How are you? Are you enjoying a good new week?

It is for 14 days since I wrote to you last time. In the past 14 days, I have done mainly three kinds of things and made some big decisions.

The main jobs I have done in the past 14 days:

First of all, I have been to Guangzhou and visited President Xu Yixiong (He is on the 4th photo) of Jinan University Press and the General Manager Jin Fengqiang of the marketing company of the publishing house. We had a friendly discussion for 3 hours and President Xu and their office director invited me to have a lunch while appointing an editor to connect with me.

I was happy that President Xu agreed with me to have a cooperation for a long time, maybe for 10 years or more. :-)

Secondly, via Wei-Chat, I have met about 80 former colleagues in Securities Times Newspaper Office which I worked for 8 years and had good talks with several groups.

-- March 4, Mrs. Shang Shumin (she is on the 3rd photo on the right), Mrs. Li Qingzhen (she is on the 3rd photo on the left) who were the members of my former department since 1993, they invited me to have a dinner in a 5 stars hotel for they would like to thank me for they have become graduates of universities and senior editors, got marry in Shenzhen and had lovely children from a graduate of junior middle school and a graduate of college. :- )

Mrs. Li Qingzhen is also the person who helped me to send my application data to China Central Academy of Fine Arts before I went to the hospital to have the third surgery in 2010 and also it was she who waited for me out of the operation room since the hospital required a “family member” there for I had accepted a general anesthesia.

-- Feb 28, Mr. Zhang Shuliang who was my former assistant, one of department managers of Shenzhen Securities Information Company and a current department manager of an affiliate of China Securities Regulatory Commission in Beijing who has helped me a lot when I was in Beijing and Shenzhen, even it was him to find a company of his classmate to look after /drive my car when I was not in Shenzhen, he invited me to have a lunch before he left for Beijing.

-- March 8, the former Executive Editor in Chief Wang Jindong (he is on the first photo on the right) of Securities Times Newspaper Office who was my former direct boss and his wife Mrs. Li Guiru (she is on the first photo in the red clothes in the middle) who is the former director of the Area of Pearl River Delta of China Youth Daily invited me to have a lunch.

I was so happy that an Associate Editor in Chief Gong Yuntao (she is on the first photo in the black clothes) attended the lunch.

I was surprised and felt lucky enough for Mr. Liu Shaotao(he is on the first photo on the left, and he is on the second photo) who was my former assistant -- Associate Director of Information and Data Department of Securities Times Newspaper Office and a current general manager of a fund company, hed did not only attended the lunch but also it was he who would like to help me to publish a new book by offering capital support.

March 9, Editor in Chief of New Fortune Xue Changqing(she is on the 5th photo) and I had a good talk and both of us had the thoughts: It was really a regret that we didn't meet sooner. I was so moved for she asked me how much capital I need and her company would like to offer some.

Two strong feelings jumped into my mind when I was in her office: Her New Fortune was not only the top magazine in Chinese Capital Market, but also it has had a wonderful application on information technology; I myself has been a laggard no matter on thought style or on the application of the internet technology. I must work harder to follow up the steps of the times.

March 11, I called Chair Lin Bin of the Association of Australian Chinese Schools, we had a talking for 108 minutes, he taught me so much about his thoughts and research in the field of Chinese as the second language and the topic on Chinese culture in the foreign countries. Both of us would have another talk after thinking of the topics we are interested.

March 12, President Wang Shiqin (he is on the 6th photo) of Shenzhen Newland Securities Consult Company who has had his Doctor of Economics in 80’s and he was my guider and first teacher in Chinese Securities Industry.

March 7 to 12, Mrs. Zeng Qiang who is the former head of the research department at a college in Beijing introduced me to know a senior manager who has rich experience in the field of Chinese as the second language. We had a good talk. Also, I connected Mr. Gao Tengyue who is a general college of a Painting Academy in Beijing and hoped they bring some of my series books into Canada.

Thirdly, I have re-started the music jobs since last Thursday because of the good help from Mr. Liu Shaotao.

March 10, Professor Meng Waiye(he is on the last photo) who is my third music coach (graduated from Central Conservatory of Music, a guest music professor of Guangxi Academy of Arts and a bass baritone singer) came to my home. We discussed the music jobs which we must do in 2016, the budget and the schedule.

He will do something below:
-- To check 38 piece of the music score I had created for Chinese classical poems which I have created paintings for them;
-- To change my numbered musical notation to be staff and digital files;
-- To coach me singing and completing the record;
-- To find recording studio;
-- To accompany for me in the music studio.

I was so moved for he would like to come to my home to coach me, and he will give me a discount 70%. I mean he will just charge me 30% of his normal price.
Do you know? Professor Meng is one of the best music teachers in Shenzhen City, his best students have been admitted to Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi di MILANO (Milan Conservatory), Italy, all of his students can enter conservatories of music and some students learn from him by airplane regularly. He needs not to have me as his one of students if he just works for money, he would really like to help me and my cross-culture and comprehensive art.

