How are you? Is everything ok with you?

Today, I had my first professional lesson, I do have many feelings and much touching. Now I would like to listen to the record of the lesson because I did not think that I had understood all of what the professors had spoken. Also, I want to help my classmates if my recorder job works. Anyway, before I started my job, I would like to show you my traveling diary that I have written last night.

In Chinese language, there is an idiom "Jihua Buru Bianhua" this means changing is often faster than planning. I just did the same thing yesterday.

Instead of buying a US cell phone as my plan, I bought some potatoes, bread, tomatoes, apples, salt, kitchenware, mirror, hangers, flowers, and color mixing plates because a classmate visited me before I went out of the door and she told me that an American lady Jessy would drive her to take her furniture back, and they wondered whether I also wanted to go.

With them together, I went to some furniture stores and Walmart and I did have my second extracurricular lesson and felt the sincerity and friendliness of the local people.

First of all, Jessy, she is working on arranging our dormitory and I had received her letter. I did not know she is a lady or a gentleman until we met each other. When I saw her first time, the bright smiles on her face made me think of the morning sunshine, her quick steps made me think of The Air Hostess in the Qantas Airways of Australia. Within much patient, she drove us here or there and she guided us to buy this or that. When I was thinking that whether I should pay a tip for her job since we had learned in our English lessons in China, she had bought me several color mixing plates and my classmate a mirror as her gifts.

As I had felt in Australia, I have felt a good education and civilization level here as well. In a furniture store, as long as I entered a room, the clerk said “Hi” and went to me to say “Can I help you?” with smiles. When I told them that I just wanted to see whether there was any suitable one for me, they said that “If you need help, feel free to ask me”. When I looked a tea table and I asked a young clerk that whether I could be given a discount, she told me that she would give me 10%. Then I said, whether can be much more? She said that she would check her account… Ha, this is the first time that I discussed a price in English in a totally strange country. I do feel cool now.

Then, in Walmart, seeing me had chosen some tissue into my pushcart, a friendly lady who was pushing a cart told me that the other kind of fissure was cheaper and better, meanwhile, she smiled to me, wow! You did walk so fast. When I looked her white hair on her head and kind eyes with smiles, I could not help thinking of my mother in the far away China. I did feel warm in my heart.

Before I went to pay, I thought that I had forgotten to buy some hangers. I run back to find it, a young boy told me the direction and a clerk led me walking to it...

Just with so much help by so many friendly American people, last night, I had hung most of my clothes into my wardrobe. Also I had my first dinner that was produced from my own kitchen. My little “home” looks better day and day...

Once more, I am feeling the friendship and warmth from the local people. Meanwhile, I have seen my own weakness on language again! I had really learned something about American money and coins before I came here. But, when I was paying, I did not really know how to account clear the coins at all.

So, I would really like to do my best to learn as much as possible in the so nice environment. Not only on English, but also on the courses that I should learn.

How about you? Do you have anything special in the new week?
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
Wednsday, October 1, 2008