Time passed so fast, I remembered the first day when I came to Sweden was also the day when I said goodbye to everyone in Schipol airport.
Few days later after that day, I knew you all for the first time. We met and introduced each other and then walked together to the campus. That 30 minutes journey was felt like 5 minutes when I spent my time to get to know you.
We had many parties every week even I seldom came joining, you still remembered me and never gave up to invite me and my housemate. We formed group together in the class, visited each other just to say hi or shared the same feeling of being in foreign country, had dinner together with many kinds of cuisines from our countries, even got on the cruise trip together. How could I forget those memories...those are more than just pictures that I took with my camera.
Some of you were staying with me and my other Indonesian friends until this spring semester, but some of you left after the winter semester. I cried and I was so sad when someone of us was going back to France, then the next day some also went back to Germany, more and more farewell parties until my turn to go on my Christmas holiday in Holland I said goodbye to my Chinese friends who would be gone when I came back after the new year.
Spring Semester
New year was coming, I returned to Sweden again...some of you were still packing for your leaving while new people were coming for the Spring Semester. Again, one of you were back to South Africa and got ready for your wedding. The week after, two of us also left for Greece one would continue his study and the other was preparing for his army academic year in the military camp.
(I hate to get to know someone again when I know I'll have to say goodbye some months later but that's life...)
We who were still in Gavle since last winter started to introduce ourselves again to new comers from Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Greece again. Didn't mean forgeting you who have left but at least we tried to open our heart to welcome new friends. We started all over again with new funs and laughter and kept wishing that you had been still here with us and our new pals.
10 months have almost passed since we came to this country. Those farewell parties were returning. Sadness, tears, and wishes to meet again someday in the future were uttered even more for you who have stayed here with us for the whole year. More and more people are leaving but this moment, no new people come until next August 2005. I shouldn't say that they leave us behind in Gavle but I thank God that they're now continuing with their life to reach what we're dreaming of. So when it's time to say goodbye even I'm sad or crying...I'd like to send you off with a big smile as a silent sign that we are so glad to know you here in Gavle.
=Dedicated to all of foreign students of University of Gefle 2004/2005 who had a great time in Satra, Gavle, Sweden. P.F. 12 June 2005=
