Since I started the weekly newsletter sending, I have been receiving some sincere, friendly and helpful responging from many friends, I do feel that in every letter has a honest heart. I do think that every friend is a treasure. So, I would really like to cherish every letter and every friend, I am going to remember what you suggest and teach me. I would like to do my best to offer you something best and try to make this littel web site to be an
Electronic Bridge on
Culture Exchange, Frienship and Language Learning with your great help. You are welcomed here forever.
I do hope that you are enjoying that your name in the list below and if you would like to publish your works on the web site, you are welcomed to write to me via
shirley@ebridge.cn. Also, you can leave your message in the
Froum in the
Community for Friends Columnat any time.
--Shirley
Sat.,Oct 15, 2005
A Good Comments from Seimus, Australia, Oct 15, 2005:
You are a very (fei-chang) busy little girl with a wide and wonderful (mei hao de) appreciation of life (sheng-huo) with all its many facets. I (wo) do admire your emotional energy input and abilities to share (feng-xiang) your talents.
Your newsletters remind me that "I do feel that I should cherish life, friends, opportunities and what I have had much more, to do my best to learn and to do something that I really love and be benefit to the others and the world as much as possible..."
Your song about the embroider purse/pouch is truly delightful.
You are a super star and thanks for sharing (fen-xiang)your photos, songs and painting.
Seimus
A Good English Lesson From Joe, The U.S. Oct 15, 2005:
Hi. Shirley,
Thanks for the great e-mail. The phrase "roll off your back" means not to let things bother you that you have no control of.
hope all is well and hear from you
Joe
A Good Help Offer From Tom Smith, The U.S. Oct 15, 2005:
Hello, Shirley, I am most glad to know you as a close friend. Never worry about asking questions as if I can help I shall try....if not shall also let you know. Think you will do well in all that you wish to do...and am proud of you and the hard work you do...
Tom
A good Responding From Moor, Canada, Oct 13, 2005:
Compliment of the day! The content of your mail was well taken and quite understood. Thanks for the 7th friendly greetings.
It's always nice to read from you and seeing your painting very often! I quite appreciate your painting and for keep me updated.
Take care and have a great day!
Moore.
A Friendly Help Offer From Jim, Canada, Oct 12, 2005:
Hi Shirley,
I will help as much as I can. Send me a "topic" or English question to answer. Perhaps you or your readers are confused about usage of some English words, phrases or idioms. I will do my best to clear the confusion.
I will contribute there once in a while...thank you
for the invitation. I enjoy helping others with their
English.
Regards
Jim
A Good Responding From Janice, England, Oct 10, 2005:
Hello Shirley,
Thank you once again foir your wonderful newsletter. Your 6th newsletter was just fine, not really problems at all.
Thank you again for your newsletters. I love every one of them.
I look forward to your next letter.
Your friend always,
Janice
A Friendly Responding and Comments from Dave W. The U.S. Oct 10, 2005:
Hi Shirley,
It is nice hearing from you once again. I am still unable to get your pictures (unless I reply) and your links aren't working. It is nice reading your email anyway.
I think that your English is great! Keep up the good work, both in your paintings and your email.:-)
Dave
A Good Responding From Soon, Korea Oct 10, 2005 :
Hi, Shirley.
Thank u for sending me a letter and thanks for ur useful information.
take care
A Good Responding From Dave Clancy, Oct 10, 2005:
SHIRLEY ,THANK FOR YOUR INSPIRATIONS.Che Le Ge speaks of "vast peaceful landscape",May we always look at the world in such a beautiful vision and ward off the warloards of our planet..
Dave(Clancy)
A Good Comments From Darlington, Nigeria, Oct 10, 2005:
Hello Shirley,
Thank you very much for your newsletter, am really happy to hear from and have you as friend. Your website is great very interesting and informative. You are wonderful person and am proud to be your friend.
Darlington
A Good English Lesson From Jim, Canada,Oct 10, 2005:
Hi Shirley;
I have always liked your paintings, Shirley. I wish I
had your talent in this regard.
Articles are very important in English. In other
languages articles are either not important or don't
exist at all.
"the" is used when refering to a SPECIFIC thing.
"a" is used when refering to a thing in general.
For example:
Let us say there are several pencils on a table. One
is red, one is blue and one is yellow.
If I said to you, "Please give me a pencil."
This means I have no preference. Any pencil will do.
If I said to you, "Please give me the blue pencil."
This means that I specifically want the blue pencil.
If I said to you, "Please give me the pencil."
This would be confusing, since in my words I have
referred to a specific pencil when I said "the" but my
words are not clear about which one I wanted.
