How are you? I do hope that you are well and have an easy and relaxed weekend.

After adjusting the Art Column and created a new Combined Art, part in June. I adjusted the Music Column and created a new Bilingual Songs, part in August. Then I would like to adjust the Chinese Learning part in my National Day’s Holiday. To make the Art of Painting, Music and Chinese Learning become the main parts of Shirley's World. To make painting, music and Chinese culture to be some helpful tools and background of the Chinese Learning. So instead of traveling, I stayed at home to work on the the web reform, as a good rest in my holiday.

After reading online some documents from the Ministry of Education of China, I made sure the general requests or standard of Chinese as the second language. Then I went to buy some reference books for my web reforming.

It was Oct 3, there were few cars in the streets and only 2 ones in the former crowded park. However, when I walked near the Shenzhen Book City, I felt a strong book reading breath, because many people were around in the 27 or 28 floor's building. Instead of going into the art book store, as usual on the first floor or going on the moving staircase, I went upstairs, for I did not know which floor I should go to find my books for helping foreigners to learn Chinese.

I was touched as soon as I went up the stairs. Almost every stair, there are some children sitting on it. Every one was reading something carefully and quietly. Every floor there were many people reading or choosing books and some of them were sitting on the floor with one or several books and a bottle of water.

In the foreign language book stores, I found the books I needed and I also found a huge change soon. There are many foreign language books there, in English, in Japanese, in French, in Russian and in Spanish. There are so many reference books and learning tools, tapes, CD's, VCD's, DVD's and so on. I did feel that I would not need to carry many books from Hong Kong, as I did before.

An interesting thing is that, if you want to find a book in Italian, you'd better go to the music book store.

I worked there for about 3 hours and I chose 14 books, then I pushed my pushcart to pay. There, I was touched once more. An old lady who is over 60 years old, wore in a red waistcoat of volunteer, was helping the clerks to put customers's books into the packs busily. When I was smiling to her while saw her snow white hair, when I thought the children on the upstairs, my eyes were wet by the touched in my heart.

The book's sweet smell is gathering us together. The book's sweet smell is improving the culture level of our people.The book's sweet smell is helping our nation to be developed quickly.

I love the book's sweet smell. I have felt the hope in the books!

Do you agree with me? Do you love book and its sweet smell?

I am just a learner on that art of painting, music, calligraphy, languages and to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do a little bit things with what I have learned to make this little web site to be An Electronic Bridge Of Culture Exchange, Friendship and Language Learning. To help the others while to improve myself.

I appreciate your understanding, directions and supports. I do hope to get your friendly help...

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn or shirleyz004@yahoo.com. You are welcomed to publish your opinions in the forum.

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Written and Edited on Sun, October 7, 2007