Q+A: Founder of Wall Street English, Luigi T. Peccenini

China Daily interviewed the founder of Wall Street English Luigi T. Peccenini, and here are the interview questions and the anwswers.

Q: How do you spend your weekend amid your busy schedule?

A: I do not schedule my life according to weekends or weekdays. I can work on Sundays and rest on Mondays, following priorities and the passion for what I do.

What are your hobbies?

Playing soccer.

What is the saying that you like the most? Why? What is your motto?

"Who knows others is clever. Who knows himself is wise". Laotzu, Tao Te Ching, verse 33.

In our life, if we know who we are, we can understand what we want, where we want to go and why.

My motto is: "Believe in yourself and in your dreams".

Who is your icon?

I do not have any specific icon. I admire all individuals who give their contribution to society, to improve the life of all human beings. On my website (http://www.pecce.com), my first quote is "Serving people".

What is the book you are reading now? What is your favorite book?

The book I am reading now is The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle. It clearly explains why we should fully live our life neither in the past nor in the future.

But in the present moment. I have two favorite books: Tao Te Ching, containing the wisdom that we can apply to our daily lives, and Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, dealing with courage, freedom and love.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

To be happy, we need just three factors: health, love and some money to ensure our basic material needs.

In my chapter of the book Walking with the Wise, published in the US by Mentors Magazine in 2003, I wrote: "The best way to be happy is to create happiness around us".

What is your greatest fear?

Sickness.

What is the quality you most admire in a man?

Intelligence and integrity.

What is the quality you most admire in a woman?

Intelligence and class.

What do you value the most in your friends?

Loyalty.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?

My big nose.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

To be still today the simple guy that I was at the age of 18. Neither failure nor success changed my personality.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Deepen my consciousness about my inner self.

What is your most treasured possession?

My understanding of the meaning of life.

On what occasion do you lie?

I lied only when my mother had cancer: I did not tell her the truth.

What kind of "green" lifestyle do you have?

Healthy food, physical exercise and peace of mind.

Name places in China that impress you most, that you have not visited and want to explore? What was your favorite journey?

I visited the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Buddhist Temples and the Terracotta Warriors.

I would like to explore interior parts of China to meet different ethnic groups, to understand their history and culture.

My favorite journey was to Tibet in 2002 for two weeks. When you are 5,000 meters high, you can feel the magic connection between the Earth and the sky.

What's the best way to break the ice with a Chinese businessman?

In my case, I explain the story of my Chinese name (Li Wenhao), given to me by a feng shui master, who told me that in my previous life I was Chinese. Then I add that in China I feel at home.

Give three words to describe your impression of Chinese businessmen.

Shrewd, determined, hard-working.

What kind of experience has shaped your thoughts the most?

My failure and my sickness 27 years ago.

Thanks to my failure, I learned how to be successful.

Thanks to my sickness, I learned how to be healthier and younger.

Thanks to these experiences, I appreciate life, human relationships and love even more than before.