Happy Valentine's Day! and hope my greeting is not too later.

Today is the 138th day that I am in the US. This week, I have past the 4th lesson ? Quantitative Methods Decision Making. My grade has not been given, but my average mark of the 3 examinations is 90 and the presentation of my group has gotten good comments. Our professor Dr Nancy Keith said that she would use our project report on the corporation’s ethical policy as a model in her lesson.

During learning this lesson in the classroom while worked on the project out of the lesson, we have not only learned how to design survey questionnaires, how to collect, order, calculate the sampling data, use statistics software of SAS to make and analyze table, write report according to the theory that we have learned. We have also learned how to work in the groups, how to organize, direct and lead a survey as Dr. Nancy Keith showed us. We were touched by her responsible, patient and responsible work, we were touched much more by her thoughtful and considerate ? Knowing English is our second language, she spoke as slowly as possible, often asked us whether we were with her, in case she found someone was difficult to catch her, she stopped for a few minutes and to copy her added handouts for us in person... during the university was closed because of the heavy snow and icy weather, she did not forget to remind the students who had taken their children here to be more careful for walking.

As a female student, I am impressed by the only female professor of our courses. From Dr. Nancy Keith, I have seen how an American female professor works, what an American knowledgeable lady’s kind, grace and beautiful quality is. It will certainly leave in my memory forever.

Besides studying, painting a picture, translating a Chinese folk song and singing it, this week, I have also thought and done something else.

First of all, I have thought 3 topics that I would like to write:

1. The lamp light in the middle night ? to write why I decided to leave in my new apartment after I came back from San Francisco.
2. Something same or similar in the different cultures ? to write something touched me in the US and in China with same way.
3. My American/Chinese Tutor ? to write how my tutor helped me to pass the most difficult two courses when his foot was hurt seriously.

Secondly, I have read the handout of the Writing Center of the university and I will go there to ask direction on my writing in English. I am also thinking that whether it is possible to attend one or two lessons in English department and art department as an auditor, to learn how translate Chinese poem and lyrics into English, how to paint with Western style…

Thirdly, this week, I have experienced many things related to my car.

Last Friday, I drove a schoolfellow to a town -- Nixosn to attend his driving license test. On the road, my car showed a sign of “check”. So, I sent it to an Auto Repair this Friday afternoon by the guide of a classmate who just bought his car same afternoon in the same place. After driving for about 30 minutes, he stopped and told me that he had lost his way. When we made a telephone to the Auto Repair, a beautiful American girl went to us to ask whether we needed help. Then she talked to the Auto Repair over the telephone, to show us how to go, even, she drew a picture for us. Before we leave for the place, for making sure, she called the Auto Repair once more, then, she told us which side of the street that place was. With a grateful heart to the kind American people, I continued my driving, but I did regret that why I did not ask her name?

After we sent the car into the Auto Repair, it was getting dark. My classmate drove me back home. Suddenly, we saw some lights of a police car behind us. Did not know what had happened, but we stopped our car by the road according to our limited knowledge to give the road to any police car. But, as soon as I jumped down the car, a policeman went to me and asked me go back to sit down. Then he asked my classmate to shake his window down and asked him why he did not turn on his lamp, whether he had his drive license, insurance and title and so on… For my classmate just got his car, then he went out to be my guider, all of his documents were in his home except a Chinese drive license and a student card. Then the policeman asked us to wait in the car… after about 15 minutes, he came back with a piece of paper. He told my classmate that he could go now, but he should ask someone in the university to explain what this paper said, and to learn how to drive his new car, at least know to turn on his lamps.

Ha, since I came to the US, I have been feeling strange that I had never seen any policeman except in the society security bureau, now I have seen one finally, but with so polite style and many smiles. Yes, if he was not in his uniform, I would think that he was a young university student.

Then I experienced a more funny thing to learn to wash my car by myself Saturday afternoon.

Anyway, it has been Monday morning and I started to work on this letter at 4:30 am -- the serious cold with fever since Saturday night made me sleep for whole of the Sunday, and the trouble of my car, plus the trouble of my microphone, spend much time of my Saturday so that I could not send this letter to you to say “Happy Valentine's Day” until now. I am sorry for that.

How are you? How did you spend your weekend and Valentine’s Day? Did you have anything special in the past week?

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 will 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
Sat, Feb 15, 2009 From USA