Now with respect to your question:
If there was only one song of Chi Le
then you should use "The Song of Chi Le". If there are
many songs of Chi Le and you have chosen just one at
random then you would say "A Song of Chi Li".
If there are several songs of Chi Le and you chose one
specific one, then you would have to add some more
information.
For example:
The Song of Chi Le about life in the country
Does that make sense to you?? Articles are very
complicated. In general just think to yourself...Am I
thinking of something specific or something in
general?
It is a common problem with all Asian languages since
the equivalent of "the" and "a" do not exist in these
languages.
Take care
Jim
A Good Comments and Friendly Offering From Michael F, Oct 4, 2005:
You web site is excellent. The fact that you have a bit if artist in your heart helps to make it look good.
Our next unofficial holiday is Halloween (October 31). If you are not familiar with this holiday, i will be happy to explain next E-mail.
Your Friend
Michael
A Friendly Comments From Moor, Canada, Oct 4, 2005:
Dear Shirly,
Compliment of your National Day and thanks for sending me the friendly greetings and keeping me up to date about details and culture of China. I qutie appreciate it!
Meanwhile, nice painting you have got!
Warmest Regards,
Moor
I Good Comments From Ray, The U.S. Oct 4, 2005::
Dear Shirley,
Thank you again for all the work you do to give me the weekly arts package, I truly love your works.
Take care,
Ray
A Friendly Comments & Information From Philippe, Frence, Oct 2, 2005:
Lovely, your 6th Friendly Greeting. I read the comments of your friends, among which a certain 'Philippe from Holland'. Actually, I'm not from Holland but from France. No matter. The pictures are gorgeous!
Enjoy your holiday and come back to us as soon as you can.
Philippe
Some Good, Friendly and Helpful Comments and Suggestions From Robert, The U.S. Oct 2, 2005:
Hello and highest of positive compliments to your overall artistic and creative; music, literature, paintings, photography, history, language, poetic expression, and the computer technology in presenting your love of the arts.
This very web site has given me endless hours of lovely sounding music that I meditate to, receive healing and listen, read and view for enjoyment. For example, my home in the mountains in Washington State USA, I get accustomed to listening to your voice and piano as I gaze out my windows at a beautiful picturesque and dynamic Mt Rainier and Mt St Helens. The feeling I get most often is relaxation, peace and calmness. So there is many other uses of your talents and creations that you possibly have no idea how they are being used. For me this is a wonderful technique of how to use your music and art to decrease stress, so I become focused and relaxed very open to whatever comes my way each day. Once again your entire website is welcoming to me, thank you.
If I could mention just one suggestion, I have thought of this many times for you and now I mention it for the benefit of others besides yourself. That is maybe create a Slideshow web page that incorporates your entire line of artistic creations.
The one I was referring to had a spiritual nature feel with full screen photographs of majestic places in the world with quotations and beautiful music like yours in the background. So this is a future project maybe you might consider and I would offer my abilities to help in this project of and when you choose to do so. similar to your successful newsletter.
Have a nice time where you are at and remember there are ones who care about you around the world, be safe and know that this person especially likes your presence.
Sincerely more than ever,
Robert
A Good Questions From Malcolm, Australia, Oct 2, 2005:
My Aunt and Uncle are not really our relatives, my mother's sister married a man - Garth, I call Garth my Uncle, and then her sister died and remarried a girl Marietta. So I call them aunt and uncle, what would I call
them in Chinese?
A Good Comments and Friendly Greeting From My Former English Teacher, Jon, The U.S. Oct 2, 2005:
Hi Shirley,
Happy National Day! Thank you for all of your e-mails and artwork. I enjoy looking at them. I still have the paintings you gave Kathy and I back in 2003. In fact, one is hanging on my wall right now.
Your Friend
Jon
A Good Information About Moslem Culture And A Friendly Suggestion From Ali, Iran, Oct 2, 2005:
Shirley, we all of the Moslems will go to the holy month Ramadzan that in this month, every person over youth ages will be in FASTING, It means that Moslems don't eat anything (Though the Water) from dawn till the sunset and then they do Iftaar, and eat their dinner, also before dawn they wake up and eat their breakfast then prayer and so on. We believe that FASTING clears our bodies and souls! It is similar to Christian FASTING but they don't eat the thing, which made by neat, blood, milk,?for 40 days. They eat only water, fruits, bread,?Ramadzan is according by a lunar calendar and may vary 29 or 30 days. It will be probably started on this Tuesday ( Related on to see moon in the sky at afternoon of Monday.)
I have combined some photos in two styles first the natures and the others about the new style the Fractional Art, and send to you. Could you differ them?
