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Hi,Dear Friends
 How are you? Have you had a good weekend? Are you enjoying your new week? I do hope you have and you are.
On my side, because a snow with ice hit the city I am living in MO, this week, I had only one English lesson for 3 hours at OTS on Tuesday.
Anyway, since my biggest things in 2016 are two: To pass the National (Graduated) English Examination in Beijing on the last Sunday in May, and to start a course at Ozarks Technical Community College.
So, no matter what has happened, I have been keeping studying English and painting.
Since Dec 23, 2015, I have recited 4,700 English words and answered 18,800 questions. Besides attending the English lesson at OTC, every day I remember 140 to 200 English words by linking Chinese characters and English words, writing English words according to Chinese meaning, dictation and filling in the blanks of the sentences.
Then I got the first nice surprise on Wednesday: a teacher of my Chinese English School informed me to take a Red Bag from the school, because my result was listed on No.4 in the mid-semester examination of the school. Therefore, my name has been listed with the other 14 classmates together and the school would like to reward us red bags ( maybe with money in it ? ). The other 15 classmates from No. 16 to No. 30 have been raised.
My examination result is 82; No. 1 is 84 and No. 30 is 69.
To be honest, when I looked at the list of the results, I could not help smiling for I thought my university times and then, besides a 86 and a 88, all my the other 29 courses were 91 to 99. This was the first time, I got 58 in the National English Examination on May 31, 2015.
I am thinking, except I did not spend time enough on English, really I had a bad foundation– I started to learn English in the university (I had learned Russian) and whole of my formal English education was for 120 public lessons as an optioned course.
Therefore, I have been teaching myself and even carried my baby son to catch some English lessons in the night school in Wuxi, however, I could not find the second class to continue my English study after I finished the first class and it was difficult to buy the oral English records of the textbooks in the end of 80’s ( even though there are English train classes with all of the levels in Wuxi at this time); then I didn’t have time and condition to learn English in the hot competition in Shenzhen. I had to fly to Shanghan at my own expense on almost all of my vacations and most weekends to learn World Economics in the best Economic Institute of China in Fudan University for 3 years, for I had to change my educational background from language and literature to finance and securities and it was difficult to find a same level study opportunity in Shenzhen at that time (even though there are more than 60 first class universities have been in Shenzhen right now). However, although I had passed all of the graduated courses with good results, I had to give up the opportunity to get my master degree in Economics in the end of 90’s because it was impossible for me to pass the same National English Examination and got the qualification to write my dissertation.
So, now, what a lucky English student I am at OTC in the USA and the New Sunshine English School in China! I would really like to cherish my luck and to pass the Examination in May, 2016.
The other important reason is: Since I would like to start a course in the USA, I must speak standard American English! I cannot mislead my students because of my poor English level. I must improve myself as soon as possible.
Then you cannot imagine what the second lovely surprised event is: The OTC Fine Art Gallery would like to be my sponsor to hold my 6 th Cross-cultural and Comprehensive Art Exhibition on the First Friday, Feb, 2016.
Do you know? When Mrs. Kat Allie -- Department Chair of Fine Arts & Humanities
and Fine Art Gallery Manager told me the news, I could not really believe my ears and I did not believe it would be true. Anyway, it is true and Mrs. Kat Allie has asked me to give her my data and her team has started to work on it...
Wow! What a nice surprise it is ! What a lucky Chinese student I am!
With so much gratitude, besides working on English, I keep painting every day. I would really like to catch my limited time to create more paintings.
Since it is a pity that I did not carry my biggest size painting that I had created in Beijing with me, for I did not think of the nice surprise before I left for the USA in August, 2015 and I did not think there is so big place to display it in my last exhibition at the Park Central Library in September, 2015, so, now, I am trying to paint some small size paintings.
Maybe you are surprised why I have painted many Chinese Baimiao recently? First of all, it is the foundation of Chinese painting, for Chinese painting is an art of lines and lines are the bones of a Chinese painting. I must practice it as a pianist must play his piano every day and a singer must sing each day. Secondly, I would like to create a demonstration booklet for my future students. The third reason for I often feel that Chinese Baimiao Painting can bring me an especially peaceful heart. :- )
Maybe for the peaceful feeling has touched the audiences? In MO, USA, three of my little Chinese Baimiao Paintings were sold with 200? 300 and 300 US dollars in 2009 and 2016.
Here is the third nice surprise: two weeks ago, after an art lesson in a church, a gentleman asked me how much I sold my paintings? I said I did not know, but how much would you like to offer? Then 900 dollars included the double 300 dollars for two Chinese Baimiao and a little landscape were offered by the gentleman itself... :-)
Are you smiling when you read these Nice Surprises?
How about you? Do you have anything special to share?
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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 24, 2016 (American Local Time)
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