How are you? Have you had a wonderful week and started a good new week?

On my side, it is the 18th day since I wrote to you last time. Too many things has happened during the time and my strongest feeling is Plan Is not Good as Change. :- )

The last changing happened today. I got up at 7:00am and planned to create my birds for the First Map of my dreamed American Cultural Map series. for whole of the day since I finally finished to correct my book and completed the design of the digital part for my new publication according to the opinions of the publishing house. However, as soon as I went downstairs, I found that I could only see things clearly on about 1/3 of my screen on my laptop, the other places’ had been covered by some flashing materials. Therefore, I had to use the little part still work to check Google and to know where and how I could repair it or whether I should buy a new laptop.

I am luck enough that Ms. Carissa who is my “Rescued Star ( because always it is she who‘rescues’ me so that I call her "A Rescued Star” ) gave me a hand by connecting several different computer stores which worked on Sunday and made sure where I can resolve the problem and then I went there directly.

Mr. Donald Edinborough at Altec ordered a new screen for me and lent a monitor to me to use before the new screen comes to the city.

Then I walked to the biggest and my favorite Wal-Mart which is on my way back home and performed my original plan to go to the smallest Wal-Mart nearby my home on a business afternoon. There, I bought something I needed for a long time, but there is no it in the small Wal-Mart.

So, on the surface, I lost much time for the accident; in fact, I got some gain on the other aspect. From this meaning, Misfortune May Be An Actual Blessing.

Yes, another big change is on the First Map of my American Cultural Map series. I had the idea in the English classroom of Mrs. Fran Giglio at OTC in the USA in Nov, 2015, designed it in Beijing, June to July, 2016, and started to color it in the USA Feb, 2017. During the time, I have changed my ideas many times. The biggest thing is I have changed original plan and decide to color it with Mixed Chinese Gongbi and Xieyi Painting Technique instead of Chinese Gongbi style as my original plan in Beijing, after testing the different techniques.

The general feeling is that every change has brought something new and made things get better.

So, I am thinking, so many plans have been changed in the past 18 days and in my travel since Oct, 2016, even, the graduate time of mine from Chinese National Academy of Arts has to face the changed to be July, 2019 from the planned July, 2018... On the surface, I have experienced a big failure once and once, in fact, I have gained a lot of experiences and after going over a hard time once and once, I will see a more beautiful tomorrow.

Aimed at the big change, my supervisor Professor Jiashan Mo has arranged a better and more advanced landscape class for me under him in Beijing for 1 year.

For most of students, they mainly have one major, for example, landscape or flower and bird painting or figure painting; they mainly learn one or two techniques, such as Gongbi or Xieyi or Mogu. But, I have majored in flower and bird painting for 5 years and now I will have another opportunity to major in landscape for another 3 years, and I have learned Gongbi, Xieyi and Mugo techniques with colors already and I will also have the wonderul opportunity to learn Chinese ink painting from Professor Mu for another 3 years... They have brought/will bring me a wider and bigger art palace and all of them work together, will certainly help me to use for reference each other and to produce some new ideas and help me to work on my cross-culture and comprehensive art and its project better...

From this meaning, I do think that change is the life of an organization and a individal. There is no change, there is no progress. The key is whether we can find something positive and helpful from every change, especially from some some“bad change.” Do you think so?

Do you have anything special to share in the past 18 days?

Photo notes:

No.1: Officer Chris Laughlin came to our classroom to give us a good lesson.

No.2:Mrs. Fran Giglio was giving us a American Culture and History Lesson.

No.3 and No.4:Mrs. Wanda Nova and her husband came to my house to help me to cut the grass and ordered the plants.

No.5:Ms.Carissa was learning to read and sing a Chinese poem from me.

No.6:Every classmates were so happy after having a wonderful lesson by Officer Chris Laughlin and organized by Mrs. Fran Giglio.

No.7:No matter what has happened, always there are flowers accompanying me at my house.

No.8:The wonderful magnolia flowers by the school I had tought in Springfield, MO, USA.

I am just a student on Arts of Painting, Music, English and Management, to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do somethings with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Cross - Culture and Comprehensive Arts, Language & Friendship. To help the others and this world while improving myself and realizing my own value of life.

I would really like to appreciate you for your understanding, directions, supports and help.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you are welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.cn or leave your message on Message Board.

Sincerely,

Shirley Yiping Zhang
March 5, 2017 (American Time)