Anyway, also I have told him with a joke style over a phone call -- never lose his temper in the music studio as he had done. Do you know? In China, a teacher or a parent can call a student’s name or lose his or her temper and be considered a normal style since they care for their student or child and hope to push the student or the child making progress. But, I couldn’t accept it so that I did my record with tears sometimes in the music studio in Sept, 2012 and I sworn that I would not work with him again.

But, later, when I was in the calm, I knew in Chinese cultures, the more serious teacher, the more better teacher. I am sure that Professor Meng Weiye is the No. 1 music teacher in Shenzhen, so, I have talked with him with a joked style and I guess, along with the time, we will certainly have a better cooperation.

I have delayed the time going back Beijing, but stay in Shenzhen to work on 4 things:

-- To study, research and work out an Outline of the Business Plan for my cross-culture and comprehensive art project/ dream.

Originally, in my 10 year-plan, I should do it in 2017. But since I have completed my main jobs that I should done until 2017, meanwhile, the reality “forces” me to start the job ahead.

Anyway, I will not work on it in a hurry, but I have found a Wei-chat group and invited 22 of my best friends and guiders who are the elites in different industries and hope to study, research and discuss together, to make an outline of the business plan before I leave for the US.

Besides to discuss in the group, I have done and I will discuss with someone regularly and try to push the work forward. I do hope it will be a crystallization of collective intelligence.

-- To prepare my new course in OTC since Jan, 2017. This is the most important work I must do my best in 2017. So, I must spend time enough on the prepared job. So, you cannot what were in my suitcase from the US to China. They were just two things: A computer and a big size and heavy book with 1197 pages.

Besides study something new every day, I have sent some data to some professors and experts in some Chinese Universities and College and hope to get their help and directions.

During the process to teach, I hope to write another book with these friends and experts together.

I would really like to create a unique course which not only includes Lecture, but also includes Experiences – to lead students to enjoy and to experience Chinese culture, arts and language… I am sure I will do it well under the leading of Mrs. Kat Allie in the USA, and the help of so many friends and experts in China and in Australia.

-- To complete the record of some music that I have created, as a part of the cross-culture and comprehensive art project.

-- To order the content of the second and three volumes of my last series – 诗画乐 综合艺术汉语 Together With Me, Learn Chinese Culture and Language by Enjoying and Experiencing Painting, Music and Language that I had written already in Feb, 2015.

-- To study English for taking part in the English examination in Beijing even though I have no time to do it at all. If I cannot pass it, I will apply to be a visiting scholar for the tutor will be better because he or she will be a professor who is the tutor of the doctor students. The problem is I should stay in Beijing for another one year, but if I pass the English examination, I will be able to write my dissertation in the US.

So, even though I feel pity for I will miss the opportunity to create 2 big size paintings in my mind in Beijing, I must do these more important things in Shenzhen. Because, if I go to Beijing, I can only make progress on painting and lose on more things. If I stay in Shenzhen, I will lose only two paintings (for I had studied most of the courses already so that I would attend the repeated courses ) but lose too much.

Can you imagine? The price of real estate in Shenzhen has soared so much so that apartment price in my district has reached about 80,000 RMB/meter, about 12,403 US Dollars / meter because it is in a golden place. This has really scared me so much, so that I am worrying about the economy development situation of China, but, it is true. So many people advise me to sell it or rent it. My answer is No, because it is my “port” and home in China. No matter where I am in the world, I am in a stable heart because I can retreat at any time when I feel tired or bad. No matter how long I leave from it, as long as I come back, I can create most things for my root here. Just like now, when I am writing in my little bookroom, I feel my thoughts is just like a river flowing from my fingers, it is impossible to do the same thing in anywhere else. Also, as soon as I am in one of my halls, I am in the mood to paint.

A strong feeling that the price on everything so high that I do not think I can stand. But, yesterday, I found a letter that the government had added some of my pension since last September. Although it cannot catch up the speed of the price, I did feel very well for the former. :- )

I am lucky enough that my former classmate Mr. Zhu Bin is still working on my house in the USA and he has completed my new painting board and completed about 50% of the floor of my kitchen.

So, now, the strongest feeling is that God looks after me always, many things I did not expected have happened, there are 2 companies would like to support me by offering money within 3 days. It sounds like God has arranged so many good persons at every phase of my life. I would really like to cherish my luck and to offer what I have learned and I have had, to help more people and this world.

How about you? Do you have anything special to share?
I am just a student on Arts of Painting, Music, English and Management, to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do somethings with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Cross - Culture and Comprehensive Arts, Language & Friendship. To help the others and this world while improving myself and realizing my own value of life.

I would really 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.

Sincerely,

Shirley Yiping Zhang
March 14, 2016 (American Local Time)