What A Great Nation!...Shirley's US Travel Diary -011 & 171st Friendly Greeting -- Fri, Nov 7, 2008

Hi,Dear Friends

How are you? Have you had a good week? I do hope you have and start a relaxed weekend.

This week, something most impressed is the president selection result of the US. As a foreigner, I did not very care for who would be the next president; anyway, I wondered who would won. So, after I finished my homework. I turned on my TV near about 11:00 pm Tuesday night and I knew that Obama has become the first black president of the history of the US.

I agree with the words 鈥淥bama creates history鈥�. I also think that American people have created a history!

When I saw so many people in the Grant Park of Chicago to wait for the new president, when I saw the family of Obama going up the stage, thousands and thousands Americans were cheering, shouting out and even tearing. I could not help thinking of something that I had learned from my English text book: How a black woman teacher was jailed because she had sat on the seat for white people in a bus in the 50's. How Martin Luther King led the movement to pursue the equality and freedom. How the black people got their vote right in the 60's... Now, time just past for about 50 years, American people have chosen out of their own black president鈥� What a great progress it is! What a great nation America is!

I was touched by what Obama said that no matter you are a black or a white, you are from blue or red area, all of you are Americans and belong to the Untied States鈥�

Meanwhile, I also think of something that I had learned in the "new student orientation". This is the first time that I heard something to emphasize the nondiscrimination. So, I have been to see and to observe the thing in the campus and the other public occasions鈥�I have really found that in almost every restroom, there is a room for disabled people. There are wheelchairs by the gates of Walmart and the supermarkets. It is normal to see some people going shopping, or taking foot by wheelchairs... Especially, I was touched when I saw a beautiful girl who took a stick to explore her road in the campus and to go to her destination with a confident face and light steps. From the expression on her face, I have seen something excellent and knew what is nondiscrimination... Yes, as a foreigner, I have been getting so many friendly help and kind smiles instead of feel any discrimination since I came here, too.

The other thing that I feel good is the extra opening in the campus. No matter what kind of bags you carry, you can enter the library to choose books free. Nobody asks you anything or checks your bag at all. The totally trust to a person, makes us want to cherish the respect and to do our best to protect the books and the good study circumstance with better behaviors鈥�

Now, I am thinking that except religion spirit, scientific management and hard working, maybe the inspiration of tolerance, opening and respecting should be something else to push the US getting the strongest nation in the world?

What is your opinion about the president vote in the US? What inspiration have you gotten?

I am just a learner on that art of painting, music English and Chinese language, to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do a little bit things with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Culture Exchange, Language Learning & Friendship. To help the others while to improve myself.

I appreciate your understanding, directions and supports. I do hope to get your friendly help...

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you are welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.cn or shirleyz004@yahoo.com, or to publish your opinions in the forum.

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Sat, Nov 7, 2008 From USA