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Sunday. January 20th, 2013.
Snowing.
Today was snowing pretty hard, well at least for me, because I read on newspaper and my host mum Michelle told me that some flights are delayed due to the snowstorm (I'm not sure if you can say it snowstorm, but its like snowrain) here in London.
Today is the day I'm flying back home.
I'm so excited, I miss home so much. I miss my family, the foods and my friends. It's not like I'm not sad I'm gonna leave this amazing country, but because everyone had left me, so the only reason I'm gonna cry over my journey back to indonesia tonight is I'm so so so gonna miss this city a lot (and the memories in it and the people and best friends and love I found here for the past five months) and I don't know when I'll be able to come again.
I woke up at 6 AM and I felt strange, I'm flying home tonight.
I've planned that I'm gonna visit Aunt Ellen's friend's house because, well, because I bought too many things, my baggage surely is overload, so yeah Aunt Ellen suggested me to hand over some of my baggage to her and she will send it all the way to Indonesia by DHL, or something like that. But, since she lived three hours away from London, I can't go there so she said I can put my baggage to her friend's house in Crystal Palace and luckily its just fifteen minutes drive from my home!
So, yeah, then I took the taxi there and man, it was so difficult pulling 20kilos suitcases on snow!!! So, once I arrived I looked around I managed myself to take a picture first in a very very cold weather because it was tooo beautiful! It's been snowing for three days.
I knocked the door and there she was, Tante Chika opened the door and she pleasently did greet me.
They let me in and what came straight to my head was, KOK RUMAHNYA BESAR YAAAA? Compared to my host mum's house, this house is waaay larger! This isn't fair. I should have spent my stay in London in Tante Chika's house!!!
It was very warm inside the living room, after she asked me to, I sat on her couch and, well about Tante Chika, she's been living her for like, five years? I forgot. She married a british man (I'm so jealous, lol) and she once lived in Jakarta for a few years, but because of Om Steve's job (Tante Chika's husband) so they had to go back to England. Dan tau gaaaak, they have a veeeeerrrrryyyyyy beautiful daughter that looooks a lot like Suri Cruise! Her name is, uh, I forgot again, but let's just call her Suri.
SHE'S LIKE SO VERY CUTE. Duh. And beautiful. And smart.
When I arrived there, ternyata Om Steve lagi nyetrika dan Tante Chika lagi bikin sarapan.
And you know what, when he was ironing the clothes, we talked and talked and talked like we are old friends who technically just reunited after years and years being separated! He's really a good man. We were talking about Jakarta; the traffic, Rupiah, politics (yes, I do talk about politics sometimes too), THE FLOOD, my school and my family. It was such a good time.
He even joked around and told me how difficult it was after marrying Tante Chika and she can not cook, so he had to make dinner, but he loves her so much (aww) and about the house that can't ever be neat; it is always untidy.
I laughed a lot at his joke and in a moment of minutes Suri went downstair and I was like, "Tante Chikaaaa, she's sooo cute! Isn't she Suri Cruise?"
She laughed and answered, "is she? Yeah, I'm pretty sure he does resemble a lot like me! Haha!"
Om Steve: "You mean her beauty and infinite cuteness are all from you? Well, Chika, its from me. She looks a lot like me. I'm such a handsome dad."
Tante Chika: "Oh come on, look at her. Her not-too-big eyes, not-too-pale skin (and some stuff she mentioned but I forgot) are inherited from me."
Om Steve: "but her blue eyes, blond hair.. oh, stop it. She does look like both of us."
Then we all laughed. Such a cute couple. *mupeng*
For a few minutes I talked and played with Suri and as the clock struck 10 am, I remembered that I need to go back, well Brenda my Indonesian friend and I have a plan, we're gonna meet at Embankment Pier for the last London walk together and there I said to Om Steve and Tante Chika that it was a very pleasure to meet them. They hugged me and there I felt a bit empty yet blessed that God had really sent me such amazing people.
I walked to the station and MAN IT WAS LIKE 2 MILES AWAY and I had to walk alone under the snowstorm!!!!
After 15 minutes of walking in despair yet happiness too that felt like forever because it was wayyy so cold, I finally arrived at the station and I had to wait another ten minutes for the train to come. It was freezing.
