How are you? I do hope that you are well and have an easy and relaxed weekend.

Except the daily work and the long term cooperated project with the company from the U.S., four short time projects on listed company's industry sorts, the layout of the company's backup systems, the proposal to make an cooperation in Hong Kong and the management regulations of our web site's advertisement have been finished. Now, I am working on the management of TV advertisement, the management of projects and the management of the real time information publishing as one of the official web sites according to the newest policy in the industry.

This week, I have been appointed to be the chairman of the supervisory committee of a company that our company has invested in Guangzhou, after being a supervisor in a software company that our company had invested in Shenzhen for 2 years.

Every day, as soon as I enter my office, I enter the working state, to read, to think, to write, to make telephone calls and to attend meetings... However, no matter how busy I am, I keep learning the art of painting, singing, calligraphy, piano and cooking so that some friends wonder whether I have time to rest, whether there are 36 hours in China?

I was/am smiling when I was reading the questions and when I am writing right now.

For me, “to change a job is just a rest”. Since I read the foreword of Sherlock Holmes by Mr. Conan Doyle the first time in my university times, I have been remembering it. I do feel that to change my job from my tight work in the financial and securities fields to my learning in art of painting, music and language for a while each day is just the best rest and the best enjoyment.

Also, I do often two things at the same time often. I listen to a tape of English while I am cooking; I listen to BBC or sing a song when I am driving; I watch/listen to TV/music or think of my office work while I am painting; I play my piano while the water is flowing into the bathtub, I account my time before starting every job. In the company, I deal with the jobs that need to listen to the other's opinions or have to be done by many people at the first time. When the others are working on it, I work on the other jobs that I have to do in person. At home, I put the food that needs a while to cook on the Gas, as soon as I reach at home, then I exchange my clothes and to deal with the other food with the time... no matter what I do, my principle is to keep the highest efficient work with in the shortest time.

So, when my colleagues are in the line to wait for their lunch, I have come back home after listening to English in car for 15 minutes. When I am working in my office, the electric cooker has cooked food at home ok. Usually, after being at home for about 15 minutes, I have been at my table to enjoy my lunch, while to listen to the noon news or a TV. With this way, I can paint for 20 to 30 minutes each noon. I can listen to English for 1 hour each day. Plus the time that I have caught in the nights when most of lights of my neighbors have turned off, when most of people have not got up. Then, except daily work, I have published 12 books in my professional field and I have created something in art of painting, music and language fields as you have seen on my little web site.

Just like the words by Mr. Luxun, “Time is just like the water in a piece of sponge”, if we arranged it well, there would be 36 hours one day.

How do you think of this? Do you agree with me?

I am just a learner on art, music, English and the work on the web site in my free time. Anyway, 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. During the process to help the others and to improve myself.

I do appreciate your understanding, directions and supports. I do hope to get your great help continuously now and in the coming time...

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn or shirleyz004@yahoo.com. You are welcomed to publish your opinions in the forum.

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Written and Edited on Sun, August 19, 2007