Winter vacation, that I never had before!

Hello world! I realize that my English is not perfect and my grammar is awful Hahahha. But I really want to tell my story to the world. I am sure this not really a touching story or really great adventure. But if you are really interested to read about how easy to be happy for me and miss me so much, go ahead!

Around more than 60% percent of Indonesian people never see snow in their life. Maybe for some people snow is not an interesting thing. It is about cold weather, clearing the path, slippery road and heavy clothes. But for me, it is white, lot of fun, and really good time. Maybe because I don't have snow for 3 months straight and this is my first time to see it after 24 years.

I came to India in June, 2014. It was summer. The temperature was around 40 degrees celcius and it was Ramadhan. I couldn't do fasting at that time. I felt sick because it was too hot for me who just got 35 degrees celcius when summer in Indonesia. I had no choice, just stayed in my room and switched on the fan and had shower at least 3 times in a day. Apart from that, I also had to struggle in teaching my students. Trust me, teach my students is not an easy job. They are really active and smart. Sometimes, they make me feel that they are smarter than me. Even they are only grade 4 students.

From June to October, the weather changed quickly. Sometimes, it was bright sunny day in the morning and suddenly we had heavy rain in the evening. Lucky me, that my body was strong enough at the time. I consumed a lot of tomato and banana. Beside that, I kept my positive mind and tried to stay happy. I only had problem with my teeth. Maybe because in India I eat a lot of sweets. At the end of November, the weather totally changed. It was autumn. All green leaves just died and sometimes the wind blows really cold air. The mid of December, I was dying. I slept with 3 blankets, thick jacket, sweater and I usually iron my bed before going to sleep. My friend from Russia, Irina, gave me extra jacket to protect me from cold weather. She used to say that I would be an ice cream if I would keep going to Jammu for winter vacation. But I was really excited. I had a plan to visit my brother in Jammu. We met in Indonesia in 2013 and I would like to visit him in India. It is really far from my place, Ranchi. But I didn't care. Especially, because people said that I could see snow in Kashmir, which is not really far from Jammu. I was really excited. What is snow, how does it feel, can I eat snow, how cold is it, many questions just stuck in my mind make me couldn't stop counting down the days. I still remember it was just 3 days left and I cried. Not because I really want to see snow. But, I was really missing my brother, Achyut. We celebrated new year on 2014 and now we would meet to celebrate 2015. I was packing my stuff and all the memories just replay in my mind automatically. I called him on phone and tears everywhere, huhuhu.

Day by day, finally, I caught my train. I settled in my cabin and sat nicely on my seat. It took 3 days and 2 nights in train to reached Jammu. It was tiring and the weather just made my train moved slowly. India was full of fog because of winter. I met a kind woman in my train. We had the same destination. She spoke English well. So, I had good time with her in the train, eventhough my train delayed for 11 hours. Life in India is not easy for me. Sometimes I just think that I am not strong enough for India. And then, I remember, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Yes!!! That is absolutely true. I learnt to struggle and survived in difficult time. And after this, I can survive everywhere I guess. Sometimes, there were many things ruin my patience. In Indonesia, I usually cried just because I break my shoes or lost my stuff. But here, I still can smile after stuck in the train for more than 60 hours. Aychut, knocked my window and jumped into the train to pick me and took my bag. He with his dad, were waiting for me. I run to his dad who has called me many times to come to Jammu. I was so much happy to see him. I call him papa. He is like my dad in Indonesia. Eventhough everyone is different, but all children have a great papa and he is really a nice papa for me!

I was feeling upset to know that Achyut started his training the next day when I reached Jammu. He had to left me and let me enjoy my time alone in Jammu. His mummy took me to her office and told me many stories about Jammu. I felt in love with her. She spoke English well. But sometimes she just told me a long story and forgot that I am not able to speak Hindi. So, she just repeated the story in English.

I fought with Achyut after he left me at home from morning till evening for 2 days and he didn't explain anything to me. I just think that he forgot about me. Who was always waiting for him, counting every day, killed every minute to come and see him. I understood that he had his training every day. But the way he treated me, made me feel that I was doing stupid things to travel a lot and struggle much to see him. I cried whole night for myself. I felt so sad and stupid in the same time. The next day, Achyut asked me to hang out with his friends. He explained everything. I was the first and the only girl who stay and come for him. So, he didn't know what to do and what should he do. He was confused and busy in the same time. And boys are boys, I always think that they couldn't do 2 things in the same time. Doing his training and accompany me in Jammu were too much for Achyut, hahahah. So I decided to join his sister to go to Srinagar, Kashmir, by flight. Aditi, my friend, helped me to book my ticket. I left Achyut in Jammu and wished he could be more focused with his training.

"You will see snow and have a good time", Achyut dropped me in the airport and told me many exciting things about Kashmir.

"You will love the place. You will enjoy everyday with my sister. She will arrange holiday for you".

