How are you? Have you had a good week? I do hope you are well and have a relaxed Weekend.

This week, a big thing that is affecting Chinese economy and people's life is that since Wednesday, April 18, the Chinese railway started its 6th speedup, China has joined the ranks of countries with high-speed rail services.

I remember, the last time, that I had a trip by train, was in 1991. After being on a train for over 30 hours, I reached Shenzhen railway station from Shanghai, passing Wuxi and Guangzhou.

Since then, in the past 16 years, I have not had any travel by train again. I felt it was too slow and it was wasting time too much. So, I have been having my travels by airplane or car.

Anyway, 3 days ago, when I knew the good news, I did feel that maybe in the coming time, train would be one of good vehicle for me to have some new traveling. The best example is that after this speeding up, the travel time between Shenzhen and Guangzhou is only 57 minutes. Every day there are 88 times trains from Shenzhen to Guangzhou. Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou have been totally connected together with much more close way. Also, just from this day, Shenzhen people can catch a train many times with only one train ticket weekly. Plus our advanced subway and the other public vehicle system, Shenzhen people are enjoying the best traffic service in China.

As a Chinese who has experienced the huge change of China in person since the Culture Revolution was finished and Chine entered its reform and opening times, I have seen the country is getting stronger, people are changing richer, and my own life is getting more comfortable. After experiencing the time to start my learning at 4:30am every day, then to catch a bus to enter into my office at 7:30am as the earliest one in the company for years. Right now, I have not been in a bus for about 10 years already.

I am confident to China and our people. I am thinking that if I had a new travel abroad again, there would be less people thinking of me as Japanese as I had met.

Anyway, I know there are a lot of things in China behind and not as good as we have dreamed. That is why I would really like to learn, to work hard for my motherland, to give my own little bit energy to help her getting beautiful more and more...

To help my own country is also to help me itself. Do you think so? Do you love your country and do you enjoy working hard for your motherland?

I am just a learner on art, music, English, French 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 shirleyz004@yahoo.com or shirley@ebridge.cn . You are welcomed to publish your opinions in the forum.

Shirley
Written and Edited on Sun, April, 22, 2007