How are you? Did you have a good week?

In the past 1 week, I did experience much pain and happiness during I completed the work on the book, DVD and my comprehensive art exploration.

Since Feb 18 to Feb 25, two designers did another 3 versions base on the 2 versions of my book cover, back cover, inside pages of the DVD before the Chinese New Year's Day and now they are working on the 6th version; Two sound engineers re-dealt with my music record that was made in Sep, 2012; a software engineer is working on the program development. During the time, I met them, wrote 25 pages files, many massages and made some phones to respond their jobs. Finally, all of the jobs are near the level to be finished...

I am going to make two models (an electronic version to protect the copyright; a web version to make the publication convenient for my readers). My work purpose is not only for one publication, but also for exploring a model for the future work.

It is a very meaningful job, and also a quite pain process:

-- I did not want anyone else to work in their vacation, therefore, all of the jobs belong to the others were really started on Feb 18 and the deadline is Feb 28, therefore, time was really very tight indeed; since all of them are volunteers and my friends, I did not want to affect their normal work and development, therefore, I did not call them or sent message to them in their work time, and then the time problem became the biggest pressure of us.

-- Most of my work partners in China have the problem of language, I had to correct the English words once and once, especially, I had to tell them which words were most important and should be emphasized in the art design or in the music expression; which one did not do that. Sometimes, I had to correct a same mistake more than three times...

-- Saturday morning, when I looked at the 4th version of the design, thought of the deadline time of the publishing house (Feb 28), the opening time of my school (March 2), the tickets that I have paid for my international travels, suddenly I felt maybe I was hit by the stomach convulsion? I did not make sure, but I could only keep completing the responding and made a photo to one of my designers, then I had to lie on the bed for 2 nights and 1 day...

Anyway, during the time, I kept getting up to a restaurant to meet one of my former classmate, his wife and his assistant to talk something about the project. I could hardly eat anything and my stomach was in the sharp ache, I kept talking with them with smiles by the help of tight clothes (to tie my stomach)for about 2 hours.

Sometimes, when I suffered the awful ache on my body, I could not help asking myself, to spread Chinese culture and civilization is not only my duty, why don’t I give up it?

However, every morning, when I open my eyes, my mind changes very clear. Anything reaches the pain and most difficult time, it is near to be completed. Just like we climb a mountain, when we feel that we hardly keep again, it is near the peak. So, I cannot give up my work at this time when so many people have involved themselves into it, I must be responsible to them and to anything I am working on.

So, this morning, I got up at 5:30am, fought against the other sickness suddenly happened this morning -- Since 5:30am to 10:30am, I had bad diarrhea at least 10 times, while I wrote my 4th responding for my the designers and I kept updating the web site.

Until now, all of the music products have come, the software of the DVD will be completed basically tonight, the cover of the publication and the back cover will be corrected 6th time, while the diarrhea has basically stopped...

I have really seen the dawn already, smile has come back to my face, renewedly, I feel the happiness of working and creating.

Except the work over, last week, I painted 3 paintings for my new long scroll of the series stories of the 24 filial piety children.

Also, according to a pen painting from the nature that I did in the garden near the school last May, I created a new Chinese Mogu Painting. Even though I do not satisfy it yet, I do enjoy the process and I am looking forward to go back the great nature to paint again.

Do you know? I have been wishing to have a travel around of China and the world, to feel, to paint, to write, to enjoy the process and in the more open universe. :- )

I have attached what I painted last week with this letter already and hope to bring you a big smile...

How about you? Do you have anything special to share?


I am just a student on Art of Painting, Music, English and Management, to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do a few things with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Inter-Art & Cross - Culture Exchange, Chinese Language Learning & Friendship Making. To help the others while to improve myself.

I would 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.

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Feb 25, 2013(Beijing Time)