Reunion at My Hometown, Lhokseumawe

Dear Hivers😊

This post also a late post and part of My unforgettable memories about my roots, the place I belong and wonderful journey I have had in the last 2 years away from hive. After working as splinterlands support staff for 5 months (August - December 2021) and the company sent the year-end bonuses, I made up my mind to take a break while the game hype was not really crazy like there's no way to sip a cup of water for tech support dept in July-September 2021. Old friends from class of 1990, SMPN 1 conducted a reunion held in the school in Kota Lhokseumawe. So, I took that opportunity to come back and following the request to join the organization where I held a position as the secretary of board projects and strategic planning meeting.

The Reunion was held in January 22nd, 2022. All old friends from all around the world were gathered for a day. Unfortunately, the one who's initiated the event himself couldn't joined us from Qatar. We came to the school and had a good time sharing with the juniors, active teachers and retired teachers. The juniors were going to have national test at that time. So, few of us who's already a successful men and women shared our experiences with them, before we left the school and continued our activities to talk about our old memories. We've been separated for 22 years and there're many things to talk about.

_{the school entry gate which better than old days when I was there, it's hard to climb in from the outside now. LOL, I used to be a good student, but sometimes when I woke up a bit late, I need to climb up over the old steel fence to get in. I lived 2 KM away from school and I couldn't afford the public transportation at that time, so walking along the way to school was the only option}

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My Friends and I then headed to the famous beach in hometown, Ujong Blang Beach. Greet, Eat and joke around about the old days always in the agenda of a reunion, I think. After lunch, many of friends who doesn't have any home to stay in the city anymore, would go together to travel around the city. We'll meet again at Diana Hotel in the evening for the closing event. I didn't go because I had to see my old friend from elementary school who just got home from hospitalized.

_{it's kinda a traditional ritual for everyone in my hometown who has gathered after separated for sometimes to have this king of fruit as the highlight of the party. We're lucky because the hotel where we held the night reunion event was managed by a friend, so Durian Party was allowed to be conducted at the hotel}

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Singing, dancing and show respect to the old teachers were done before we killed the durians that night. None went home without any smell like being drenched into durian's soup! it's a safe non-alcohol party. I left Diana Hotel before midnight with my hubby (the only alien in the party).

_{I knew he didn't eat much at the hotel. As a gratitude for being such a patience man to accompany the wife, I treated him to have his favorite's food in Lhokseumawe. it's boiled blood clam with pineapple peanut sauce. Don't ask how much cholesterol intake that day, who cares?}

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Since My parents are living in the city, I stayed longer than any other friends who came for reunion. I haven't met my family for 4 years, so we have a lot to catch up. While I stayed at home accompany my parents, Hubby would take our nephew and nieces to play out. They went to the beach almost every afternoon, sometimes to bath, sometimes to have a cup of coffee at the cafe nearby.

_{we don't have to wait for the school vacation or arranged the special trip/picnic to enjoy the wave and the beach here. it's only 5 minutes by foot from my house to the beach. While their parents usually too busy to take them there, we did it.}

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A short and small, beautiful moment for us to remember when we left hometown later. I had to adjust the time to spend with parents, the children in the family and my old friends who knew that I was at home. So, it's almost like there're reunion every day wherever I go around the city.

_{a different place where my elementary school, Bunyamin, took us to enjoy the view. This is the view from a cafe at Salak Mountain, Sawang, North Aceh. I'll never get bored of the beach view, but this kinda greenery scene always refreshing to see.}

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I feel so blessed because I was born in a place like Aceh, we have mountains, paddy fields, beautiful beach, rivers, historical place known as an oldest Islamic kingdom in Indonesia, a conflict area, vertical war stories, tsunami affected area and many more which shaped the people stronger and open.

_{the last person I needed to be reunited with before I went to Banda Aceh was my old fellow @akukamaruzzaman.}

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I'll end up the reunion stories at my hometown, Lhokseumawe city, Aceh, Indonesia here. I'll be back with another part of my unforgettable journey in Banda Aceh. I feel like I am going to enter a sad 🥲mode soon. this December will be 20 years tsunami commemoration.