How are you? Is everything good with you? I do hope that you are doing well and enjoying your weekend.

Today is the 284th day that I have been in the US.

Friday morning, I attended the examination of our 9th lesson -- Strategy Management by Dr. William J. Donoher. I wrote 12 piece of paper for 4.5 hours, until the professor required us to hand in the paper, I did not finish the analyses of the last case yet.

I have been interested in the topic since I worked on the company's strategy formulated in China in 2006. I wished to write a paper on the dynamic strategy management during I was in the US. So, I bought my textbook ahead for one week and I wanted to work on it as much as possible. Something unimaginable and mysterious happened in my life destroyed my peaceful heart, I had to spend much time on thinking and working on it. It is impossible for me to complete the original plan.

However, no matter what has happened, I did not stop my learning of business management, art, music, language and religion at all. Sometime, I was too pain to keep, I allowed the tears flowing for a while, then I washed my face and said to myself in the mirror -- you must keep concentrating yourself on the studying, to complete your mission. After all, you are shouldering some duties of your motherland and company gives you. You cannot let you bosses, colleagues, friends, and family members done…

By the much help from my professors, classmates and our Chinese Students' guardians, until today, in the past 284 days, I have not only completed 9/11 courses, but also, I have written 43 Shirley's American Traveling Diaries and 5 work reports for the company in China, created 23 paintings, translated, sang and recorded 19 Chinese/Italian songs in English and Chinese, attended 12 Religion lessons and some English lessons or English solo...

There are also several pieces of good news in the week:

The best news is: by the great help and direction of Dr. Booth and Mr. Yiren Zhou, my individual art exhibition will be held in Kentucky of the US, April to June, 2010.

The second good news is: a manager of our company in China has delivered the meaning that my boss is waiting for me to go back to work in the company as soon as possible.

The third good news is: today is my son’ 23 years old birthday. He will get his bachelor degree in Australia when I get my master degree in the US.

The fourth good news is that my little web site Shirley’s World has been keeping on No 1. on www.google.cn , No 7. on www.google.com, No 10, on www.yahoo.com within the 17.9 million, 18.7 million and 41.6 million web sites/pages, even though I am now in the US and I have to reduce much work on it.

A good friend has asked me: what or whom do you attribute your success?

My answered is:

-- Times. If I worked in the China's Culture Revolution times, I would not do anything even though I worked hard as same as I do now.

-- Opportunity. Many people are living somewhere that not developed, even though they are working hard as me, they could not do same thing as I do in Shenzhen -- the most open place of China and in the US. Many people are working very hard, they have not met the good times, good bosses and guilders as I have met in my professional, art and music fields.

-- The leading, support and help from my bosses, teachers, colleagues, friends and family members. If there were no them; I would not be able to do anything by myself.

-- Personal consistently effort, I often work harder than most of people, my home's light is latest off and earliest turn on; I keep doing every thing for a long time, no matter it is a big job or a little thing. I believe that as long as we keep doing anything for a long time, time will give us a return fairly.

How about you? What or whom do you attribute your success?


I am just a learner on art of painting, music, English and Chinese language, 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 Culture Exchange, Chinese Language Learning & Friendship making. To help the others while to improve myself.

I would like to appreciate your understanding, directions, supports and hope to get your friendly direction and help.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you are welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.cn or Yiping007@MissouriState.edu, or to publish your opinions in the forum.

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Sun, July 12, 2009 From USA