And now a suggestion to you:
Have you thought to do some combined styles to your paintings and innovate a new style like as this photo?
Yours sincerely.
Ali Amini
A Friendly Comments and Good English Lessons From Jim, Canada, Oct 2, 2005:
Hi Shirley;
I have read your newsletter over the past few weeks
and I especially like your paintings. I have always
liked your use of color.
I have some comments on your examples of english
sentences. They could be changed a little for easier
reading.
High oil price is threatening world economy's
development.
**better**
The high price of oil is threatening the world's
economic
developement.
A common problem with learning English is leaving out
articles in sentences. The sentences are usually
understandable without them but they do not flow
properly when they are read.
China will perhaps pay additional 10 billion USD
for the high
oil price（this year）.
**better**
The high price of oil will perhaps cost China an
additional
10 Billion USD this year.
The use of the article "an" before additional makes
the sentence much easier to read. I have also
rearranged the sentence a bit and eliminated the
brackets around "this year".
Too high gasoline price is affecting
people'normal lives.
**better**
The rising price of gasoline is affecting the
normal lives of
people.
Again the use of the article "the" makes the sentence
easy to read. I changed "too high" to "rising" again
for readability.
I like the poetry section of your website. I think you
know that I write poetry myself as a hobby and have
many poems published on the internet. I think that it
is very difficult to make a direct word-for-word
translation of a poem written in one language to
another. The emotion of the poem is often lost in this
manner.
I have taken the liberty of offering my version of
your recent poem based on your translation of the
words
A morning rain wetted the dust everywhere,
The inn and willows became more green and fresh.
Wish you drink another a cup of wine,
there will not be an old friend as soon as you go
out of the
west of the Yang Guan.
This is my version
The morning rain dampens down the dust,
The inn and willow seems more fresh and green,
Please drink another cup of wine.
I will miss my old friend as you journey west of
Yang Guan.
I think this fits the mood of the original poem.
Your friend
Jim
A Good Responding From Thomas M. The U.S. Sep 30, 2005
:
Dear Shirley,
I do enjoy your website. It must have been a lot of work. You did well, and it gives me the opportunity to know you better.
Sincerely,
Tom
A Good Cooments and Helpful Lesson From David, The U.S. on Oct 1, 2005Hello, Shirley,
I think the picture that I like best of yours is Let's Hug The Green. Its very beautiful. You could make a lot of money selling those kind of pictures here. I also like Look! What A Beautiful One She Is. I liked your comment that you didn't know what a deer's foot looked like so you hid them in the grass! The next time you're not sure of something like that, you should just make something up. Give your deer a duck foot!
Here is your English lesson for the day: "Pride" is something that you have, and "proud" is something that you are. Both words refer to the same emotion, but are used in different ways.
In one of your other writings, you made a similar mistake with the word "beauty" or "beautiful". Beauty is something that you have, and beautiful is something that you are. For example: "the lake has beauty" or "the lake is beautiful."
Dave
A Firendly Cooment From Philippe From France, Sep 30, 2005:
I received three copies of your 5th Friendly Greeting, all three of them were ready to read but in only one (the second one, I believe) I could read the pictures. These are, to my feeling, the most attractive and easily understandable features of your site. Thank you, Shirley. You are a buoyant and cheerful person who considers life from the positive site and this is quite helpful to people like me, who tend to depress while reading reports on war and famine and on natural disasters such as epidemcis, earth quakes, tidal waves, typhons...
Trustfully yours
Philippe
A Good Encouragement From Thomas Smith, The U.S., On Sep 29, 2005:
Hi, Shirley,
Many thankx for the newsletters and i send more this day...I have found your site to be most impressive and if you can add more paintings as time goes on ..you will be doing fine I see no way to improve on what I feel is most great...and if I can think of something I shall let you know.
Tom
A Good Comment From Joseph,U.K. On Sep, 29, 2005:
Hello and Hi Shirley, Thanks for the beautiful pic.in your site. I love them. I hope to learn how to draw from you one day,hahahaha.
Have a nice day and be blessed.
Your friend,
Joseph
A Goog Comment from Vincent, Malaysia,on Sep 28, 2005:
HI SHIRLEY,
ITS GREAT TO SEE YOUR BEAUTFUL POEM, I DO ENJOY THEM MUCH WITH THE PAINTINGS , I WILL BE LOOKING FORWORD TO SEE MORE, KEEP ON THE GOOD WORK GOD WILL FULLFIL YOUR DESIRE,
VINCENT.
