How are you? Have you had a good weekend week? I do hope you have and enjoy the new days.

How are you? Have you had a good new week? I do hope you have and enjoy the last half of the week.

Today is the 45th day that I am in the US. I would really like to write something for there are too many feelings in my heart right now.

A piece of good news is that my integrative scores of the first lesson, IT Project Management got “A” according to 15 items, include 2 closed examinations. I feel so happy for it, because it is really not easy for me; I feel so lucky for my classmates and me, because we have met our first American professor "Dr. Meinert", an assistant of the dean and his team. They are not only the first professor and tutors of us, they are also our “English teachers”, “American Culture and Life Guiders”, “Drivers” and even “Porters” ... From what he and his team have done, makes me see how American teaching staff work in person and often realize some reasons why the Manners and Behaviors of local people show a higher education and civilization level…

I met Dr. Meinert the first time onSep 28, 2008. He and 3 of his assistants picked us up at the local airport. The first thing I impressed was something that they had prepared for us, a data bag with a welcome letter, two maps of the campus and the city, a telephone book, a schedule of the following days, some guides of food, bank, transportation, everything is considerate and in a clear way. Knowing we lacked something to live in the dormitory, Dr. Meinert and his assistants carried our luggage into their cars. He drove one of the cars in person and sent us to Walmart. When we chose the commodity; he talked with his assistants while he guided us to buy here or there, including our dinner. Then they sent us to 3 or 4 places. As same as his assistants, he carried our luggage, met all of the students and told us when and where we should go tomorrow, what we would do in the next day in person. When we reached my dormitory, it was over 10:30 pm. Finding that there was no a curtain on one of my windows, Dr. Meinert carried something to cover it and he promised to resolve something that relates washer, dryer, cable and internet connecting. Quickly, in the follow several days, the realty company resolved them one by one.

I was touched by the first culture phenomena that I had seen at the first time when I just stepped on the land of the US. Yes. It was the first time that I saw a college leader and a professor to drive, to carry luggage and to arrange every details for their students this way…

Then, I was touched by what Mr. Meitert told us in the Orientation of the new students next morning. The most impression is something about academic honest and the nondiscrimination policy. Then I saw a how open, interacted and alive teaching style, how strict tests, assignments and examinations. Can you imagine? In the short first 1 month, we completed 1 paper, 2 closed examinations, 4 homeworks, 3 group tasks, 1 public representation, visiting a local middle and small enterprise's exhibition and the local Commerce Association. Via the first lesson, we have not only learned some management knowledge, but also, we have learned something about American culture. Especially, I felt that one of the great contributions of the American management scientists and enterprisers to the human being is that they have created so many new and interesting methods, such as quantitative analysis, special charts and many creative theories with the typical Westerner’s thinking styles and dimensions to make those complex things simply and be based on the more scientific foundation… They have really offered our Eastern students some totally new and good thinking perspective and hints to think, to study and to practise continuously in our future work and life…

The first lesson is short. Its influence will be for a long time. The direct influence is that I have decided to stay here to attend other lessons in the US. Meanwhile, it has given me so many new feelings, inspirations and ideas about the development of our company in China; so that I have completed 3 work reports while I am learning here and sent them back to China already.

Another thing that impressed me, is that Dr. Meinert and his team not only offers us the course and American culture in the classroom, they are also teaching us with their own work. Many of their jobs themselves are just some wonderful management lessons. Except the first file bag at the airport, I noticed that when we came into the college first morning, every one was given a piece of paper with our names in Chinese and English and our telephone number on it. Then in the afternoon, the little note was changed to be a piece of paper with our names with bigger size on it, and they were attached on our desk. Then in the next morning, the paper was changed to be some name cards of glasses/ plastic, all of the details made the professors, doctors, clerks and the classmates knew us quickly and conveniently. all of the little things made us feel warm, considerate and the level of the college.

The other thing that impressed me is that in almost every class and meeting, how Dr. Meinert and his team remain us to treat the English mistakes in our communication, how they pay more attention to protect the others faces and privacy. They did never point out what’s wrong we had done directly, but they worked with a very artistic style to show us how we should to do. I have seen, every time, when Dr Meitert, delivered a task paper with a mark on it, he always made the back of the paper forward to the other students; his assistant Anna, when she taught us to do something, she never said that you “should” to do this or that, but, she said that what she did usually; from these very little actions, I do have seen some good Western culture’s characteristics, to respect every one and to protect the others any time and anywhere.

So, now, when I get my first scores in the US, I do feel lucky enough for I have met Dr. Meinert and his team, as our first American professor and guiders to lead us to enter the gate of American culture and education. What they have done and showed will be remembered in our memory and be brought back to our far away motherland...

A piece of bad news in the first a half of this week is that I did not think that I had done a good job in the first closed examination of my second lesson -- Marketing Management Wednesday afternoon. As soon as I got the examination paper, I realized that I was wrong; I had known that we would be tested something about price and channels in the first examination and I had really read the two parts of my textbooks days ago. But, in the last 2 days, instead of reviewing them, I could not help reading something new in the other 4 chapters... until 11:30 pm Tuesday night, I was still reading something about marketing strategy, product's life cycle, the influence of the Internet to the marketing style and so on... I was so interested in them; I felt that they are helping me to open my eyes, to help me to realize some lessons in the past and current work of mine and our company, so that I am thinking of writing my 4th, 5th work report for the company in China as soon as possible...

I would like to suggest our company and cooperator to develop a Chinese Securities Dictionary base on our own search engine; I would like to write something about our company's marketing organization form; I am interested in the topics, how to make value-adding in the marketing process; when and how we should think of the new product's development, innovation, and update before the current >products enter their decline stage...

I was so happy to involve myself into the new lesson deeply. I forgot to pay more attention to the examination itself and to do a good review for it, so that when I read the paper, I felt that I had met them somewhere really, I did not make sure what I would answer 100%... Ha, a big lesson! I did feel sorry for I did not do my best for my own failing. Anyway, I am confident to do my best in the next examination with a big smile. After all, every thing in my text book and in the classroom is something that I should learn and must master, right?

How about you? Have you had any experience as me to involve yourself into something deeply, so that forgot something else that you must do at the first?
I am just a learner on that 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 little bit things with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Culture Exchange, Language Learning & Friendship. To help the others while to improve myself.

I appreciate your understanding, directions and supports. I do hope to get your friendly help...

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you are welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.cn or shirleyz004@yahoo.com, or to publish your opinions in the forum.

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Thur, Nov 13, 2008 From USA