Well, the train came and it took about 30 minutes to arrive in Victoria and I just found out that Victoria is such a hugeee station! I thought it's just like Charing Cross, but it was more like Waterloo Station. Okay, telat. Then I took the tube to Embankment Pier and there it is Brenda wasn't there yet, I waited for another minutes on Starbucks with my hot chocolate and I sat on the window chair. This is my last time seeing this view. People walking fast, they all looked busy, some of them wearing work suit, some of them looked casual and I always love looking at them. It sounds creepy, eh? But, you're gonna love to look at people when you're in London.
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Brenda came and we decided to stroll around Bigben, Westminister and Southbank to take last picture and Green Park or Hyde Park and as everyone expected THEY WERE ALL SO VERY BEAUTIFUL.
I'm so gonna miss this beautiful, admirable, romantic, amazing city very very much.
Then, we walked past Southbank (really, Southbank covered with snow is a total beauty) and Bigben, took a picture with BigBen for the last time and we went downstairs to the Westminister Station and get on the train towards Green Park.
And that was what we first saw once we went out from the tube station (well, with a little more walk too) :')
Everything looked magically beautiful. I can't really stop saying Alhamdulillah, I'm so blessed. God loves me this much that I'm able to see, to touch, to experience snow. Hahaha, lebay ya. But, well yeah, that's what I feel.
We strolled around the Green Park, took million pictures, guling-guling, talked about lots of things and we once felt jealous we saw some people played.. you know, I don't know how to name it in English but it's like, jadi kita duduk diatas papan gitu nanti ditarik sama orang lain turun ke tempat yang lebih landai AND IT SEEMED VERY FUN!
Well, we walked and walked 'till finally both uf us felt something strange....... and that was our feet. Freezing and cold. Mati rasa juga hampir dua jam jalan-jalan dibawah hujan salju.
I saw my clock and it struck 2 PM and I guess it's really the time to go back home, since the taxi car (which was already booked by the school last week) will pick me up at 6 to the airport. It did feel sooo heavy to realise that was my last time seeing Green Park (at least for in a few years ahead).
We both took the tube to London Bridge Station and it was time to say goodbye there, it was a bit sad. Well, we spent almost a month together here in London. But, surely, we'll meet again soon, Bren!
So, I waited alone for a few minutes again and I felt a strange feeling coming through my chest just by looking around. I looked around me, there were some people, mostly they were busy with their own phones, they are also going home with the next train from this station and I was thinking like, "this people won't feel the same like I do. I'm not going to get off from this station anymore tomorrow." I felt sad.
I sat by the window and I really couldn't feel my check, my hands, my feet, everything. The heater on the train didn't really work on me at the weather like this. I took the phone out of my coat pocket and there was a moment of silence. This is my last train towards Catford Bridge. Hahahaha ha ha.
And again, everything was sooo very beautiful outside. Rooftops covered with snow, the leaveless trees, everything.
I arrived at Catford and I remembered that Michelle asked me to buy a milk and I went to the store first and bought a bottle of milk and some candies and A DORITOS! Well, two bags of Doritos!!! (Google if you have no idea what is it, but it's kind of, like, a happiness). Then, I waited for the bus which I realised too that it was my last bus to my home and when I got off the bus, I smiled to the driver and said, "thank you, driver!" with all of my heart. I usually always say thank you to bus driver, and most of the time they didn't respond at all, but THAT TIME HE SMILED BACK (because usually they didn't!) at me and answered, "your welcome, darling."
Darling.
You know, most of people in Britain often use the term Darling, Honey, Sugar, Sweetheart and other gombal words like that and don't get too surprise if the bus driver, the cashier lady, the police on the street called you with one of those words.
Well, maybe the driver knew today was my last day in London.
I arrived home and gave out the milk to Michelle and said I wanna check my things upstairs and well yeah, I rechecked my stuffs, put my baggage downstairs (ofcourse with Michelle's help), went online for a while to write to my London's friends telling them I'm going back home in a couple of hours and there is it, Michelle called me downstairs and telling me that the taxi has arrived. I was like, what, it hasn't even 6 PM! then I looked out from the window, oh yeah he's arrived.
I went downstairs, after I really checked everything that my tickets, passport, phone, wallet, and like everything is ready. I hugged everyone. Michelle, Enzo (Michelle's son) and Nicky (my roommate). I said to them, I'll literally be going back. Then, I got on the taxi. Anyways, it was still snowing.
