FIRST SNOWFALL!!!

I've been living in a country where there are only two seasons in a year, dry and wet. It's been so much fun to fly a kite and play soccer when dry season comes. It's also been so much fun to play in the rain and listen to frogs singing their masterpiece songs.

Now I'm staying a while, just for about a year - not even, in a country with twice as many as seasons. There's something I've been dreaming to see, snow. Since I was a little kid, I used to imagine how it would feel to touch snowflakes. Alhamdulillah, thankfully, I had that chance.

First snowfall!!!

Just being crazy, I took my shoes off and just ran out of my parents' house when I first saw snow. It was absolutely freezing outside but I didn't care since my excitement was stronger than the cold I felt.

That day I wondered how great Allah is. The ground just looked so beautiful with snow on top of it. The beauty of the day caught my attention and triggered my excitement. I suddenly felt like a little kid running in the rain, splashing water, the only difference was the water was frozen and shaped in tiny hexagonal crystals.

Can you see my footprints?

That car looked like a sugar cake

Snow was falling like rain

Look at my tracks! :D

What an Adventure!

I personally couldn't believe that I was given this opportunity to see a different part of this world. The story started here.

Malang, July 25th, 2011, it was almost time. It was 3.30 p.m. and I, Ucun, and Ojan, are waiting for a train that was going to bring us to Jakarta. We were going to have a Pre-Departure Orientation. Finally, there was it, there was that sequence of vehicle to bring us to Jakarta. I might not seem to be sad to leave my family but there deep inside my heart, I cried.

Side of Gajahmada train

Good morning, earth!!!

Beautiful sunrise, West Java

Jakarta, a crowded city

Last Seconds

I will just reminisce some memories right now. It was still really unbelievable that I could be here, in Tomahawk, Wisconsin to experience an absolutely precious experience.

I never realized that June 2011 would be the last time I could meet everyone before we left. I decided to spend my second semester holiday at home to prepare my departure. I did not go back to dormitory almost at all. However, a few days before Ucun, Ojan(my friends who were going to USA too), and I left for our Pre-Departure Orientation in Jakarta, I decided to come and spend a night at dormitory, and to bid farewell.

I felt the most wonderful feeling when I could meet my friends at dorm though on the other side I was so sad to leave them. If I'm not mistaken, it was July23rd, 2011, by the time I went to dorm. I took a walk in that afternoon at dormitory.

It was Lucy, one of my friends at dorm

From left to right: Annisa(Dik Nonk) and Desi(Emak Des)

This was my new dormitory in Tlogowaru, Malang, the last time I took my dorm's picture before leaving

New dorm!!! Yeaaa :D

Beautiful Twilight at Dormitory

Mount Kawi

Mount Welirang

Mountain Kawi: Mount Kawi(leftmost) and Mount Arjuna(rightmost)

Foreword

Hari ini Ramadhan hari ke-6..
Semalam aku ngerjain temen2 selobi..
Jam setengah tiga pagi tadi, ada semacam pengumuman untuk makan sahur dari asrama. Karena aku adalah salah satu orang yang waktu itu sudah 'hidup' duluan sebelum temen2 bangun, timbullah ide jahil untuk ngerjain temen2. Dibantu seorang teman dan seorang junior, langsung saja kami serukan,"Sahur, sahur, sahur!!! Imsyak kurang lima menit!!! Imsyak kurang lima menit!!!"
Alhasil, suasa hening dini hari di lobi terpecahkan dengan kebingungan teman2, korban-korban pun berjatuhan. Teman2 satu lobi langsung bangun semua. Ada yang langsung melek, ada yang masih setengah sadar, yang pasti semuanya benar2 ngira imsyak kurang lima menit lagi. Dengan entengnya, aku ikut makan sahur di lobi, dengan santai pula! Aku cuma ketawa cekikikan melihat teman2 kebingungan,"Kok masih jam tiga kurang, ya?"