How are you?

According to the traditional Chinese calendar or the lunar calendar, today should be the 3rd day of 2017 and Jan 28 was the Chinese New Year's Day. :-)

Therefore, here, I would really like to wish you and your family members Happy New Year!

A funny thing was that I did not realize last Friday was the Chinese New Year's Eve until my English instructor Mrs. Fran Giglio told us she wanted to organize a Chinese New Year's Party on Thursday. :-)

Anyway, since my son went to Australia in 2002, I have been catching every vacation to paint, even though I was in a travel, so I have really not had any idea about a holiday in my mind.

Therefore, I painted for 16 hours on the Chinese Eve and for whole of the day on the Chinese New Year's Day. I would really like to cherish my limited time and life, to do as much as possible for searching a road to make my little cross-culture and comprehensive art dream come true.

So, since I wrote to you Jan 18, in the past 12 day, at the same time I have not only overcome a heart problem ( I felt tightness on my heart area, heart beating and sometimes trembling) last Saturday afternoon to Monday, but also I have overcome a serious headache Wednesday to Friday, I have finished a new painting assignment, attended 3 English lessons, 2 Bible Lessons and read 25 articles of VOAnews three times.

As a traveler in the US, I watched the Inauguration of their 45th President and read the speech of the new president carefully. I am unsure what will happen to my little dream of opening a new and creative course in the US which has been designed and planned by the Fine Arts and Humanities Department at OTC and I since 2015.

However, with the confidence in American education, OTC and Mrs. Kat Allie, instead of going to her office (I am afraid of bringing her any pressure since she has done everything she could do already) or spending my time on guessing, I am trying to do my best to improve my own Chinese art level and oral English, while to wait for...

So, during the most important vacation of China, I have spent my time on translationg and editing 6 of my professors’data and their art works for my new series publication, painting and learning English, except for calling my father in China, my son in Australia and buying flowers for my deceased mother, elder brother and my first American art and music teacher.

The good news was – Professor Jiang Caiping who is one of the highest level artists in the contemporary Chinese Gongbi Painting field, and a supervisor of candidates for doctoral degresses decided to help and support my studying and exploration by offering her art works for the second volume of my book and DVD: Together With Me, Learn Chinese Cultural and Language by Enjoying and Practicing Painting, Music and Poetry (Poetry, Painting, Music: Comprehensive and Artistic Chinese)

Although I am worrying about something in the new situation in the US, I am working hard for making progress everyday base on a simple idea to prepare a bucket of water before giving my students a drop of water. I am sure in this world, if we are a piece of true gold, we should certainly have a road to go.

My last painting has gotten a positive comments of my supervisor Professor Mu Jiashan “ It’s good and the quality of your painting has been improved.”

Here are something which have brought me 2 lovely surprises:

-- Last Saturday morning, two gentlemen knocked on my door, with so much alert, I talked with them through a crack of my door for a while, and then I invited them come in.

Do you know who they are? Mr. Janson Merkling and Mr. Mike Mcclure -- two missionaries who would like to teach me Bible by their online system. :-) We had a very good talking and they had really mentioned some good questions which I had forgotten the answers or did not think or has not known the answers yet.

Then this Saturday/yesterday morning, Mr. Janson Merkling and his wife Mrs.Sherri Merkling (they are on the 1st, second and 3rd photoes) came to me once more, and gave me a very good lesson on Bible.

What they have touched me for both of them are Canadians, they have not only helped African people in Africa for 5 years, but also they are helping me and American people in their short time for seeing a doctor in the US.

As same as a traveler, I do think both of them have set up an example for me, I would really like to learn from them and try to do a little bit things for the local people as well.

So, this afternoon, with another lovely surprise, two of my young neighbors whom I knew last Nov 17, when I just handed in my book to my publisher, both of them knocked my door and asked me to allow them to collect some seeds of the morning glories on the pillars of my portico Mr. Byan Pawloski (he is on the 4th and 5th photoes on the right) who is a high school student and Mr. Bailey Goodale (he is on the 4th and 5th photoes on the left)who is a young clerk of a company came to visit me.

We had a very friendly talking and I gave them a free Chinese language lessons – learned to read and write the number of 1 to 10 in Chinese and some simple Chinese Greetings.

I am really happy for they are quite interested in what I have taught them, quickly, we worked together for 2 hours with much delight. Then, with a big smile, I will give them a regular lessons for free on the upcoming weekends. Base on learning these words in modern Chinese pronunciation and calligraphy, next weekend, I will teach them to write some ancient Chinese Characters with Chinese brush and ancient Chinese Calligraphy... :- )

How about you? Do you have anything special to share?
I am just a student on Arts of Painting, Music, English and Management, to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do somethings with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Cross - Culture and Comprehensive Arts, Language & Friendship. To help the others and this world while improving myself and realizing my own value of life.

I would really like to appreciate you for your understanding, directions, supports and help.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you are welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.cn or leave your message on Message Board.

Sincerely,

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Jan 29, 2017 (American Time)