NSLI-Y Closing Ceremony

This week, we had a closing ceremony at Wenzao with a representative from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT, the same as the embassy) and all of our Chinese teachers from the year.

Each of the NSLI-Y Taiwan students gave a speech in Chinese and English about our experience living here for the year. There was also a reporter who wrote about us and is now on Wenzao's website: Click here to read! Here's my Chinese part below with an English translation.  

大家好！我叫敖媚聲，我來自美國，現在我住在台灣！去年五月的時候， 我從高中畢業，我在高中學了四年中文，雖然我已經學過中文， 但是從去年八月來台灣 的時候，我發現我還有很多話不知道怎麼說，到今年六月為止，我已經住在台灣已經差不多十個月了，而現在我快要回家了，我覺得我的中文進步很多了。今天我要告訴大家　＂謝謝＂。我在台灣認識了很多朋友。

Hi Everyone! I’m McKenzie. I’m from Nashville, but I live in Taiwan now! Last year in May, I graduated from high school. I studied Chinese for four years, but when I arrived in Taiwan, I realized I hadn’t learned much. Since last August, I’ve been living in Taiwan for about 10 months, and soon I’ll go home. I think my Chinese has improved a lot, so I want to tell everyone thank you! I’ve made a lot of friends here.

首先要先謝謝我的寄宿家庭，我很高興能住在她們的家。雖然她們只是兩個很平凡的人，但她們卻過的非常的快樂。他們常常說好多笑話給我聽，而且既漂亮又聰明，最重要的是他們幫助我很多。我有很多美好的回憶，比如和Jubbie一起去韓國，或是和Ya-Shu Mommy 一邊看“愛上巧克力”一邊吃水果。這些都是我在台灣很難忘的回憶。離開台灣後，我真的會想妳們。

First, I want to thank my host family. I am so happy that I got to live with them this year. There is so much joy in my “small, but lovely family” as Jubbie put it in an email she sent while I was still in the US. I have so many good memories, from traveling with Jubbie to watching Taiwanese dramas and eating fruit with Ya-Shu Mommy. I will miss you both.

我也要謝謝文藻。在高雄，我也有著許多非常好的台灣朋友。 因為文藻有很多的外國學生， 所以我也認識了韓國人，西班牙人，墨西哥人，德國人，印尼人，日本人和法國人。歐洲人真的很愛抽煙！我們都來台灣學中文，也常常練習中文。 我也在文藻上很多西班牙文課。 因為我在美國學過西班牙文所以我在文藻上西文課的時候也可以認識其他台灣學生。在健身室也可以認識台灣朋友。文藻好棒！

I also want to thank Wenzao. I’ve made so many good Taiwanese friends here, and because Wenzao has a vibrant foreign community that studies Chinese, I’ve also made friends from Spain, Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, and France. I’ve also had the opportunity to take Spanish classes with Taiwanese students that also enriched my Taiwanese life. So did meeting boys at the gym. Thank you Wenzao!

Nora and I with a group of Taiwanese friends. We ate lunch with them regularly, and they helped us a lot with our Chinese!

Potluck at one of my classmate's house

我想對美國政府，美國的納稅人，AIT, NSLIY, 跟iEARN 說聲“謝謝” . 謝謝你們給我這個機會。我很喜歡在高雄的生活，也很喜歡在台北，墾丁，和花蓮的旅行。我希望回家以後能還記得台灣跟中文。雖然中文很難學，但是學中文的人會有更多的機會。 中國和美國是兩個富強的國家，所以謝謝你們幫我這個美國學生來台灣學中文。

I also want thank the American government and taxpayers, AIT, NSLI-Y, and IEARN. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I’ve enjoyed my life in Kaohsiung and the trips to Taipei, Kending, and Hualian. When I go back, I hope I still remember the Chinese I’ve learned. Although it’s a difficult language, it’s an important one, especially for Americans to start learning. Thank you for helping me come to Taiwan to study Chinese.

我也要謝謝Abby.

Thanks for everything Abby!

Abby and her four kids

最後我要謝謝Ben, Brandon, 和 Nora。從認識到現在，我們都在一起。Ben,還記得我們的第一個學期中文課嗎？Brandon, 我們“represent the South“ 然後也一起練習西文。我特別要謝Nora. 你是我最好的朋友。 和你們在一起我有很多美好的回憶.

Finally, I want to thank Ben, Brandon, and Nora. We’ve been together through it all. Ben, I won’t forget our first semester of Chinese. Brandon, thanks for the Spanish practice and being Southern with me. Nora, I especially want to thank you; you are my best friend. Thanks for the memories y’all.

Love these people.

我很感激所有我在台灣遇到並幫助過我的人，感謝你們為我做的一切，我會永遠記得你們的，謝謝台灣！

I’m so grateful for all of my experiences in Taiwan. Thank you for everything. I’ll always remember my year here. Thank you Taiwan!

It's crazy to say, but we're just about at the two week countdown. Today was graduation for Wenzao's seniors, and it's starting to sink in that our year abroad will soon come to an end.