How are you?

This is the first weekend in 2013. I have been at home in my winter vacation for 7 days.

Now I have corrected my writing for my publication once. During my British English tutor was checking my correction in England, I painted 3 small size Chinese Mogu Paintings below.

When I corrected my writing according to the opinions of the publishing house, I was touched and felt so lucky for I have gotten so detailed and so patient directions from the editors. After I re-wrote something once more, I did feel the quality of the articles has been improved a lot.

An interesting thing was: When I was in Beijing, mainly I got my data for my writing from the Internet. When I got the response from the Publishing House -- to get your data from the ancient books and records, instead of the Internet, I did have some different ideas because I thought maybe most of the data relates to my writing should be on the Internet. But, after I came back home, opened my Cihai, History of Chinese Literature and dictionaries, I just found the publishing house was right. Many things online are not exact, some of them is wrong.

Meanwhile, I did feel how important to pay more attention to accumulate data daily. Even though I have not offered any Chinese classical literature lesson in the classroom for 20 years already, no matter where I moved, I kept saving my text books from my college times at home. As soon as I came back home, I found out of 5 sets of Chinese ancient literature history, about 20 books, 5 literature dictionaries, 5 or 6 sets poetry collections and so on…

The funny result was: I could not write out of one word in Beijing after the publishing house gave back my writing and their comments; I completed my correction first time within 5 days.

When I write here now, a Chinese Idiom "Wei Yu Chou Mou --Repair the House before It Rains" jumps into my mind.

I re-started to learn painting, music and English 10 years ago, one hand, for making my childhood dream to be true; the other hand, for preparing for the time that I retire from Securities Industry. Therefore, since the day truly came to me, I have been busy on my comprehensive art project already.

Then, when I wrote something about the Chinese frontier-style poetry according to the good directions from the publishing house, suddenly I realized that the connecting of my Chinese paintings and poetry seems like too surface at this time. So, now, when I am learning how to paint in the school, I must make accumulation not only on painting skills, but also on art theories, for doing better and deeply on my study, work and exploration now and in the future...

Something else on my side:

-- I have re-started to play piano. If I can stay at home for a long time, I will find a new piano teacher to direct me to accompany for myself. :-)

-- Except the good weather allows me to work by my open windows, I can watch so many English Television programs from America and Britain, I can also buy an English newspaper at any newsstand in Shenzhen... :-)

-- My cleaning lady has created a clean and comfortable life environment for me, so that I am not sure whether I will have courage to go back school in the near future... :-)

How about you? Do you have anything special to share?

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
Jan 6, 2013(Beijing Time)