How are you? Have you had a good new week? I do hope that you have and live and study with a big smile.

Today is the 30th day that I am in the US. I started this letter at 8:00 am last Saturday. I would like to continue it right now.

I thought today is Wednesday -- my second closed examination time. So, I got up early and started to read my textbook at 6:00 am after sleeping for 3,5 hours. As usual, I divided my last several hours and my reading content into 3 parts, to complete every part within a certain time ? I arrange my reading speeding or style (fact, carefully or scan) according to my time. Then I reached the class building before 1:00 pm. When I wanted to push the door, I just found that the students were not my classmates at all. I was getting worried about I was later to attend the examination, since the examination room had been changed. So, I called my tutor in a hurry. She was confused for my question then I just realizes today is Tuesday. Wow! My God! How could I make a so funny mistake? Maybe I am too busy?

Yes. My brain is full of many things. Except attending lessons, examinations, writing paper, fixing my new home, I am thinking of something about company’s work in China. In the past 30 days, I have written 2 work reports for our companies in China, to offer some suggestions and thoughts about company’s work. Last night, I also accepted a task to start a document on an important international cooperation as soon as I hand in my paper on Friday.

Every day, I work for a long time and sleep for about 5 hours while I have been suffering the teeth ache since September. However, my emotion is getting stable and peaceful more and more. I have also made a big decision ? to keep staying here to study for 1 year. Oh, now, there will be 11 months.

So, I decided to buy a car. With the good help of two tutors and two classmates, I chose a TOYOTA ? Solara and signed the buying contract with a dealer last Saturday. I will take it back this Thursday if not anything special happens. A bad news is, that it is said that my car would not be applied insurance before I changed my Chinese drive license to an international one. So, I am not sure that whether I can drive it back yet on Thursday. Anyway, I am in a good psychology -- If I can drive here, I will save much time and live will be easier; If I can not drive here, I will save money and to reduce safety risk. Both of the results are all good.

With the kind consideration, the college drove our freshmen to Walmart last Friday. I bought a TV, a printer/copier/scanner, two tables and a vacuum, even though I have not fixed everything ok, I feel my life quality has been improved. That really inspires me that I should buy a vehicle to improve my life quality while to help the other classmates who need help, to concentrate my time and energy on something more meaningful...

Maybe you are surprised that since you have been in the US already, why you said that you just made a decision? In fact, I had not wanted to stop my career in China for 1 year. I feel guilty because I have brought some lose for the company -- I left for the US at the key time when a series of products by both of our company and a US company just to be put into the market. Meanwhile, I did not want to leave my comfortable life, painting and music learning and my birds…I did not think that I had prepared enough to come to a Western country before I have retried. I felt the opportunity cost is too high.

However, I was too busy, traveling two continents within 2 months, flying to 4 cities within 6 days, being in the office to work before starting the traveling to come to the US 2 days. I had not time enough to think of all of the things and to prepare my own traveling; until now, my home telephones, cable and car have not been dealt with yet. So, since I got my visa on September 9, I reached the US on September 28. Whole of my brain was full of work and learning so that I could not involve myself into the travel. Until I reached the local airplane and lived into my little apartment, I just realized that I have been in a new culture really. At the same time, I wandered that whether I had made a mistake or I had made a good choice. With this psychology, I did not choose to rent for my apartment for 1 year as the other classmates did. I was thinking whether I should go back China soon.

However, along with the time, what the local people have done for our Chinese students and me, what I have seen, felt and learned from the local culture ? high level education and good social civilization, friendly and kind people, great harmonious between nature and human being, responsible managers, warm clerks and hardworking workers. The deep consideration and good support from my company in China; especially, the strict and wonderful education styles, opening and wonderful studying atmosphere, are all helping me to change my ideas, to make me decided to keep staying here for 1 year, not only for completing my studying, to improve myself, but also to stand the mission. To bring back the advanced Western management theory and experience, the excellent parts of in the US cultures and the exotic feelings to China, to help my motherland, people and company.

I had written a few long paragraphs to talk my feelings about the education and teaching styles here in the US. I have to prepare my examination and paper right now. So, I will continue to write to you soon.

How about you? Did you enjoy the life to live and study in the other cultures?

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
Tue, October 28, 2008 From USA