I am giving a speech tonight at the farewell banquet, and so I have posted the translation below. Because Chinese and English is so different, some of the words might sounds weird. Just go with it.
Hello, teachers, classmates, friends, everyone!
Even though my Chinese is horrible, I still am going to try to talk about tonight's feelings. All of you have influenced my life in a huge way, and my study abroad experience this past year in Nanjing can never be erased from my heart. Before I came to China, I didn't have any dreams for my future, I didn't understand the world, and I didn't know China was like. In China, I learned what flexibility, independence, trying hard, success, hard-work, enthusiasm, hospitality, and friendship really means. This experience can never be forgotten my entire life, these past 9 months have really changed my life, my hopes, and my future.
Ms. Zhu- I really liked your class. You once spend a long time in Germany teaching Chinese as a Second Language, and I really admire your courage. You made me also plan to come back to China and become an English teacher. I will remember the funny stories you told us in class, like the one about the leather bag... and... I don't dare to say.
Mr. Cao- I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to be your student. Everyday you cracked us up, especially when teaching us new vocabulary, you would make up examples by improvising that really made a deep impression on us, for example, Zhaofu is a player, Sean abuses his wife and then they get divorced, John is a homeless person, Nate is troubled by the problems of love, Andrew has an alcohol addiciton, and Marisa is a criminal drug dealer.
Ms. Tang- I really appreciate your support towards CIEE. CIEE is a fantastic program because you are its director. Thank you for your patience, diligence and caring about us.
Pingping- You are the world's best study abroad program assistant. Celebrating the New Year and Labor Day at your house are memories I will always remember, especially playing mahjong, going to your wedding, riding horses on the beach, watching the hot volleyball players, and taking pictures of hot boys. I wish you well in soon becoming a mother. I think you will definitely be an excellent mother.
Hewei- I remember chatting with you last semester in Yixing, I thought you were the friendliest person. You did everything you could to help Kira and me find a good place to travel. From that day on, I thought you were so awesome.
Hongmin- You were one of the first Chinese people I talked to, and I remember even though my Chinese was super bad, you still encouraged me to use Chinese to talk with you. You are one of the coolest Chinese students.
Gaomin- You are awesome! You always teach me slang, this is one of the most valuable things I have learned in China. That one day after we went to the soccer game was so fun, the next day Nate said to me, "I love Gaomin." and I replied with "Me too, me too." I'm really looking forward to spending the summer with you.
Xiaohu- Everytime I see you, you always smile and say Hello! Going to Karoake, eating barbeque, chatting together, these are great memories. I definitely will always remember our friendship. You are awesome!
Chinese roommates- I really appreciate your patience, your enthusiasm, your kindness, your sense of humor, you really showed me what it means to be an awesome Chinese person. Going to Karoake, outdoor training, eating Hot Pot, and chatting with you are some of the best memories I have of China.
John, Vince and Sean- You guys are like family to me. We have a lot of shared memories, especially cracking up in class, playing drinking games, chatting and drinking outside of Mazzo, and going to McDonald's or dumplings afterward, and climbing the fence back to the dorm.
Vince- You are like my brother. Going to Beijing with you was so fun, and so was traveling in Guilin, even riding the train for 27 hours back to Nanjing.
Sean- Your birthday party, going to Dunhuang and Xi'an, "roast duck", and watching Sponge Bob Squarepants have all been so fun.
Advance class classmates: I love you guys, you guys are the awesomest.
CIEE classmates: I'm really looking forward to going to Gansu with you guys, the best is still yet to come.
To everyone, I'm so lucky to have gotten to know you, your trying hard, your working hard, your hospitality and your friendship, I can never forget for as long as I live.
海内存知己，天涯若比邻
(It comes from a poem written by Wang Bo during the Tang Dynasty. It literally means
"if in this world an understanding friend survives, then the ends of the earth seem like next door." but the best translation for it is A true friend is close even when far away.)
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