How are you? Are you enjoying your weekend?

Today is Oct 4 in China. I have been in my motherland for 3 days and I am in my National Holiday from Oct 1 -- Oct 8.

I reached at Hong Kong International Airport at 6:55pm local time, Oct 1. One of my best friends -- Ms. Zhang Qiuquang and two drivers that our company hired for me from Hong Kong picked up me there. After driving for about 40 minutes, I came back my home in Shenzhen.

One of my colleagues -- Ms. Yu Yanjie had cleaned my rooms and left some water, apples and Moon Cakes in my kitchen, also, she sent back my beautiful birds in my veranda.

A sad thing is that my cleaning lady -- Ms. He had gone back her hometown in Sichuan in June and she would settle down there forever. I heard her voice via an international telephone from the U.S. before she went away. My current feeling is like that I have lost my only “family member” here already.

In fact, since my son went to Australia 7 years ago, I have had no any family member in Shenzhen. Many times, when I was flying in the sky, I could not help asking myself why I should come back again.

Anyway, the bright smiles on Ms. Zhang Quijuan's face, the food, water and fruit that Ms. Yu Yanjie left on my table, the beautiful singing of my birds, the polite clerks from the building management office, Shenzhen Digital TV station and Shenzhen Internet Company have really let me feel much warm and confidence about my own country and city at the first time I reached back China.

Can you imagine? Via 3 telephone calls after I reached home, within 10 minutes, 2 minuses and 2 hours, my home was recovered the service of water, digital TV and internet connecting via Broad Band. The gereral store's boss and his wife sold me some water without charging any money since I had no any RMB when I just came back home. Then I was invited by Ms. Zhang and her husband to have a dinner in their home...

With an appreciated heart, I watched how Chinese people celebrated China's National Day in Beijing on the TV. When I saw the wonderful military parade and the teams of people’s parade, when I saw the happy adults and children, I was touched so much and I suddenly understood why I should come back to China. Even though I have no any family member in Shenzhen already, I do have thousands "family members" in China. Even though I have no a little family in my personal life yet, I do have had a hug family in China - Shenzhen is just my home and family... :-)

An interesting and coincidence thing is now Oct 1, 2009 -- the first day I came back to China from U.S., I watched the military parade and the people’s parade on China’s National Day. And August 8, 2008 -- the first day I came back from Australia, I watched the Opening Ceremony of Olympic in Beijing. Both of them inspired me so much -- reminded me who I am and why I should come back and what I should do as a daughter of the country...

So, I had called my boss before I started my traveling from New York, I will work hard to repay my company, bosses and motherland.

I have also met my Chinese art teacher and his wife on the second day after I came back to China. Except a weekly paining lesson since next Tuesday night, I will have another theory lessons as a formal art college student in Chinese Painting Department in the Art Colleges according to their curriculum schedule. Since my teacher was a dean of art department and a current professor of Guangzhou Art College and Xian Art College at the same time, I am sure I will get a formal directions by him...

I will recover my weekly vocal music class while thinking of learning a Chinese music instrument, maybe Gu Zheng? :-)

I come back China for completing my final work in my professional field, meanwhile, for filling myself with painting, music and language learning continouslly...

This week, I have just uploaded some of the pictures of my 5th and 6th Chinese Painting Workshops in the U.S., there are still many pictures about my 6th - 10th Chinese Painting Demostrations have not been uploaded yet. I will do that as soon as I can...

How about you? Is there anything special in your week?

I am just a learner on 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 few things with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Culture Exchange, Chinese Language Learning & Friendship making. To help the others while to improve myself.

I would like to appreciate your understanding, directions, supports and hope to get your friendly direction and help.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you are welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.cn or Yiping007@MissouriState.edu, or to publish your opinions in the forum.

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Sun, Oct 04, 2009 From USA