Passion for Life

By Jian Shuo Wang on 2005-02-17 01:01 · Happiness

When asked about what do you still remember for the previous year, many people cannot tell too many. So do I. The more memorable things in life are seldom work related. It can be something you really feel passionate about, such as travel, or competition.

In the year 2005, I will work on three areas in my private life: Art, Charity and Relationship.

Art

My friends and I are planning to hold a photo exhibition in the first half. It was inspired by the Grassroot Art in Seattle. I will also follow the practices from the Art of Travel. I am start to learn drawing and painting.

Charity

I will personally sponsor a funding in university to help few (less than 10 students) excellent students to realize their potential. The fund will help them to go to museums, art galleries, exhibitions, and get chances to talk with other great people in big companies or successful business owners, artists….

Relationship

I will use the year to strength my relationship with all my new, current and old friends. Spend time with them and get to know more people. I am organizing a classmates gathering in Qingdao this July after we graduated from Luoyang No.1 Middle School for one decade.

I will talk about more details about each of the projects later. I hope when I welcome 2006, I at least remember these three meaningful things in 2005.

8 Comments

all of these goals are very noble and wish you good luck in achieving each one of them!!! I'm especially interested in your arts project, I think it would be great to set something up like this and perhaps Shanghai can have something that rivals Beijing's "798 Arts District" as I don't think Shanghai has anything that developed yet...

— chengb02 · 2005-02-17 07:14

Thanks. There are areas like 798 in Shanghai. It is along the Suzhou Creek. I never visited it yet, but I heard it is at the West Suzhou He Road and the Moganshan Road.

— Jian Shuo Wang · 2005-02-17 12:49

Willie told me about this exhibition: http://www.smartshanghai.com/en/scripts/event.php?event=1015 I will go and visit.

— Jian Shuo Wang · 2005-02-17 12:58

The charity idea reminds me of Caltech's "Don Shepard Essay Contest", a grant by the Student Life office to encourage students to invent

> a program of self-enrichment outside of science

Students often forget that there is life outside of academics, because Caltech is a very demanding school in the sciences. So the Student Life office holds an essay contest and awards money based on ideas by students for special extra-curricular projects that explore other areas of life. Right now, the Student Life office's web site[1] is under re-construction, but you can find a sentence or two about the Shepard grants in the student guide "The Little T"[2].

[1] http://www.studentlife.caltech.edu/

[2] http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~littlet/Caltech_Services.html

— Micah · 2005-02-18 09:24

Thanks Micah. During my talk with students in SJTU, I found the students on campus have very few connection with the world outside. The majority of them are thinking about continue study and study and study - Master and Ph.D and ..... That is the reason I am thinking of helping them to get some connection.

— Jian Shuo Wang · 2005-02-18 11:59

Mr. Wang, I have enjoyed your blogs and read about your many interests, especially in photography. As a long time professional photographer living in California, I wanted to cheer you on with much success making great photographs.

I was fascinated by your report on the train ride from Shanghai Beijing and have made plans to experience it for ourselves with some friends next month in March.

James

Santa Barbara, CA

— James Chen · 2005-02-18 23:17

Yes. The train is amazing. Go ahead to try it. It worth the time - and the money. :D

— Jian Shuo Wang · 2005-02-18 23:42

it's my first time to read your blogs but find that they are really interesting. i've come to shanghai for a few months only. i've been looking for some painting courses, especially chinese painting. however, the only thing i found from the internet is all the courses are examination-oriented (students have to pass some sort of examinations before they are eligible to take the art degree in university). it's my interest, so i dont want to take any examination. i believe there are many good teachers here in shanghai, but i just dont know the way to find them. can you please suggest any private tutor that teach chinese painting? thank you very much!

— Victoria · 2005-03-03 17:26