How are you? Have you had a good week? I do hope you had and you are enjoying your weekend.

When I counted how many days I had not written to you, I was surprised. It was just 12 days, how did I think it had been for years? Maybe for I experienced too many things: a series of empty stomach checks at a hospital, a new surgery to remove something from my stomach, a high fever, a sharp headache; a hard talking and refused with thanks to work as a general manager of a company; another hard talking and refused to accept the capital assistance from my family member, negotiated and continued to do my web site upgrade design; took my new visa back and prepared to start for a new travel...

If saying, I did not think that I could bear the ache in my stomach again; I thought I would be dead when I suffered the continuous headache day and night. :-)

Anyway, now, everything has gone over. Even though I do not think the new surgery has refreshed me as I had felt before, even though I still felt difficult to talk or to walk with something weight in my hands, I have really re-stood up and I have re-started to paint for 3 days.

As a so lucky person who have had the opportunity to study at 8 universities, I do hope to work as much as possible and I do hope to help more people and this world with what I have learned and thought.

Something most excited was: I have gotten an important written Review Summary Report from the most authoritative department in the field of Chinese as a foreign language – the Office of Chinese Language Council International and the Confucius Institute Headquarters from Beijing.

Here is the their estimate of the worthiness of my book and DVD 《诗·画·乐：综合艺术汉语》(Together with Me, Learn Chinese Culture and Language by Enjoying Paintings, Music and Poetry):

III. Worthiness:

The conception of the book is novelty.

From the perspective of foreign language teaching, the publication has combined the graphics, essays, recitations, singing audio and various forms, it has offered the overseas Chinese learners a natural, convenient and artistic approaches to learn Chinese and Chinese classical culture .

The commendable is: the translations of the poems, the paintings, recitations and singings were all completed by Shirley Yiping Zhang itself, it undoubtedly reflects her good knowledge background and a high artistic and acqierement level.

From the perspective of cultural transmission, with an innovation style, the author created music, paintings for the classical poems, and she wished to endow the ancient Chinese traditional poetry and painting some totally new transmitting forms to deliver Chinese culture abroad should also be worthy of recognition.

三、价值

本书立意新颖。作者张一平女士结合自身专业和兴趣，从多年的外语学习和文化艺术研修经验出发，以中国古典诗歌艺术为载体，创作了这套集合诗歌赏析、绘画、音乐的跨文化综合艺术产品。
从对外汉语教学的角度来看，该出版物图文结合，形式多样，又兼备朗读和歌唱音频，能够为海外的汉语学习者提供一种自然、便捷、艺术地学习汉语和中国古典文化的途径。难能可贵的是，其中的诗歌翻译、配画、朗诵及演唱均由张女士个人完成，这无疑体现出作者丰富的知识背景以及较高的才艺水平。
从文化传播的角度来看，作者创新地为古代诗歌配乐、配画，希望在互联网时代为中国诗画这一古老的传统艺术形式赋予全新的传播形式，其探索中国文化艺术在海外传播新途径的尝试也应该值得肯定。

With a quite sincere style, they have also pointed some problems in my works, and gave me some very helpful suggestions and advice.

If saying, I was really happy at the time I got the long letter and the Report from Ms. Wang Jinhong from the Division of Teaching Materials of the Office of Chinese Language Council International and the Confucius Institute Headquarters; Then, I was so touched because of the extremely responsible work style and the efficiency of the Chinese Government body.

From the short touching with Ms. Yuan Li, Ms. Liu Yan and Ms. Wang Jinhong from the General Affairs Division and the Division of Teaching Materials of the Office of Chinese Language Council International and the Confucius Institute Headquarters, from their patient responding over the phone call, their kind cell phone messages and emails, I did see how the current Chinese government officers work – as soon as they got my book and DVD, they delivered them to some publishing house and arranged some experts to review them, then they gave me the formal Report August 20, 2013.

What they had done for me, really gives me much more confidence in Chinese goverment and my motherland. 

With an appreciated heart, I read the letter and report from Ms. Wang Jinhong seriously, and then I made an important decision:

I am going to extend my upcoming visiting in America, to complete the two drafts of two new books that the publishing house wished me to write ( one of them is the Volume Two of the current book and DVD series, it will be written in English, with music, Chinese Poems and Chinese Paintings together; the other is a new book series, to introduce something about American culture with my own experience, it will be written in Chinese or bilingual languages) on the mainland of the United States.

So, after having the 7th surgery since 2009 and the 3rd surgery in my stomach, instead of staying in the hospital for 5 or 7 days, I asked the doctors allowing me to go back home on the third day (anyway, I know I was wrong. :-))

Now, I have listed the poems in my second book of the series books and I have had the idea how to match the music and the paintings for the poems...

During I am writing in the US, I am going to at least one elementary school, two middle schools, one high school, one art council and one university, to show the local American friends and students how to read, sing and enjoy some Chinese Poems with my own style, and how to paint some traditional Chinese Paintings... Meanwhile, I am going to attend some religion and English lessons there, to improve my English level and understanding about American culture, to record what I have seen and felt in the far away land, to bring something best back China and Chinese people.

I am trying to do my best to be a little, but a true bridge between Chinese and Western culture, art and language.

At the same time, my work partner – Mr. Charlie Quan Zhang will hold the project to upgrade our little web site www.ebridge.cn and update it to be a better Electronic and English bridge online.

The road is winding and hard to go, the future is bright and full of the hope. We will do our best to pursue a beautiful dream with our work down to earth...

If you have any idea, advice and suggestion to me; if you, your school or organization wish to get some Chinese poetry and painting lessons during I am in USA; if you or your friends would like to rent an apartment nearby Missouri State University for a few months, you are welcome to connect me.

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 Exchange, Chinese Culture and Language Learning & Friendship Making. To help the others while to improve myself.

I would 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.

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Sep 01, 2013