How are you?

Today, when I wanted to find some suitable words to express the meaning of "without being noticed" and "absorption". I just found the word Absorption itself has the two meanings. With a big smile, I have used it as the title of this letter to you. : - )

Do you know why?

Last November, when I was in Springfield, MO, USA, a little part of one of my teeth suddenly dropped, so that my tongue ached and bled for the edge of the tooth cut my tongue often.

I knew I needed help from a dentist. Anyway, it was the Thanksgiving vacation; I would like to go back China before Christmas and I did not want to make troubles for the others. So, instead of telling this thing to anyone else, I myself held the ache. Even though my return travel was delayed to March 4, 2014 for the art exhibition at OTC in Feb, 2014, I did not tell anyone else about the ache on my tongue and the blood often in my mouth in the morning.

So, as soon as I came back China March 6, I went to see my dentist on March 7, then I went back Beijing March 9, 2014.

The day before yesterday, I felt that my tongue ached once more and I felt almost all of my teeth cut it, so that I wanted to see my dentist yesterday. However, when I started to work at 5:45a.m.yesterday morning, I did not feel any ache on my tongue and I did not feel the teeth cut it again. I was so surprised about it that I recalled what happened to me the day before last night. Then I remembered that I had a balsam pear / bitter melon that I did not want to eat at all. Just for I went to the supermarket later, there was no many choices, I had to buy it as one of my dishes. Maybe it was just it helped me?

After I checked something about balsam pear / bitter melon online, I just knew that balsam pear / bitter melon is a Traditional Chinese Medicine. Not only has it the ability to clear detoxification and anti-inflammatory, but also it can prevent cancer and lower blood sugar.

Then I realized the ache on my tongue this time just because of the blisters on it since I has been traveling in a hurry and to deal with something tough in a worrying heart.

With a big smile, I could not help thinking: In this world, there are too many things unbeknown by us. We do not know them, do not mean they are useless and unhelpful. Therefore, before we learn, study and research them deeply, we should not deny it simply.

Things are same in the combination of human civilization – I am sure, along with the development of Internet and modern technology, the combination of different cultures and nations will be a trend which cannot be halted. When a person, an organization or a country starts to respect, learn and adsorb something good and helpful from the other people, the other organizations and the other nations with an open mind, and work down to earth, they would certainly become the strongest individual, organization and country in the world

As a lucky student who has re-stood up after experiencing the tests of death and sicknesses, I do feel that I have an obligation to learn from both of the other cultures and my own culture, to service more people and this world. Therefore, I have applied a new study opportunity on the other side of the Ocean as soon as I had completed the study in China.

The good news:

-- I was lucky enough that I have been recommended by 5 angels of the God: 2 art professors from China and America; 1 university leader and 2 sponsors of my first art exhibition from the USA.

-- When I painted the long scroll – The 88 Immortals May to June, 2011, I could no stand by a table or a painting board for over 10 minutes, could not walk if I did not attach a wall and I could not carry any things in my hands (my waist would ache). But now, when I am painting the same painting July to August, 2014, not only can I walk normally, stand up to paint for a long time, but also, I can carry more than 10 kilograms things in my hands.

-- Now in Shenzhen, I can often see the situation as same as I met in Holland first time in 2000 and I have been meeting in America since 2008: many cars stop by the zebra crossing and wait for pedestrians cross the road at the first, even though there is no any traffic light there.

Do you know? In 2009, when I just came back from the USA, also I stopped my car by the zebra crossing and waited for the foot passengers to cross the road at the first, then, my car could not move at all for no one let me go even though it was the time for cars to go and the other cars honked their horns and asked me to go faster… But now, in Shenzhen, if the foot passengers cross road at the red light time, they would also be punished.

Even though some drivers still not be in the habit to let people go at the first and some of them complain the Traffic Law of Shenzhen was too forceful. With a happy heart, I have seen something small, but truly starts to learn from those advanced cultures in the first Chinese city -- Shenzhen, which is one of the acknowledged 4 greatest cities of China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen), an experimental ground of reform and opening and the first economic zone and window of China. I do hope the experience of Shenzhen, will be extended in more places in China as soon as possible.

As a lucky resident of Shenzhen, with the new wings that my Chinese Alma Maters and hospitals have given me, I am waiting for the news from my American Alma Mater, which is the only university that I have applied.

I am looking forward to getting a new education opportunity to learn Western Arts there, to absorb and to combine something new and helpful from the other cultures, to create and to service for more people and a wider world...

How about you? Do you have anything special to share?

Sincerely,


Shirley Yiping Zhang
August 3, 2014 (Beijing Time)