What was your first job as a journalist?
I'm not a journalist by trade — my career has been in mathematics education, Olympiad training, and authoring books. But the closest parallel was contributing written columns and being interviewed by education and EdTech publications early on, where I had to learn how to translate technical mathematics into clear, audience-friendly language. That experience has shaped how I write and teach ever since.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, I've used a typewriter before — there's something wonderfully deliberate about it. As a mathematics educator, I find the mechanical rhythm of a typewriter mirrors the way I encourage students to approach problem solving: one careful, intentional keystroke at a time, with no shortcut to "undo" sloppy thinking. That said, I'm grateful to do most of my writing digitally these days, since building Mathewmatician's Dictionary and authoring fourteen books would have been quite a workout on a typewriter!
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Having been interviewed by more than 200 media outlets — from Times to Fox News — I've come to see journalism as a craft of disciplined curiosity. A great journalist asks the question behind the question, listens carefully, and translates complex ideas into something the public can understand and act on. In many ways, it parallels what I do as a mathematics educator: take something dense and abstract, and make it meaningful for everyday learners.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
genuinely makes me laugh — especially during exam season, when students and teachers worldwide share their wildest algebra mistakes and surprisingly elegant one-line proofs under the same tag. A close second is , where people post visual jokes that somehow contain a real theorem. It's a reminder that mathematics, despite its reputation, has a wonderful sense of humor.
Who do you wish followed you?
More mathematics teachers, curriculum designers, and parents who are rethinking how children learn math. My work — from Mathewmatician's Dictionary to the Global Mathematics and Mathematics Olympiad Graded Assessment Test — is built for educators worldwide, so I'd love to be in closer conversation with the people shaping classrooms in different countries. Education reformers and EdTech researchers are always welcome too.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Master your subject before you master your style. The journalists I most enjoy speaking with are the ones who clearly did their homework — they understand the difference between an Olympiad problem and a textbook exercise, or between EdTech hype and genuine pedagogy. Curiosity is your engine, but expertise is your steering wheel. Also: be patient with experts. The best quotes usually come from the second or third question, not the first.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Weekday mornings, Hong Kong time, are best — that's when I'm at my desk reviewing emails before classes and writing sessions begin. Pitches related to mathematics education, Olympiad training, EdTech, homeschool math, or AI in the classroom will always get my attention. Anything outside those areas is unlikely to be a good fit.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I'm typically on the receiving end of interviews rather than pitches, but the weakest outreach I've seen are messages that clearly haven't read my work — a generic note asking me to comment on celebrity gossip or finance, when my entire focus is mathematics education, Olympiad training, and EdTech. The strongest pitches, by contrast, reference a specific book, lecture, or initiative and ask a pointed question. Relevance always wins over volume.
What's your favorite drink?
A strong cup of Hong Kong-style milk tea in the morning, and green tea in the afternoon when I'm writing or preparing lectures. Both keep me focused through long hours of curriculum design and Olympiad coaching.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In a classroom or lecture hall — most often at Top Mathematics Education Centre or Wahhar College, working through problems on a whiteboard with students. When I do step away from work entirely, I'm usually walking somewhere quiet in Hong Kong with a notebook, sketching out the next chapter, lesson sequence, or Olympiad problem set.