A Good Comment from John. B, from , 2005:
Dear Shirley,
I am glad to read from you. Please your poem is such a nice one that i cannot resist going over it time and again.
John, B
A Good Comment From Michael F., The U.S., On Sep 27, 2005 :
I have enjoyed your newsletter.
I have read that China has sent significant aid to the U.S. for disaster relief. Many thanks to your country for this.
I am enjoying your newsletter and am hoping that perhaps I am not too old to learn some Chinese from your site. Keep it going and enjoy yourself.
Until next time
Michael.
A Good Comment From Frank, Australia on Sep 26,2005Thank you for your wonderful mails Shirley you are a very talented lady.
Best regards from Australia.
Frank
A Good Comment from Joe, the U.S. on Sep 26, 2005:
Dear Shirley, thanks for the nice web sites. It was so nice of you to include the hurricane and of me, of course. You are a very kind lady.
A Good Comment from Moor, Canada on Sep 26, 2005:
Dear Shirley, Compliment of the day and thanks for the 5th friendly greetings! It's quite amazing seeing a woman doing sure a great and wonderful art work. I quite appreciate it, take care and keep the good work going.
Best Regards,
Moore.
A Friendly Responding from Ran., the U.S. Sep 26, 2005:
Hello Shirley,Once again thank you for your charming and interesting newsletter.I appreciate it.
A Good Questions from Randy, the U.S. Sep 26, 2005:
Is the deer painting for sell, shirley?
Randy
A Good Comments From John, Belgium, Sep 26, 2005:
Hello, Shirley, I didn't answer yet your different mails from the last few weeks, but that doesn't mean that I didn't read your website and admired the beautiful paintings you make. I admire especially your free brush paintings.I like these fluent brush strokes. The other paintings are in a more decorative manner. This sort of painting is not so well-know by me, so it is difficult to give an appreciation. But one thing I can say, you have a wonderfull technique.
A Good reminding from Dave,The U.S. on Sep 26, 2005:
Hi Shirley,
There is a problem with anything that I "click" on in your emails. I can't get anything. When I "click on reply" then I can see some of your pictures. It is nice of you to include me in your mailing group anyway.
Have a great day.
Dave
A Friendly Couragment From Ray,The U.S. On Sep 26, 2005:
Dear Shirley,
Don't worry about the problems with your newsletter, it wasn't your fault, I'm just happy you do all this work so others can enjoy it. I love the singing parts & the paintings the best but all the artistice works you do are so good. I hope you don't tire yourself out with all this work & take time to relax.
Take care,
Ray
A Good Comment and Friendly Suggestion From Robert, the U.S., on Sep 25, 2005Shirley,
Wonderful, very refreshing to see your first creation and its a great one. I think you should paint more now of the female and male characters. Using what ever jogs your mind and being the creative individual that you are. Incorporating your beautiful other masterful paintings in the background. Excellent painting, thank you for sharing your artistic talents....
Robert
A Good Comment from Tom, The U.S. on Sep 23, 2005 :
Shirley , I was most impressed with what you are doing, but I have always been most impressed with all that you do ...even I as a male could not do what you are doing...
wish you well.
Tom
A Good Comments From Kostas, Greece, on Sep 23, 3005 The site is a patient work of high sensibility, thus respecting the web passenger. The latter will certainly get a lot from it, especially if he/she has an active interest in China, so exotics to many of us, yet closer after looking into Shirley's site. This looks complete enough, but hopefully she will go on with this work.
It is not easy to commend proposing improvements, some thought missing data have been found searching the site. However this may be realized after some time of "digestion".
Thanks!!!
Kostas
A Good Comment from David, the U.S., on Sep 1, 2005Hello Shirley,
I like your painting and music very much. You have a lot of talent. What are the original sizes of your paintings?
I am also going to try to put some of your language lessons on my MP3 player.
Dave
A Good Suggestion from Marcos, Spain on Sep 20, :
Hello, Shirley: I've received your newsletters and everyone is interesting and provide utile information for
foreigners. Your web is very complete (it would be fine a section on movies!) and I will shape with keeping track of.
Regards.
Marcos
A Good Comment from Dan, the U.S. on Sep 19, 2005 :
I really enjoyed the Gouache--0096 painting. You are able to capture birds in flight. All your paintings look fine to me. You mentioned white lines because of two different paints in 0097, to the untrained eye such as mine, they are beautiful. Only the painter is so critical.
Have a good night.
Dan
A Question From Joe on Sep 18, the U.S.:
Dear Shirley, I got your newsletter. I have a question about moon cakes. What are they made from? Rice?
Hope all is well and hear from you.
Joe.
