After a fifteen-hour flight by Mu-588 China Eastern Airline, I finally arrived at Pudong International Airport Shanghai on an early bitter cold morning. Having been away from my home city for a whole semester, I felt so excited when I set my feet on it. Hello, Shanghai! How are you! I am back! At the same time, I should say, “Bye-bye, New York! Bye-bye, my friends! I will miss you all!”
I went to New York on the 9th Sept. 2007. I had a very good time in the Queens College CUNY (the City University of New York) this semester, for I have a lot of friends there. They are so kind, so hospitable and so helpful that they were always there when I needed them. Thank you, my friends! I must tell you all that without your help and care, my life in New York would not have been that colorful, enjoyable and fruitful.
First of all, I’d like to thank my sponsor Dr. Kleinmann, Director of the Academic Support Center of Queens College. Thank you for your academic support: you gave us advice on how to choose the right courses and recommended the best faculty for us; thank you for taking us to the faculty canteen for lunch; thank you for taking us to "the Joy Luck Club", I enjoyed the play so much that I will never forget the joy I had that night; thank you and your family for the thanksgiving dinner, for me---- a visiting scholar, that’s a rare opportunity to witness and experience how you celebrate your traditional festival, I will never forget the taste of the roasted turkey and lovely festival atmosphere; thank you for inviting us to Shirley’s eightieth birthday party, for I had a chance to “spy” the love you and your colleagues cherish for a senior lady. I was there when Allen, Barbara and you read the poems you wrote for her, everyone at the party burst into laughter; I was there when you gave Shirley the birthday card and the gift, I was deeply moved as her voice was choking with the strong emotions when she said, “thank you, thank you so much!” I will never forget these occasions for the sweet memory has been impressed in my brain!
I’d also like to thank Shirley, an eighty years old lady. Thank you for your motherly love you gave me so that I had not felt that lonely when I was more than 12,700 km away from my family. I will never forget our noon spoken English sessions, as I always asked you a lot of questions for I wanted to clear up my misunderstanding about the United States and your misunderstanding about China. Thank you for your books and thank you for your advice about life! Such precious gifts from a senior, I will forever treasure. I also want to tell you what a hardworking lady you are as you are still working though you are already eighty! I can hardly imagine that a lady of your age has not retired yet before I came to New York. I want to tell you, Shirley, if you want to know more about China, please come here! You are always welcome, Shirley!
I’d like to thank my American friends Mark Weinstock, Anna Shotsya and Mark’s chauffer John. Mark, thank you for showing us around the daughter colleges of CUNY in Manhattan, so that I was able to see different kinds of American colleges; Thank you for taking us to the Turkish restaurant and now I have known better the ways you Americans treat your guests. The feast also lasts for hours, dish after dish, drink after drink. I must tell you that I really appreciate your hospitality. What a shame that you were not able to come to Shanghai in December to teach the winter program in USST. I do hope you can come in the coming June so that we can have a get-together in Shanghai next time. I am looking forward to the day. I also want to thank Anna for inviting us to her class and for the wonderful album of New York.
I’d like to thank my American professors: Professor Altman, Professor Fernandez and Professor De Jong for your informative and thought-provoking lectures. I like the ways you teach for I have learned something more important than knowledge. I also want to thank all the students in Professor Altman’s writing class. You were so friendly and helpful that I didn’t feel a moment that I was a visitor. Thank you for your farewell gifts to me, the gifts witnessed our friendship.
My thanks also go to Vice President Sue Henderson and President Muykens. Thank you for inviting us to the New Year concert and the New Year reception at the president’s house so that I had an opportunity to experience the cultural activities in the Queens College. Now I have known how large a house the President of an American university can live in.
Last, my thanks go to the students who work in Dr. Kleinmann’s office, Yu Kai, Lihui, Yimo, Mini and Allan, they are American Chinese students; Borus, Sherzod, Natalia are from Russia and Martin is from Southern America. Yu kai, thank you for helping Schnell and me rent the house; thank you for helping us buy and transport the mattresses; thank you for taking us to Corona Park for a visit; thank you for driving us to JFK Airport, which saved us a lot of trouble! Lily, Lihui, Yimo, Mini and Allan, thank you all, you taught me how to use the library, how to make use of the public facilities of the Queens College, you helped us just because we are all Chinese. Without your help, life would have been harder for me. We had wonderful time together in Queens! Thanks again!
Bye-bye, New York! Bye-bye, all my friends!
(The street scene of Broadway Manhattan Copyright reserved)
(A corner of the Queens College CUNY Copyright reserved)
(The Statue of Liberty Copyright reserved)
(The Empire State Building Copyright reserved)
(Night scene of the 6th Avenue Manhattan during the Christmas Season Copyright reserved)
(The Christmas Tree in front of New York Stock Exchange Copyright reserved)
(Note: For those who have been abroad for years, about a 4-month’s living in a foreign country is not a long time, but it is a precious experience for me. Not everyone can experience what I have experienced within about 4 months. That is why I want to thank all my friends in New York. My special thanks goes to my partner Zhu Hongda, a young ambitious teacher in my department for his brotherly love for me, for taking care of me when I was under the weather. Thank you so much! Actually, I have been back in Shanghai for sometime, but have been too busy recently to sort out my memory. This article was drafted on 10th Jan., posted on 31st Jan.)
posted on 2008-01-31 00:54
John 阅读(106)
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