I stayed in army camp in Kashmir with his sister. After all story about Kashmir I expected that I would see snow this time and would really have a good time. Unfortunately, snow haven't fallen yet. This things could explain why I really hate global warming. I still could see sun shine brightly and feel warm under the sun, outside the house. I felt, dissapointed and upset. The snow hated me so much.

After 3 days in Kashmir, finally one man came to pick me up at home. Achyut sister, that I usually called didi, told me that he would accompany me went to Gulmarg, a place full of snow. We left home at 11 morning and took a small car then stop in one terminal. He was really kind to me. Unfortunately, I couldn't speak Hindi. So we didn't talk much. I tried to tell him many things in simple English.

"We don't have snow in Indonesia. I want to build a snowman", I talked to him while doing body language hope that he would understand me. He just gave me a simple smile. He is a moeslim and a handsome man. He introduced me to his wife and told me about his family. He mixed Hindi and English so I could understand everything. He treated me like a princess.

To reach Gulmarg we had to stop many times and changed another car. In the 2nd stop, when I got off from my car, I saw a big ice on the road.

"Oh my God, it's freezing. This is ice". I talked to myself observing everything around me.  The next car just gave me snow view. I was beeping in the car. My tears, just felt without control. I was really happy. I just wanted to jump out and touch them all. And finally we reached.

"Mai ap nam kya he?"
"Mustagh"
"Ou ok, mera nam Icha he"

Actually, we have travelled to Gulmarg for more than 4 hours and didn't know each other. First time I touched snow, I cried again. It was so soft and cold. We stopped in one place for two hours and I started build a snowman. It was difficult and slippery. I felt many times and worked hardly to make my snowman. At the end I only could make a small snowman and put two coins as eyes. It was ugly, but I felt happy. Mustagh bhai helped me and laugh so much at me. He must be thinking that I was a crazy girl, jumped and laughed on snow without any reason. We went back by train. He asked me to send to him some pictures about Indonesia from my phone. He dropped me at home without saying goodbye. When I took off my shoes, he vanished and just gave my bag to Mure bhai, the man who is working with my didi.

After that, I was busy surfing on my social media. I was excited to tell my mom that I have seen snow. We talked on skype and she cried. She said that she didn't cry, it is just because something happened with her eyes. Hahahha. I didn't know if she was really crying or not. But she said, since I was small, I always wanted to see snow. And I was born in Indonesia, where there is no winter and no snowfall. My mom, was really happy to see my pictures with snow. So I uploaded many pictures to make her happy. Lala, my sister from Italy, did the same thing. She cried to see my pictures that I sent to her. It was my big dream to see snow. After 24 years in my life, this is a big scratch for my wishlist, see the snow!!!

Life must go on. After I saw snow, now I believe that all dream can be reached. Sometimes we failed, and need more effort. Unfortunately, when I was supper happy with my snow around my head, Aychut lost his cousin. He died because heart attacked in Jammu. I called papa and told him to be patient.

I went back to Jammu on 7 January 2015, 2 days after my trip to Gulmarg. I went back by road. I had to take train first and stop in station to get my next car. Mustagh bhai picked me up in the early morning when I just finished my breakfast. I gave him a bar of chocolate for his daughter. He smiled and and we said goodbye. He gave me money as a present. I tried to reject but I don't wanna make him dissapointed. So, I keep the money till now, and maybe I will frame it when I reach Indonesia. Because, I really admire him. After all, even Aychut couldn't spend much time with me, God taught me many things in my holiday. I was really happy. I sat in my next car which would take me to Jammu. It was really scary road, and long trip. It took for me 12 hours in the car which was full of 11 people with really small space. I even sometimes couldn't breath properly. I would be back to Ranchi the next day by train.

The night that I had to sleep, but I didn't. I was just too worried to go back to Ranchi. It was annoying for every holiday. I was counting all my days to get this holiday and It just like I closed my eyes and everything was over. I had to back to my real world. But, I did a really stupid thing. I didn't check my ticket properly and missed my train. We reached railway station 10 minutes later. I just wanted to eat myself.  I lost my second class in train and I couldn't get my money back. Lucky me that papa struggled and got third class for me in the next day. Usually people are not able to get a ticket for a long journey one day before. But he did!!! Papa even paid for me. I cried for the stupidity that I have done. I know that I could stay one more night with them. God really listen to my wish. I stayed and enjoyed one more night with them. In the afternoon, when papa and mummy left for the funeral ceremony, Achyut showed me old pictures. We laughed a lot. We had really good time till I said goodbye in railway and left him without knowing when we would meet again. I cried whole journey remembering all memories and it seems I had full tank of tears. I cried a lot and people just stared at me in the train. It is always hard for me to say goodbye. Even I have said goodbye many times before, but this was the hardest one. I really miss everything there. I am very grateful for every second that I was with them. I am not sure when will I come back because it is really far far away. I am not the traveller who can survive 3 days and 2 nights in train. But trust me, I can do it for my special one in Jammu! Let's see!! I miss you!!! See you very soon!!!