Saying Farewell
July 27, 2007

The final day of teaching has come and now it is time to say goodbye.  After a morning in the classroom and posing for endless photos, we went to the closing ceremony planned by the Shandong Institute of  Education.

The room was filled with all the students, Sylvia at the table in front with the president of the Shandong Institute of Education and other dignitaries, and the rest of us in the front row.
 

After the opening speech by the president of the Institute, Sylvia, as team leader,  thanked the Institute for their hospitality and talked about how much we enjoyed working with the students and how hard they had worked and how well they had done.
 

Each of the class monitors then gave a talk, both in English and in Chinese, expressing their feelings about the program.  This is Harry, who was the monitor for Nancy's homeroom class.
 

The five of us were then invited to make our final remarks to the teachers. Nancy is addressing them here.
 

We were then each given a certificate of appreciation and a gift from the Institute.
 

Next it was time for the teachers to receive their certificates for having completed the training program. Here we are presenting the certificates from the Amity Foundation to the class monitors to distribute them to their class.
 

In addition to the certificates from Amity, the teachers also received certificates from the Shandong Institute.
 

The ceremony concluded with everyone singing Auld Lang Syne in English. It was a very moving moment.

After the ceremony we said goodbye to students individually. People who didn't know each other three weeks ago were very emotional; it was a time of hugs and tears. Friendships were expressed and promises to stay in contact were made. Even the more hardened of us had trouble at times keeping the lumps out of our throats. It was like going home day after summer camp.

Our hosts from the Foreign Affairs office at the Institute, Michael (left), Cookie, and Herschel (right)  were tremendous. They were worked very hard to resolve problems and see that our needs were met. They also took us sightseeing, shopping, and other activities that made our stay easy and very enjoyable. Many thanks to them.

Our "helpers" were also a great group. They were recruited by the Institute to assist us in whatever way we needed. I was surprised to find out that they were volunteers and were doing it to improve their English. They were very delightful; we owe them our deepest appreciation. From left to right is Jane, Rose, Fiona, Roy, Candy, Tina, and Cindy.
 

The day concluded with a dinner at which which we presented certificates to our helpers, Roy and Tina. They were great! A special thanks to them from the depths of our hearts.
 

During my last class with the Florida group, Harry, the class monitor, said, "It is not time to say Goodbye. It is the time to say Farewell. Goodbye means that the separation is permanent. Farewell means that I wish all of you well in your travel home and in whatever you do, and that we will see each other again some time in the future." So, to Harry and all our Chinese friends, we say "Farewell".

Tomorrow we fly to Shanghai for a debriefing with the Amity Foundation and then head home on Monday. It has been a fantastic experience; one that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.