Once I got on the car, the driver reminded me to rechecked everything again. My travel documents and stuffs. I said that everything is well-prepared this time. Such a toughtful man.
From the beginning of the ride, we talked a lot. I looked at him, he's completely white, I mean, a caucasian and he has that british accent. We talked for a few minutes after he started driving, till there was a moment he said something surprising.
Driver: Yes, Insya Allah.
I was like, WHAT. "Sorry?" and he said, "Insya Allah." again.
I was too surprised, "Uh.. Are-are you a.. muslim?"
He then laughed and answered, "yes, I am!" LOLOL and my happiness scale from 1 to 10 bolted up to 11!!! Then, we talked about a looooooooot of things!!!
(It felt so surreal that I just met another family here.)
His family, my family, my school, Islam in Indonesia, Islam in England and then I found out that he's a british, but his father came all the way from Greece to study here and he married a british woman and this kind guy, Mr Hasan, my driver, born here. Now he has three daughters, "such a big responsibility, you know?" and we both laughed.
You know, meeting muslims isn't difficult here. There are a lot of immigrants who came all the way from Pakistan, Iran, Palestine, Africa and some other parts and they're all muslims. What made me so surprise and happy and amazed and blessed is because he's a white (note this: I'M NOT BEING RACIST HERE), muslim man. And that was my second time seeing a white, muslim man after five months living here. Then why was that? Because, it made my dream somehow looks possible. My (everyone said that it is a) childish dream about Jason. (I even told him about my dream, like "you know, Mr Hasan, I always wanted to marry a caucasian guy and he has to be a muslim!") and he answered like, "oh that's good! is it one of the reason you came here?" HAHA GOTCHA, he guessed it right!
Um, well, I came here for study too!
When I was talking with him, I kept looking things outside the window. It was dark already--London at night is beyond beautiful, but everything I just saw will really be missed for the next years and years and years. I can't believe I'm leaving already.
"This is Chelsea Bridge."
I don't remember that there was the bridge named Chelsea, but he said we almost reach the airport.
Then right, ten minutes later I could see the huge yet not-as-amazing-as-HK-airport London Heathrow Airport sign.
We talked a little bit more till we arrived at the terminal and I'm so so so so grateful beyond anything that God just sent me another kind man to help me at my very last minutes here.
I thanked him a lot, I said I really wish I could meet him again in the future and he asked me to send his best regards to my family! Such a kind man.
After salam and so many thankyou and goodbyes and waving hand, I finally entered the airport.
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Everything went well during the immigration process. I met another kind lady in the boarding room and she was from Malaysia, we talked a little bit until we got inside the plane.
Well, I can't help it but i'm being super norak but the plane was the coolest plane I've ever been on! It got three-decks and the foods were awesome and I heard that it was like the newest type of airbus from Emirates, so... yeah! I enjoyed the flight to Dubai to the fullest! Tehehehe.
And again, the man who was sitting next to me was kind (again)! He helped (when I need) me a lot. I couldn't be more grateful. Oh Godness.
We landed in Dubai after, maybe, about eight hours flight, and we had to get off and move to another plane which was soooo far away from the first terminal the plane landed at. We needed to take a shuttle skytrain and I was so excited I could see a little bit of Dubai outside! Yay. The sun was shining so bright and I can't remember when was the last time I could feel the sunlight was thiiiis hoooooot!!!
One word: Dubai Airport was SUPER cool. You know what, I was totally alone during my flight home, but I really enjoyed everything a lot all by myself. It was totally cool.
Looking around, getting lost and meeting new people..
So, yeah. Arriving at the boarding room and I noticed everyone in that room looked so familiar.......... OH YEAH. They were all Indonesians. And they were all, old. I mean, semuanya kakek-nenek dari Indonesia yang baru pulang umroh.
Yup. Another seven-hours to Indonesia with granmoms and granddads (who can not speak English at all!) and BELIEVE ME IT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT MOMENT I'VE EVER HAD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
And I will write that at another chance. It was like one of the highlight moments in my life.
But, so far. I enjoyed everything during my flight home.
I tried to memorizing everything that happened at the last five months and I'm being beyong grateful to Allah that there are none of them which I don't thankful for. I thankful for every-single-thing that ever happened and they are all so priceless and I will not forget them forever. Alhamdulillah.
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