing and coercion is going to work...if the motivation and attitude are not there'.

Sylvester Goh

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