How are you?

I wrote the letter below to you Sunday night. But a sharp headache led me vomit and I did not want to eat anything until Tuesday, so that I could not check it and send it to you until now.

Anyway, with the ache together, Monday morning, I kept getting up to attend the first lesson in the new classroom and made a video (as I did in every lesson) for about 2.5 hours even though I had to close my eyes often when I held my videocorder, and then in the afternoon, I kept getting up once more, to help some classmates who just came from Tianjin to book an apartment and guide them to see the new classrooms... right now I have felt much better, I would like to send this a little bit later letter to you:

Nov 8, 2012, the 53rd day of my second class year in Chinese National Academy of Arts in Beijing. After experiencing an extremely hard process, I moved to Chaoyan District from Haidian District, one day ahead the school, lived into a totally new single appartment with a kitchen and a washroom and furniture.

I did not know how I could carry the 9 boxes of heavy books, 4 suitcases and 2 boxes of the other things and much paper, therefore, I worked from 7:30am to 9:30 pm to pack them by myself for 2 days, then I told the lady boss of the hotel that I would not take back my rent from Nov 8 to Nov 15, but I wished her to find someone to send me to the new place and to carry all of my things upstair ( the 3rd floor). Then, she was in the happiness and I was sent here smoothly and made my 4th move because the reasons that I could not controlled since I came to Beijing to learn painting, Nov, 2010.

Maybe you would like to smile for the good news for you:

-- Now we are studying in a very beautiful place, when I look out of the window from my seat in the classroom, I feel that I am sitting in a park. There is a very strong art atmosphere around of it, we can often meet some art students who are from Art School at Tsinghua University, Chinese Oil School or Sculpture School at Chinese National Academy of Arts and so on. Everywhere you can see this or that kind art shops...

-- One of my best friends Dr. Zhang Qujuan who is the vice president of the biggest Women and Children Hospital in Shenzhen told me that the health index that was 405 times higher than the normal level and made me in the danger to have cancer has been dropped negative. For caution's sake, she did the tests not only in her own hospital, but also in Shenzhen Hospital of Beijing University. Both of the hospitals got the same result. After two surgeries and fighting with the sickness for 2 years and 3 months, I have totally recovered.

When I heard the good news, I could not believe my ears indeed. The heavy psychology burden that has troubled me for several years finally can be moved away. After all, just for it, I have given up some important life plan. Also for this reason, my doctors could not use the most effective medicine to treat the sicknesses in my immune system and the digestive system.

With an endless appreciated heart to my doctors, I would really like to do my best to overcome the other sicknesses one by one. I am working from my diet. Do you know? Since this April until now, I have totally corrected my bad life habit and I have kept eating breakfasts for about 7 months already. And I have been cooking for myself since I moved into my new apartment. :- )

-- By the good help from my tutor in China Center Academy of Fine Arts, I have gotten two invitation letters from the former president of a publishing house in Beijing. I would have a good opportunity to take part in some very meaningful creative work.

-- Before 1 hour I left for the new address of the school, the boss of a picture mounting company sent back my long scroll that is about1000cm x180cm (393.70 inches x 70.86 inches).

Nov 11 was the deadline to hand in it, and the internet did not work in the hotel. Therefore, as soon as I signed the deal with my new landlord Nov 8, I asked them to fix my Internet connecting, then I started my work to choose 3 of my articles, 6 of my singings (3 in Chinese and 3 in English ) and 3 pieces of pure piano music for the articles and paintings, to write resume, to describe my works, to fill the table, to copy my ID, and to send them back Shenzhen to make a CD.

For worrying about the mail would not come back in time and for worrying about the quality of the photos was not good enough – I took them in a hurry before the vehicle came to carry my luggage, and my camera does not meet the request for printing, So, I wished to re-do the work in one of the new classrooms, but, we were moving, every thing was disorderly, it was no suitable to work there. Therefore, I went to find a professional photographer as soon as I completed the writing jobs. A young photographer and his wife came to my home to help me take photos with so much patience – my 23 square meters’ apartment was too small to open the long scroll and there was no any tool to attach the so big painting on the wall, the wife of the photographer and I had to open the painting a little part by a little part, and the photographer took the paintings one by one, then we connected them together on the computer...

Anyway, we completed this work at 1:30pm and re-made a new CD, then I went upstairs and downstairs to make sure where I was living now because the express company and post station could not find the address in their systems. Finally, at 3:30pm, Nov 10, I sent the long scroll and a mail with my CD, table and ID away. It was the 48th hour I reached the new place.

Even though I forgot to write my name, dress on the back of the long scroll as the activity requests, even tough I just ate few pieces of Chinese cabbage, some cauliflower and a tomato in the first 24 hours – I bought them before I started off from the old place for I knew I would be quite busy in the upcoming for 48 hours...

I know clear there are too many problems in my long scroll, and no any painting can I satisfy 100% , I was so happy in my heart, after all, since I came to CNAA, I have not only completed the first series of the 12 paintings, but also, I painted another 149 paintings, completed 36 music records, 12 articles, 31 translations, 12 records and wrote many things to order my thoughts and so on, The most importance is that I have made a model for my own project.

Except I spent too much money on it, just for the music recording Aug to Sep, 2012, it spent the cash that almost equals my pension for one year, and just for decorating the long scroll – just attached it together and did not do the formal decorate with silk yet, it has spent about a half of my pension for one month, I have gotten so much and there is no any loss indeed. :- )

-- The last good news was that the publishing house has sent back their first examine and verify opinions to me. I was so touched by their so serious work and so patient help to me, except they have given me some general directions, they have told me where I should adjust, where I should correct and where I must change. I am growing up and improving by their good help.

Something I felt happiest was, except one word, the publishing house did not point anything wrong in my poem translations. With so many thanks in my heart to the leaders, editors of Jinan University Publishing Press and my English tutors from Britain, China, Canada and America, I would really like to do my best to improve the quality of my publication...

To be honest, right now, the strongest feeling in my heart is that many things that seemed like impossible years ago, now have happened. What is the secret of this situation? Maybe it is to keep doing something we really want to do honestly and down to earth.

Do you think so?

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
Nov 13, 2012(Beijing Time)