How are you? Have you had a good weekend?

According to the schedule, before 9:00a.m., Saturday, I arrived in the Shenzhen Far-East Woman and Child Hospital to have a surgery by one of my best friends - Dr.Qiujun Z. who is a famous specialist and the vice president of the hospital. However, instead of having the surgery, I was at home before 10:00a.m. with a new appointment with her - after knowing she had worked for 24 hours and she had been saving a patient since last 9:00p.m. I hoped she would have a short sleep at once, and then to go back to her patient who was still in the dangerous time.

This week seems like my reading time, except going to Beijing University Shenzhen Hospital to see Dr. Yu Liu, I have been reading my art books, Chinese classical philosophy, and Bible in English. The more I read, the more I feel some wonderful similar between the cultures of West and East, the more I want to eat the good "Manna".:-)

-- During I was reading the chapter 41 to chapter 46 of Genesis of Bible, I was touched by the stories how Joseph advised the Egyptian Pharaoh to collect and save one-fifth of the produce of the land in the plenty years to be prepared the danger of famine years, how he was appointed to lead the great work and how he helped his brothers who had sold him to Egypt in the travel years ago, two Chinese Idioms jumped into my mind: one is Ju An Si Wei -- mindful and be prepared the danger in the times of peace. The other one is Yi De Bao Yuan -- repay injure with kindness.

A strong feeling is that many stories are not only similar in different cultures, but also, they can be summarized by some idioms in different languages,and they are still used widely in our current polity, economy, culture and daily life. If we can learn these stories, knowledge and the history from different culture as much as possible, our spirit world will be changed bigger;our chests will become wider, and our souls will get purer.

Basis on this idea, I have done something to help my readers while to improve myself.

-- I innovated in the new branch of Chinese Idiom in myChinese Learning Column again. I am thinking that maybe I can work base on the unique styles that I have created in Shirley Created Combined Art,to explore another way to help people to learn Chinese language and culture? :-)

-- I paid more cost on my English learning except creating an English environment by opening 5 American TV channels and 1 Britain TV channel, read every letter of my readers, fans and friends carefully, copied, checked and studied every new word in them, I will continue my long-distance studying as a formal student in Beijing Foreign Studies University. This semester, I will learn the lesson of American and British Cultures.

-- I went to the biggest art book store of Shenzhen and bought 16 art books as the preparative and the nourishment of my mind during my recovery time since the new surgery it will limit my action for a while, since I cannot attend the art lessons in China Central Academy of Fine Art before I have recovered from the surgery. :-)

Maybe just for the pressure of the third surgery in the third hospital within the 3 months and another 3 weeks' recovery time, the stress that I have to take 6 kinds and 22 pills medicine each day since Oct 8 ( and when I was hospitalized in Shenzhen 4th Hospital Oct 13 to Oct 22, I had to take 8 kinds and 34 pills every day ), or maybe for I had paid the expensive tuition September, 2010, but I cannot attend any lesson in China Central Academy of Fine Art yet, or the long time raining days... I did feel a little bit frustration Friday morning. Anyway, as soon as I realized that I was in the low emotion, I tried to overcome it by reminding and encouraging myself to take some food of spirit. :-)

-- I took out of my gouache colors and brushers to create a landscape. It was shame that I had not created or painted any gouache painting for 2 years and 3 months even though during the time, I created 110 Chinese paintings.

Can you imagine? Along with the blue sky, the white clouds, the mountains, the river, the trees and the grass appeared in my painting with the ideal colors, I was feeling better and my heart calmed down. When I finished my new painting, I has recovered in the peaceful style as usual.

Once more, I felt the huge and wonderful power of art. Once more, I feel that the food of the spirit sometimes important more than the food of matter.

I am thinking that an individual can live without food for a while; we cannot live without the food of spirit for one day. Sometimes, the latter is important more than the former. With the same reason, an organization or a company must found its own corporate culture. Sometimes, it should be important more than money.

How do you think of my idea? Do you agree with me? Do you have anything special this week?


I am just a student on Art of Painting, Music, English and Management, to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do a few things with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Inter-Art & Cross - Culture Exchange, Chinese Language Learning & Friendship Making. 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
Sunday, Nov 7, 2010