How are you? Is every thing ok with you? I do hope that you are well and have a Happy Father's Day!

The earthquake in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi is still one of the biggest things in China. The difference is that people are paying more attention to the re-building work there. Every province has stood some tasks to help. Except helping Sichuan, my city ? Shenzhen is helping 4 poorest counties and 1 district in Gansu. Besides offering medical teams, armed policemen, life equipment, moved houses, we have also helped many wounded persons, students, children and unemployed people to come to Shenzhen when we are suffering from rainstorms and flood ? it has rained for over 2 weeks, many places are in the flood and many schools have stopped to work. Very often, I drive in the “rivers” with big lamps according to the experience in the day time for I can not see anything via the mirrors and worry my car to be turned off in the water. Anyway, about 50% of the ambulances of our city have offered helping in Sichuan and Shenzhen. When the first group of the wounded persons arrived in the Shenzhen airport, we were called to use private cars as much as possible instead of the ambulances. In the rainstorms, many groups of Shenzhen volunteers have gone to the disaster area again. Except TV reporters, an excellent TV editor of our company has given up his good position and went to Sichuan.

Every day, we are getting some touched reports from the front line. The most moved is still what the teachers, students and mother had done in the disaster areas. A dead teacher was dug out, his arms still supported the ground and 4 students were alive under his body. A dead mother was dug out, her back was still bended, her baby was alive under her chest and the last message on her mobile phone was “ Remember that Mother Loves You!.” A young girl who is 14 years old was dug out after being cut down a leg in the locale. She had run out of the dormitory already, but she went back to wake her 31 classmates up. They were saved. She was buried…

I was touched once and once, I am confident to my country more and more. Compare with the people in the disaster area, I do feel lucky to work and live in the so good circumstance. I should really cherish what I have had and to work and study harder.

Recently, I have been involving myself into my English learning in my free time. Many times I wanted to put it down and to paint a picture or record a song as I had done in the past 5 years. But, I told myself that one’s painting level does not be decided by an artist’s painting skills only, but also relates to one’s educational background, life experience and attitude, personalities, intellectual level, eye-shot and world views. A great artist should be a perfect person at the first. Since I want to be an artist of painting, music and language, I must learn something more than the art skill itself. As a tool, English should be something I must master on my art learning road.

However, the too much love on painting and music had made me miss too many English lessons so that I just completed 30% of the schedule of Beijing Foreign Studies University required until May 22nd and I had to complete about 800 pages of my English textbooks within 44 days. Otherwise, I would not catch the schedule forever. I was ashamed for my bad job and I decided to catch up. So, as soon as I felt bore and tired, I smiled to myself. “Who let you not make a balance and did not follow the arrangement? Now, this is just the best solution to help you to remember the lesson.”

Anyway, after some extremely hardworking, I have caught the schedule already. So, I am here to write the letter to you right now.

How about you? Is there anything special in your life in the past 2 weeks?
I am just a learner on that art of painting, music, calligraphy, languages and 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, Friendship and Language Learning. 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
Sun, June 15,2008