GIVEAWAY OF THE YEAR: Being An Expatriate

Having fun in my first snow, December 2002

Being an Expatriate who lives in USA was never in my desire. But that was a life that we never knew what was happened in our future life especially if we talked about our soulmate.

Having many friends from abroad were always excited. Many new things I could learn from them, but having a serious relationship with someone from different country was more excited and the most challenging.

After many things to do to apply the fiancee visa, from many immunitations that took around one year, medical check up and interview, I was sure my fiancee was the one person who would be my husband soon.

I felt my tears when the airplane took off from Surabaya Airport, Juanda. At that time I realized that I would be so far with my family and my best friends. But I had one giant faith, that HE would never leave me alone. If He gave him to me to be my future husband, then I would never has a doubt at all to give my whole life in His hands to live and share my life with my soulmate.

When the first time I stepped my feet on USA earth, I knew there were many challenges I would face. I had been ready since I started knowing that my fiance (my husband) told me that he had sent all the fiance visa application to INS in USA and had been approved and they sent them to USA Embassy in Jakarta.

What the first impression I had at my arrival was the rule how to get on the line when I had to report at the non US citizen arrival centre and should to meet an INS officer to give a big envelope of my private information from USA Embassy in Jakarta to her. I felt really nervous but everything was just fine.

The second impression was the weather. Although at that time was in August (summer) but it was still chilly for me when the evening came.

On the 3rd month of my arrival, exactly on October 5th, 2002 we had simple wedding ceremony at our apartement and just some close friends and members of family attended. There were no family and friends from my site. I wish someday if God permits I will have a special traditional wedding ceremony in Indonesia. The special thing from our wedding was most of the food for our wedding celebration was the food that I cooked myself. Everybody loved them. Batik was our theme for our wedding dresses although I had prepared a special modern-traditional wedding gown for myself that I brought from Indonesia. Sonny Raji was my designer I put my trust on to design my wedding gown. It was so beautiful. One day I'm sure I'll wear it in our second vote in front of the the Priest as God representative on the earth.

Enjoying in playing on the snow was my 3rd impression. One thing I ever remembered, every Christmas came in Indonesia, I heard or I sang 'I am dreaming of a white Christmas' was trully happened. What a funny things I heard from my husband. He asked, "How can Indonesians sing that song while they never have snow in their country?" I replied him, "White Christmas means white snow from their heart." (he, he....just a joke).

What is other impressions things?? Many. From the kind of food they eat, the way how they pay the bills, the body posture they have are much bigger, taller and fatter than mine. That is why most of the people think I am still a tenager. I think because of how much younger I look, slim and small body I have.

Being an Expatriate for more than 6 years in USA till right now, I still learn many new things. Life is learning for me, so I will never stop to learn many things in the new earth I live. I enjoy every different stuff I face, like and dislike. My life is so colorful, that is why there are many different and opposite things I always face and experience.

Being an Expatriate in a super power country can be a great challenging in my whole life. Am I happy? Yes, because I am with my lovely family. Am I Sad? Yes, because I am in the thousands miles away from my family and my best friends. Do I enjoy my life? Yes, everything I do, I always enjoy it. Life is to be enjoyed, bad or good, sad or happy, like or dislike.

Fida Abbott's Giveaway of the Year

Are you an Expatriate? Share your most excited experience by writing your comment here or give me your link that show your writing about 'Being An Expatriate' in Indonesian or English. There will be a giveaway to the person who writes the best! Take this challenge and win my giveaway of the year. The giveaway will be closed on November 10th, 2008.

I would be thank and appreciate if you will forward this giveaway news to every person/Blogger you know as an expatriate. Please, let me know if you have forwarded this giveaway news by writing a comment here with a link of it or enclose this giveaway news in a posting at your Blog with a link of this posting (http://fidaabbott.blogspot.com/2008/10/giveaway-of-year-being-expatriate.html). There will be something special I will give to the first Five Persons/Bloggers who have forwarded this giveaway news.

The Giveaway will be the unique product. What is it?? It is still a secret till the winner announcement time comes, in the end of November'08.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

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Writing 'Being An Expatriate' for Indonesian Expatriates Forum, the final editing I posted above with a giveaway of the year.
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