How are you? Is everything good with you? I do hope that you are doing well and enjoying your day.

Today is the 295th day that I have been in the US. After seeing 5 apartments, I have chosen one of them with furniture and room enough for me to paint. The best thing is that by the nice help of the manager of the housing management -- Mr. Don W, the connecting of Internet and TV will be fixed in 2 days. I will be able to move into my new apartment soon.

Since my landlord informed me that our lease can not be extended last Friday noon until today, just in the short 6 days, I have found another new apartment already.

Many friends are surprised for my work speed and wanted to know why? I think that should be owed to my learning of painting and the professional qualities.

As a student of art and a management, I pay more attention to observe every thing in the nature and in the human world. A bird, a flower, a tree and even a piece of dew, I notice their feature and how they live ? I have known the dew is usually on the top of a piece of grass, instead of the root as I had imagined; I also have the habit to collect any data that I think maybe useful for me in the future. So, every morning or night, when I was running in the city, I collected the telephone numbers of renting house in to my cell phone. So, as soon as my landlord informed to find a new house Friday noon, I saw the first house in the afternoon.

In the past short 6 days, I have learned so much about renting a house in the US, I am more touched by the great help from my classmates and the local American friends.

As soon as I told my classmates that I needed to re-rent a place to live within 10 days Monday morning, I got much responding ? Stella and the group of new classmates would like to offer me a room in their apartment for August. Mona would like to share her apartment with me; Army, Cathy, Alleen and Hedy would like to offer me their sitting room, their washer and dryer. William Liu wrote me some weekly renting information; Peter Shang did much work online to help me... An American manager would like to rent me an apartment temporarily until I find a suitable place, an American lady in the university property office proactively offered me a list of housing companies telephone numbers; a lady who was sitting in the wheelchair introduced me where I would find a suitable house for full time students...

All of these make me feel so much warm in my heart and gave me confidence to find a new apartment in the US.

With a grateful heart, I created my 3rd painting of peonies this week, instead of pure white color again; I used warm pink and I have given it a name Warm ? Peonies. I would really like to appreciate all of my classmates and American friends who have helped me...

Another good news is that my 4th quiz Wednesday scored 9 /10, that made me very happy so that I could not help creating my Peaceful - Peonies No.7...

How do you think of my experience in the US? Do you have any similar experience?

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
Wednesday, July 23, 2009 From USA