Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to our Chinese Spring Festival Celebration. I’m glad that not all of you are super bowl fans. Thank you for coming to our event tonight. First of all, I am sincerely grateful for the assistance from all of our sponsors. Without financial support, it’s hard to get everything rolling. I also appreciate all the volunteers’ hard work. Just as the Great Wall cannot be built by a single brick, our Spring Festival Celebration, this giant project can not achieved without each individual’s detailed work. Thank you my dear volunteers!

The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese. We spend the holiday with all family members together. However, this is my 3^rd Spring Festival away from my family. During the 2005 Spring Festival, I was alone in Beijing attending a training course for the GRE. I didn’t miss my family too much. At that moment, to study in the United States was my dream to pursue. During the 2007 Spring Festival, I was new to this country and I performed like other performers are doing tonight right on this stage. I didn’t miss my family too much. At that moment, curiosity about new way of life dominated, so that I was not in the frame of mind to miss them. Now, during 2008 Spring Festival, when I know that my hometown is now suffering the worst snow storm in history; with power, water, and even food supplies often off, when I imagine my parents staying in a dark cold room, hungry and alone, I just simply wish that I could be with them to survive this tough but special moment. But… I cannot.

But at least we have a bunch of friends here trying hard to show and share our traditional culture, which makes me feel like I am surrounded by a big family. 2008 is a critical year for China. The Olympics will be held in Beijing. I don’t have money to get back to watch the games. But if you are there, please let my dearest homeland know I miss her and am proud of her.

In the end, I would like to thank our CSSA committee members for their support in the past year. Please allow me to say their names. They are Chen, Jian; Chen, Minghang; Cheng, Xiaoliang; Su, TIngzhi; Li, Zhen; Chen, Yingying. The new committee board is formed by democratic voting by all the CSSA members. They are Fu, Tian, Chen, Songjie, Ding, Jie, Tang, Yulin, Wang, Hanzheng, He, Zhen, Yu, Zhenwei, Qi, Ruzhen, Zhang, Yi, Wang, Zhonglai.  The new president is Fu, Tian. Please give the new committee support in the coming New Year. It’s time for me to retire now. Thank very much. Have fun tonight!