Enter A New Phase With a Grateful Heart-- Shirley's 562nd Friendly Greeting From Beijing- Oct 11, 2017

Hi,Dear Friends

How are you?

Time is flying so that I just realized that I had not written to you for 3 weeks already. I am sorry for it.

Can you imagine? On Sept 26, the 11st topic I had chosen for my dissertation was just approved by my supervisor, the school informed me to take part in the thesis proposal conference on Oct 16. Oh, my Goodness, it is 2 months earlier than last year and my thesis proposal should be handed in the department on Oct 10. That means I should complete it within 13 days.

So, I gave up my travel plan and used whole of the Chinese National Holiday and Mid-autumn Festival on it.

I am lucky enough for I have met one of the most responsible supervisor 鈥� Professor Mu Jiashan. he made two feedbacks on my outline on Sept 29, before he went to the airport; then he gave me 5 feedbacks Sept 9 to 10. Every thing in my thesis proposal, from the direction of the paper to a word鈥檚 usage or a note of a quoted passage, he gave me very patient directions. Also, two of my classmates did not only point the problems in each of my drafts but also they typed 7 copies with more than 100 pages and handed in it to the school because I lived far away from the school and they had to take a taxi for a while. Meanwhile, the tutor of the department Ms. Wang Shuyi and my monitor have also done so many jobs to help me on the general things in time.

So, when my supervisor approved me to type my thesis proposal at 3:00pm, Oct 10, it was on the desk of the tutor who is in charge of the job on 5:00pm, on the same day.

This morning, before my supervisor left for a new travel, he gave me 15 messages to tell me how to prepare the personal statement and to answer the questions of the professors via cell phone on the train, and my classmates Mr. Xie Di and Mr. Liu Xiaolong would give me some simulation tests before I go into the examination room.

Meanwhile, the tutor of the department told me what I should do in the conference on Oct 16鈥�

Really, I am so moved by so many people鈥檚 so nice jobs and friendly directions and help. It really shows me a so wonderful school spirit and so good style of study of Chinese National Academy of Arts. I do feel lucky enough for I have chosen to stay in the school instead of leaving school.

I am also happy for another two things:

First of all, I do enjoy my current topic for it talks about one of the greatest ancient artists on his painting, poetry and art theory in the last Dynasty of China. Because he had a very complex religion background on Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, quite complex social background as a descendant of the former imperial family, a lot of travels and several special art styles... to study him, I have to touch and study almost all of the aspects of the society on history, religions, philosophy, arts and so on... not only his times, but the former Dynasties and times. Meanwhile, what I am doing will be meaningful to something in the contemporary era...

So, suddenly I had an special feeling that it is just like a good training which is 鈥渟pecially arranged鈥� for me before I go back to USA, to help me work on starting the course Chinese World Humanity with my own books relate to Poetry, Painting, Music in an American College as Mrs. Kat Allie who is the chare of the Fine Arts and Humanity Department had designed before I left for China April, 2017. :- )

Wow! What an interesting coincidence it is! It sounds like it is the God who had arranged everything for me already.

So, the first 10 choices of topics were cancelled, but so many books, papers, magazines and so much writing I had done have become something so helpful for my 11st topic, so that I could complete it within the so short time.

Second, my health has had a good progress: I successively worked for 2 days and 2 nights before handing in the thesis proposal, I did not feel bad and I just took 5 pieces of painkillers for preventing a headache, but in 2010, when I just went to China Central Academy of Fine Arts, medicine filled whole of a middle size suitcase.

Just had a long sleep last night, I had finished my daily English lesson before 7:30am with a big smile..

After a short rest, I am going to involve in the new prepared jobs in the upcoming days soon and hope my thesis proposal will be passed once鈥�Do you know? One of the tutors told my supervisor that no had any student who is listed in the art theory passed the first examination and verification yet. So, it will be a big test for me on Oct 16. I would work harder and prepare to face one of the two results.

Anyway, today, I feel that I am interested in singing, so, I have modified a song which my had translated and sung it first time in English and Chinese in the USA in 2009, when I was a student for my first master degree 鈥� MBA at Missouri State University.

I really hope you enjoy it and bring you a big smile. Also, I wish you find that I have made some progress on singing. :- )

How about you? Do you have anything special to share?

I am just a student on Art of Painting, Music, English and Management,and work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do something with what I have learned, to make this little web site to be a little Electronic Bridge of Cross -cultural Art Study, Exchange and Chinese Language & Art Learning. To help the others while to improve myself.

I would 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.

Shirley Yiping Zhang

Oct 11, 2017 (Beijing Time)