How are you?

I started this letter to you with a big smile in the sounds of the birds and sweet smell of the flowers in the a little bit moist but comfortable air in the early morning at home in Shenzhen.

After changing my airplane ticket twice from July 18 to July 24 and then to July 27, staying on the airplane for 7 hours ( it usually needs for 3 hours), I reached at the Shenzhen Airport at 1:30 a.m.July 28, and came back home at about 2:30 a.m. I was impression at the good service of Shenzhen's taxi business, the driver was genty and he carried the heavy luggage of mine to my gate one by one when he knew my low back did support me to carry the heavy things yet.

Before I went into my home, one of the biggest “ Duties ” that I had wanted to do in Shenzhen was to rent my apartment to offset the huge lessening of my income after I retire from the company ( it is said that my pension will be 30% or 25% of my current income) and I had connected a real-estate agent already, so that I felt a little bit sadness during the travel for it was my only property that I obtained after working hard in Shenzhen for many years. It is something that lets me feel safety and peace when I lived in the strange or foreign land, so that I did not rent it out even though I have not been at home in the most of the time since 2008... However, I changed my idea as soon as I came back home in the middle night and I did not want to meet anyone from the real-estate agent at all.

After all, there is a home or say a base of life in China is so important for me indeed. So, instead of removing the " root " of mine in China, it should become one of the motivations to encourage me to work and to create in the future time. After all, will no one believe that a person who has to rent her home to support her life will be able to create a great career to help more people.

Just think, if I have no the ability to keep my own home, how can I create or found a true comprehensive art career? How have people confidences in me and to work with me together? How can I work in Beijing or abroad with a stable emotion? No.


As many friends said that I am too young to retire and I can do too many things at my age. Yes, Chinese women have to retire at 45, 50 or 55 base on what we do according to Chinese law, anyway, it is really the best mature age as a manager indeed. Since I could not work for the last several years for the company because of my sickness since Sep, 2010, since I wished to make my childhood art dream to be true after retire, and I have been preparing for this day for 12 years already, why don’t I try to make the purpose to hold on my own little property while to keep my life quality as my first work target?

Therefore, I will not make any appointment with anyone from the real-estates agent before I go back to Beijing. Instead of renting my apartment out, I will work with wisdom, diligence and what I have learned from the society, nature and the universities, to create some new fortune via creating something meaningful and helpful, to service for more people in the world.

Here is some good news for you:

-- A best and trusty friend has helped me in getting some actual help in Beijing. I have seen the dawn and hope in my future road already. With a grateful heart, I will go back Beijing as soon as I complete the work I must do in Shenzhen, to involve myself into the third class year in the best Art Schools ( China Centeral Academy of Fine Arts for 1 class year; Chinese National Academy of Arts for 2 class years )in China.

-- Jinan University Publishing House has orally promised over a phone call, they will sign the agreement with me to work on 2 series books and the other project before I go back to Beijing.

-- Professor Man Weiqi who is the executive deputy dean of Chinese Painting School and the tutor of the master students who are major in Chinese painting at Chinese National Academy of Arts has accepted my asking for, to be my menter of art of painting of the series books.

-- Professor Meng Weiye has given me the music assignments and he will coach me to sing and then to record my singings since next Thursday.

-- My brother has decorated the apartment that he had brought for me in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province. I will be able to stay there at any time when I feel tried or I want to be with my family members together.

My original plan was to rent my apartment out in Shenzhen and move my home to Wuxi. But, I more enjoy the warm winter of Shenzhen in the subtropical zone and it’s not too hot in the summer because of its maritime climate by the Ocean. Can you imagine? Since I came back to Shenzhen, I have not used air-conditions at home in the day time yet, and now I am writing to you by the open windows. As soon as I went down the airplane, I felt so comfortable for its moist air and the cleanest environment in China. Do you know? When I look at the plants by the roads, I do have a feeling that I want to eat some of the soft green leaves of the flowers and the trees. Maybe in Shenzhen, am I becoming a sheep? :- )

Also, I love Shenzhen for I have dedicated the best years of mine to the city, I have seen how the city grew up from a big Building Site to be the most model and open city in China. I have a special loving feeling to the city indeed.

Therefore, as soon as I aboarded, I read, corrected the music that I had created for the Chinese classical poems and my own translations for the Volume One of the series books and I made practice to sing them in a low voice on the airplane.

Within the short time at home, I have made 50% of the final draft with a pen instead of a pencil again.

I read China Daily in English on the airplane and I listened to the English news of BBC, CNN, ENBC,Bloomberg and so many English channels -- it is only in Shenzhen, we can have the best condition to watch so many foreign TV, too. I would like to improve my English level for my current and future comprehensive art work.

I find my fingers and toes have changed much bigger than they had in Beijing now, especially in the morning, it is difficult for me to make a fist closely... I am going to do my best to overcome the sicknesses with the best effort. At least, try to live with it in peace. :- )

Maybe I should eat the grass and the green leaves since I feel that I want to eat them? Just a joke for bringing you a smile, are you smiling now? I hope so. :- )

I will see my doctors, retire from the company, complete the music record, edit a booklet for a long distance travel that was planned in 2011 already or delay it for a while, rely on my health and time. I must go back my study and work in Beijing as soon as possible. Even though, I had entrusted a company to send some big size paper (195cm x 500cm) to my home, but, it is too small to open it at home.

I will start a new undertaking while to fight with the sicknesses with a positive life attitude and work style down to earth.

How about you, do you have anything special to share this week? Shirley Yiping Zhang
July 29, 2012(Beijing Time)