How are you? How is your 2016 doing?

This is the first business day of American schools. In the past several days, I have really gained so much because of the great help of the local American people.

First of all, by the good help and direction of Mrs. Kat Allie who is the Chair of Humanities Department and the Manager of Art Gallery of OTC,I have completed the initial files: Syllabus, OTC New Course Abstract and Course Schedule and submitted it this afternoon. Then she would like to help me to correct and improve it in the upcoming days.

You cannot imagine what title she has given my course? I would like to tell you about it soon. Now what I would like you know is: her new title has given and will give me a very huge room to develop my long-term cross-culture and comprehensive art dream. So, these days when I worked on my syllabus and course abstract and course schedule the 9th times, I did feel a door has opened for me so that my thoughts and ideas were just like a river flowing out of my fingers. Even though some of them are totally new and just jumped into my mind, I did think that I enjoy them and I could be able to create something valuable to help more people and this world.

With a grateful heart, do you know whom I have thought at this time? Mr. Wu Fengyi who was one my former bosses and the main founder of Securities Times Newspaper Office. 21 years ago, it was him who had seen my potential value when I was nothing, he invited he me to go to his Newspaper Office which had nothing but a hug development room for me. Even thought that meant I would have to give up the highest salary level in China at that time and a better work condition in Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, I accepted his invitation and signed a contract with the newspaper office for 8 years, for the room he had given me would allow me to develop my first career dream within the national and even global scope instead of being limited in Shenzhen Securities Market– to found a Chinese National Securities Market Data Statistic Shell Frame… Then by his good leading, helping and supporting, in a very free and relaxed circumstances, with a quite tight work schedule, this dream was true in 8 years…

Today, when I completed my initial jobs according to Mrs. Kat Allie ‘s directions, suddenly I felt that I am now standing on a new stairs and whole of the course design had been elevated on a new and higher level because of the title’s changing. The room I would be able to work for my future students have been changed so wide and so bug... It will be a new career that will certainly help my second career dream to be true....

I am thinking that both of Mr. Wu Fengyi and Mrs. Kat Allie will certainly be the most important guiders and bosses on my road to make my two career dreams to be realized…

Secondly, in the first 4 English lessons at OTC, Mrs. Fran Gogilar (she is on the first photo) had inspired me so much so that I thought I have fond the breakthrough point to start my book “My American Stories” which I started to prepare from 2013. But I would like to open a column in a newspaper in China and its web site at the first, then to collect it to be a series books.

So, I have connected a chief editor of a national newspaper office, he would like to help me to see whether it is suitable to publish it in his newspaper office or recommend me to the other media.

To be honest, I was really touched in my interviews with 42 local American people in 2013 to 2014, but the degree of moving did not meet the level to push me to write. But, on Monday, Jan 4, 2016. in the first English lesson at OTC, when Mrs. Fran Giglio introduced us something about American Braille Literacy Month, when we learned the article “Blindness and Louis Braille ” and some simple braille alphabet, especially when read that Mr. Louis Braille was dead was 43, I felt my heart was ache, then when I first time found the braille alphabet on the No. Card by each classroom's door, I could not help thinking of the special seats on each park and restroom for the disabled people, the non-discriminatory policy in almost all of the documents of the schools... thought of a blind student who were going ahead me but stopped by the gate of the library to wait for me and opened the door for me in 2008... and suddenly I thought a very famous Chinese comedy actor who had often imitated disabled people and played his comedy on the most important stage of China to make people laugh. Suddenly I totally understood why he was not welcome in the USA so that I could not help writing the words “ the Distance of Civilization” in my note book.

As a common Chinese who is lucky enough to have the opportunities to go out of the gate of my motherland, I do think that I have a mission and responsibility to do something for my own country and people. Besides I would like to deliver those excellent ancient civilizations from my culture to the other cultures, I should also deliver the others' excellent civilization to my own motherland...

The third thing was that I have found a wonderful art project that I guess it is worth me to spend time and energy on it. I would like to create a series “ American Cultural Maps” with my brushes and Chinese Painting Style. The first of them is “American States' Birds and Flowers” Since I was majored in Chinese flower and bird paining in Beijing.

As we know, as a foreigner, to remember geographical position, names of people and place in the second language is one of the most difficult things. So, I would like to do something with my painting brusher for helping foreigner to remember these while to remember some cultural phenomenon naturally, easily and artistically.

Also, I would like to find out of the stories behind these flowers and birds and something else, write them into my books...

Now it is American series, then Australian series, and then the other series... :-)

Can you imagine? I have started my job at the time I was waiting my food at the Chinese Restaurant Yan's since Monday. Now I know many states use the same birds, Cardinal was used by 7 states, but I do not know why yet. Do you know the reasons?

Also, I have checked and download more than 640 Eastern Bluebirds for I wanted to create my first bird is Missouri State’s State Bird. But I want to make sure why Missouri State chose it to be their state bird. Do you know why?

Thirdly, Saturday morning, the professional company BTI come to my house second time to kill something maybe insects once more for my face and neck were swell, red, itch and ache still. In the past for about 2 months, every night, I had to go to sleepy with my shawl, for something often “bite” my skin that is bare parts and in the morning, I woke up because of the itch and ache and I jumped up and left from the bed for I could not bare the bad feelings... thought I removed the carpets, asked a professional company to disinfect, a professional company’s lady to clean my house twice, change my clothes and wash them in the washer every day, things were changed worse and worse, so that my face showed me about 90 years old for about 50% of my skin could not be seen...

Luckily, by the good help of Mrs. Ellen who is my new American friend and student accompanied me for 5 house and she drove me to here or there, then we was asked to go to the biggest hospital of the city to see a doctor. They thought it was an allergy.

My doctor James Hutchison said that I would be getting much better in 40 hours after their treatment.

After spending so much money and time on it, I do hope things will work for me.

A good news is that my last English examination result is 91. Since Sept 18, 2015 until now, I have attended English examinations 6 times, except for I do not know the points in two of them, my the other 4 English examination results in the USA are: 55, 84, 78 and 91 ( the last twice were in the advanced class).

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

It is 4:10am on my side, I would be in my classroom before 9:30am, so, I am not going to check this letter the third time, please excuse me for there are many things maybe wrong in this letter...


I am just a student on Arts of Painting, Music, English and Management, to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do somethings with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Cross - Culture and Comprehensive Arts, Language & Friendship. To help the others and this world while improving myself and realizing my own value of life.

I would really 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.

Sincerely,

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Jan 10, 2016 (American Local Time)