How are you?

Today is the dragon boat festival ( Duanwu Jie ? duān wǔ jié) in China. Most of Chinese are enjoying a long weekend for 3 days (the national vacation for 1 day plus the weekend.

As a student in Chinese National Academy of Arts, I have had no the conception of “Vacation”, added the sharp stomachache in the night, I got up at 4:30am, started my writing to introduce the origin and the main evens on the dragon boat festival, while to update my web site.

The good thing is after I wrote for about 3 hours, the stomachache reduced.

After handing in the graduate art works June 8, 2012, we would have the study time for 5 weeks before the second semester is finished on July 12 or 13, 2012.

In my heart, I did want to go back home ahead, since my doctor requested me to have a biopsy for some of my health indexes has been abnormity and a little bit dangerous after 2 surgeries for changing it normal in the passed 2 years; while the life conditions is getting worse ? the hotel I live has been informed to stop its business until the end of June, even though the deals of its guests include mine should be expired in Sep., more restaurants have been closed in the same street. The school told us our next class year will spend in the same building, but, since the area will be pulled down for a new building plan, I do not dare to sign any new lease to hire a new place since my current lease is useless before it expires. :- )

The worst thing is some dreams that I have been making for several years, as the biggest hope to support me to study, think and make explorations while to fight with the sicknesses, to design and improve myself have been ended in vain one by one, so that suddenly, I do not know what I should do and where I should go, tears often flow down my face, sometimes, I could not control them when I was painting in the classroom...

However, in my mind, I know very clear, no matter what have happened or will happen in the world or in my life, when 99.99% of the things do not work as my wish, there is still 0.01% thing I can grasp and rely on. That is just myself, my own effort, sincerity and my own actual work.

Just like I have experienced before I completed the 2nd book of our series books in 1995 ? I went to my office to design it and to edit its outline on the weekend, the serious headache stopped my work once and once, so that sometimes, I did not feel I could go through over the too hard time.

However, before giving up the job that no one requested me or forced me to do, but I felt it would be meaningful and helpful to the common investors in China, as I have felt on my current project now, I asked my two associate department managers -- Mr. Liu Shaotao who is a general manager of a fund now, Mr. Shen Xuejun who is a senior engineer in Canada now, whether both of you wanted to publish this series books with me? If you did, please help me, to work from founding and improve our information and data database system with me together, Otherwise, let us give up it. Their answer was Yes.

Then, from having almost nothing, with the continuously efforts in our business time and as much as possible of our free time, included almost of our vacations (2 of my colleagues Mr. Zhang Quan and Ms. Shang Shumin gave up their marriage holidays on their own initiatives and 1 of my colleagues Mr. Zhao Yingfan did not go back home to accompany his wife when she was birth their baby), we found one of the best securities information database systems in China in 90’s. Except daily pages in the newspaper, every year, we worked together, to publish a new book in the May Day Vacation since 1994 to 2000.

During the process, I completed my graduate courses in the best economy institute in Fudan University in Shanghai, completed the transformation from language and literature field to the economic field, instead of using painkillers almost every day, I did not used it very often since 2000, and all of my former colleagues are working on some important positions now.

So, I am sure the Darkest Hour Is the Nearest Dawn. Now, it is quite hard because of my health, exploration and a new “Career ”in a totally new field. If I give up it, I can live a comfortable life in China or in Australia, and need not suffer the so many hard times, but, I will not see the beautiful sunrise in my heart forever; if I keep holding on it, maybe I can create something helpful and meaningful for more people as I had felt and wanted to do in the past most difficult time. During the process, as a little firefly, I would may be able to glitter my limited life for a not very big, but quite meaningful work.

As long as I have done my best, even though I cannot meet the dream to be true when I am alive, I will not have any pity in my life.

With this idea, instead of going back home as many of my schoolmates have done, I am one of the few students who keep working in the classroom no matter business days, weekends or vacations, no matter it is business time or free time, every day work until the building is locked, sometimes jump out of the window at about 11:00pm or 11:30pm.

With a peaceful heart, this week, I have painted 5 new paintings below and hope they will bring you a big smile.

How do you think of my idea? Do you have any thing special to share in the week?

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
June 23, 2012