Hello, my name’s Jinghui. I’m a senior. I’m 64. I came from China. I began to study English from A.B.C. For the last two years I’ve had one on one lessons in the Framingham Public Library and in the Framingham Adult ESL. I am going to try to speak about Lake Waban in English.

As you know, there is a women’s college in Wellesley. It is world famous. It is a cradle of learning. Also, Lake Waban is at this college. Lake Waban is very beautiful. It is a favorite lake of many people. The Chinese name is very beautiful also. It’s ‘Wa-ban’ in Chinese pronunciation, and it means comfort, Xie Bing Xin in Chinese. Yet Xie Bing Xin is also the name of a woman.

Xie Bing Xin was the first to interpret the lake’s name from English to Chinese. In the 1920’s, Xie Bing Xin studied at Wellesley College. She wrote ‘Send by Post to Young Reader’ on the lake’s brink. By studying abroad, she passed on Chinese-American friendships. These writings caused her to become the best writer in China of the 20^th century. When I was eight, I read ‘Send by Post to Young Reader’ after Xie Bing Xin taught me. She wrote calligraphy for me and I keep it on my wall now.

My English teachers, Marie, Alice, and Linda worked at Wellesley College. They and Jeanne, Christin, Jenny, Anne-Marie, Nicole, Corine, and Robyn all are friends of mine. They give me help and friendship. This friendship is as beautiful as Lake Waban.

In the 1920’s, Lake Waban comforted Xie Bing Xin; in the 2000’s Lake Waban is going to comfort me. Friendship of Chinese-American people will be forever like Lake Waban. I love America. 

Jinghui Zhang is from China. He is a retired engineer, with an advanced degree.  He came to the US with his wife in l997 speaking no English at all.  His goal is to become an American citizen. He lives in Framingham and is tutored in English at the Literacy Unlimited Program.