A Friendly Wish From Golden, Canada on Sep 15, 2005 :
Hello Shirley!
I like your web site. Lots of nice things to see...It's good to be busy with artistic projects...
Gordon
A Good Comment and Friendly Wish from Jesse, the U.S. on Sep 11,2005 :
Hi. So nice of your painting your song and your website, they are really charming. Best wish to you and your arts.
Jesse
A Good Comments From Jack, the U.S. on Sep 11,2005:
Hello Shirley - I love your website, also I love your art.
Jack
A Friendly Suggestions from Micheal, The U.K. Hello SHIRLEY, Thanks for information on China it would be nice if you sang one of your songs in English or perhaps I will write some words for you to add music.
Micheal
A Friendly Comment From Moor, Canada on Sep 5,2005 :
Dear Shirley, Thanks so much for the wonderful greetings sent to me! I quite appreciate it and the Chinese painting, Chinese classical poem and Chinese pop song!!!
Keep it up!
Moore.
A Friendly Comment and Good Question from Mora on Sep 3,2005:
I would love to receive your newsletter.
What is gong bi painting? Your painting is very beautiful --you are very talented.
Mira
A Friendly Comment From Jim From Canada on Sep 1, 2005 :
Hi, Shirley, Your website is expanding, I see. There are a lot of interesting pieces to read and view. Your art is of
course very well presented. I always did like your paintings.
Jim
Some Good comment, Friendly Suggestion And Help From Mike, U.K. on Sep 1,2005:
Hi, Shirley, I have received your latest newsletter. I really like your peonies and I enjoyed the article about the ancient poem and enjoyed listening to your song.
However, the piano on the latest song sounds louder than your voice and so it's sometimes difficult to hear the lyrics. I think it would be better if the microphone was nearer to your mouth when you are singing so that you could get a good balance between your voice and the piano, as you have done on your other songs. Bye the way, I think that the song should be called "The Same Song” and not "A Same Song" for example, we would say we are singing "the same song"
I've attached my suggested corrections for your article on the poem "Die2 lian4 hua1"to this email; I do hope that you find them helpful. If there is a different approach that you would like me to take, that you feel would be more helpful to you with your English, please tell me, I will be happy to help in any way I can. :-)
Mike
A Good Suggestions from Glyn,the U.S. on Sep 1,2005:
Dear Shirley, My children have started school again and they are all learning Chinese, so if you start
working on a children's page for your web site I think that we would enjoy it. :-)
Glyn
Some Good Data And A Friendly Suggestions from Ali, Iran, On Aug 30, 2005:
Hi dear Shirley, When I was Studying the page of "Butterfly loves flowers" I got some similar subjects between your fable and the nations who live here, close to Iran and Mesopotamia land, (Between the rivers of Tigreh and Ephrate in Iraq nowadays), then write these text for you, I hope it is useful for you.
Another suggestion: Please change the format of voice files to another formats, which would be compatible for Windows Media Player (WMA) or Windows sounds Recorder (Wav) or MP3, to be useful for each version of systems.
A good suggestion from David, the U.S. on Aug 29 & Sep 3,2005:
Hello, Shirley, Since you taught Chinese literature, maybe you could recommend some good modern books that are in translation.
I also looked at your Language and Song sections on your website, and found it very interesting. I liked
how you wrote out the pinyin so that I could follow along.
Dave
A Good Comment from George, the U.S. on Aug 26, 2005Shirley,
Your picture is very beautiful. The two birds look like they are in love and are sharing their lives.
Sincerely,
George
A Good Comment and A Current Problem from Randy, the U.S., Aug 17, 2005:
Hi, Shirley,
I looked at your website again and see that it is getting better and better. However I think the language learning part is too hard for beginning students.
A Good Comment and Suggestion from Asai, the U.S. on Aug, 13, 2005 I like what you are doing. I would enjoy a more literal translation of more advanced English, to see how it works out in Chinese.
I enjoyed your pictures, thanks for all your hard work.
Asai
One Of Many Friendly and Helpful Directions from Bruce, the U.S. On July 30, 2005:
Hi, Shirley, you are right about "poem" vs. "poetry." I would put it this way:
A poem is a single distinct work of literature. "He wrote a poem." "The magazine published two of my poems."
Poetry refers to this form of literature. "Some poetry rhymes, and some does not." It is also used to say that something is elegant and refined. "Her ice skating is pure poetry."
You could say, "I am going to translate some poems" or "I am going to translate some poetry." The first indicates that you will translate more than one complete poem. The latter could mean that you are going to translate anything from a single line from a poem to parts of many poems to
many complete books.
Bruce
