Random interview far from home, bridging the 8.037 km gap!

Discover 10 things about WenlongLi, managing director CBO and Paul Sutton, head of content at BBO in this cross-cultural interview. The distance between Villeneuve D’ascq and Beijing might be 8.037 km (yes, we checked), but distance doesn’t stand in the way, when it comes to cards!

Where are you from?

Wenlong Li : I was born in a small Manchu town near Eastern Qing tombs (the town was settled to protect the Qing Imperial mausoleum) in China and now I live in Beijing city

Paul:I was born in Blackpool England, in the same hospital as Robert Smith of the Cure. I haven’t lived in England since I was 18, and since then I’ve lived in Scotland, Wales, Australia, and France. I really don’t feel like I’m from anywhere anymore!

One word to describe your job.

Wenlong Li: Challenge

Paul: Interesting

What animal would you be if you were reincarnated?

Wenlong Li: A cute marmot, which is simple, honest and can bring happiness to people.

Paul: A swift. They fly at 10m a second and over 800km in a single day. They can predict weather systems by air pressure alone. They migrate from Africa to Northern Europe in one go and then later in the year return to Africa with a few more stops on the way. I reckon they have a pretty good time!

Do you have a nickname?

Wenlong Li : Cut, which was used before while I was navigating on BBS in university

Paul: No – but in London my work colleagues were obsessed with nicknames and tried to call me Sutto (extraordinary originality, I know!). Thankfully, they gave up when I didn’t respond 😊.

The movie that changed your life?

Wenlong Li: “Moneyball”, which brought me good ideas to my career. https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4QPVo0UIzc

Paul: There have been plenty of films that I’ve loved but none that changed my life. Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” is one of my favourite films though; I could watch it over and over again.

The professional achievement you are most proud of?

Wenlong Li: Proud to see Mahjong was recognized as the 6th international mind sport by IMSA

Paul: Working in a children’s charity in London, where I was part of the team helping children without parents find permanent families.

What song are you listening to on repeat right now?

Wenlong Li: Ngẫu Hứng (Hoaprox). It was composed by a Vietnamese musician, and you may find it on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KadWjpqDXs, but I prefer the repeated and pure music version as https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=wGRZwADGOtg&t=616s

Paul: Computer Love by Kraftwerk – if you’ve forgotten about Kraftwerk (like I had) you need to give them another go. They kind of passed me by when I was a kid, but my youngest daughter reintroduced them to me a couple of months ago. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get into them!

Online or face-to-face game?

Wenlong Li: Face to face .

Paul: Sorry, face-to-face any-day 😉.

What is the last application you downloaded?

Wenlong Li: The updated CBO, ahaha (the full FREE version)

Paul: Meteo Lille – I’ve been struggling to find a reliable weather app. Maybe the weather in Lille is just totally impossible to predict!

Your favorite motto?

Wenlong Li “The first step is as good as half over”

Paul: ‘Carpe Diem’