The holiday has arrived at long last (1 week- to celebrate the New Year, and Christmas on Jan 7th for Orthodox Christians)... My, I could definitely rejoice in all the magnificence if not for the nagging little fact that I'm having my exams in 18 days' time. The cold weather does not help my case, which makes for nice snuggling-under-the-covers sessions. Sofi wake up already!!! There. Haha. Laziness knows no ends. Though my spirits raised a little upon hearing my sister's splendid 9As for her PMR. Nice one, kiddo. Now I can't rest on my laurels, can I- time to stretch some muscles.
Selamat Hari Raya Eidul Adha to dear Muslims in the world. =)
ps:
Fauzan Al Anshori, from the militant group of Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia, said Bush, too, should stand trial.
"Given the crime blamed on Saddam, it is unfair if George Bush is not also put on an international tribunal," he said. "Saddam was executed for killings 148 people, Shiite Muslims, while Bush is responsible for the killing of about 600,000 Iraqis since the March 2003 invasion."
I couldn't agree more.
Feeding birds
A walk in the park
A lamb for sacrifice being brought down from the truck
Eid prayer; from left- Kak Naim, my sister Sarah, me.
Kak Haneem, Baya, Fahida, Kak Rita, me.
It has been quite a while since I talked about the weather. Winter’s late this year- the temperature’s been constantly above zero for the past few weeks and the snow’s playing a mischievous game of hide-and-seek with us. Menjelma, already! Some of my friends would get the kick out of spanking me every time I pray aloud for a white Volgograd the morning after. But hey, what is winter without snow? So the roadside gets a little slippery. You can’t have it all in one package, can you? I say let’s polish our sense of adventure a bit here, heheh.
The past few days were fine, a little dull even. If you discounted the part where I was stalked by an extremely friendly dog who walked alongside me and stopped when I stopped and scurried away only when I reached for my handphone (who on earth was I planning to call for rescue? 911??) and- no thanks to clumsy me- violently hurled it across the ground, or the part where I freaked over an unfinished due medical care report for credit only to find the teacher barely glancing at its cover the next day (a friend didn’t even pass it up and he never asked), or the part where I told my PT (Physical Training) teacher that I have been skiving his classes because I train for volleyball (and now I really have to take up volleyball as he said he might check on us), or the part where I was indirectly accused of shoplifting two cans of Fruiting apple and aloe vera juice at Ramstor (long story, but the security lady was extremely rude and if I was in Malaysia I definitely would have demanded to see the manager), that is. And now I’ve started to binge again. H-E-L-P.
ps: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. Can't wait!
Whenever I feel like the barbed wheel of reality is running berserk over the crowded canvas of my life, tearing it to shreds, some vibrant colours of hope would unexpectedly splash in and revert my entire outfit of emotions. To perceive my string of calamities as bad luck would be an act of ignorance- I practically attracted all those troubles to myself. I’m a trouble magnet. To settle for the notion still, is a crude act of cowardice- ruminating over a mug of hot chocolate won’t change a thing. Neither would blogging about it. Though the comforting thought of still having His blessings over and over again despite my constant stupidity keeps my spirit breathing... Alhamdulillah.
I owe a giant thank you to my parents, especially my father, for helping me through my bankcard ‘fiasco’. A thank you is never enough- some sense of gratitude can’t be easily expressed by a few clicks of keys. My friends and I had a talk recently on how much we rely on our parents to get by with our lives. Three friends of my friend had lost a parent each in the past week and even though people die every second of the day, the actuality of it hits you like a rock when it happens to someone you know (or someone you know, know). All of us realised that more often than not, we do not appreciate our loved ones enough, especially our parents. We call them when we need their help, or to wish them on their birthdays. It’s not often that we spare time for them just because. I’m saying we, ‘cause I would like to believe that I’m not the only person in the world who thinks he/she hasn’t been a good enough son/daughter, although these claims I know are directed exclusively at me, me, me. Once, a while ago, I called my mum and she mistook me for my sister. When I corrected her, she said that I hadn't called for so long she didn't recognise my voice anymore. It was jokingly said, I know, but it was true. In some ways I can steal the geographical factor as some kind of an excuse, but thinking back, I didn’t do enough when I was back home either. People keep saying not to take things for granted, but we do, we do... I do. I do it every single day.
At the end of the day, I thank Him for the host of opportunities laid before me in life- the gift of wonderful people around me who never get tired of my never-ending antics (maybe they do… maybe I’m being dense. Ouch.) , the doors to success just waiting for me to open ‘em (need to find the keys first though, hehe), the clarity of conscience to slap me back to hard reality from time to time, the ability to correct my mistakes, the gleaming torch of Ad-din to guide me when all other lights go dark…
Am I in one of those moods again, you ask? Truth is, I’m in this mood all the time. Most of the time, I just don’t feel like letting it out, so it’s slotted in between my chirpy babble-talk or lousy jokes. Deep inside, I’m kinda gloomy, yeah. Plus I like wearing black headscarf and has, since that day, been asked a few more times about it by curious Russians. Thinking of ditching it (already did actually, am donning white now).
I see I’m not making much sense at this point. Got to study for a test tomorrow anyways. Azleen, I need your pencahayaan agung.
"This year I'm definitely going out! I don't care!"
"Yeah, we'll get revenge for last year!"
"Wanna go Moscow? We still haven't properly been there- airports don't count."
"But I've been to Mega!"
"Shopping malls don't count either."
"But I really wanna go out of Russia. Go to someplace new. Like, Europe."
"We are in Europe, dummy."
"OK, like, western Europe."
"What about Egypt?? I heard someone said about wanting to go to Egypt?"
"Let's have a look at my world map! See, from here, we can go here, and here, than circle back here, drop a visit here, and fly back from here..."
"Yeah, if we're planning on going broke for the next six months, we can."
"Ok then, what about here? We can take train from here to here..."
"Know what? There's a special promotion for Aeroflot ticket fares to selected Eropean cities now."
"Oh yeah? Till when?"
"Tomorrow."
"What the...??? Man, let's book the tickets now! Why haven't you told me earlier??"
"I just got to know last night myself!"
""Why haven't anyone-"
"Don't ask. Wondering the same myself."
"Here's my idea. We hit Frankfurt, then some of the guys I heard are going skiing in Vienna. We can join 'em there."
"Why not Munich? It's nearer."
""Know something else? S7 are also having promotion. Their Frankfurt fare's freaking cheap."
"Well then. But hey, hey, hey... I see Paris's not so far away from Frankfurt. Hmm..."
"And Prague too- Prague's beautiful. Well, in Mission Impossible, it is."
"I've always wanted to go to Paris."
"Do you know anyone there?"
"Er... (TKY came to mind) An old classmate is studying there. But really, it's not a good idea. We weren't exactly... close. (non-existent relationship more like)"
"Laa, just go and ask him! Do you speak French??? Exactly. He can help us get around. And you guys can rekindle your friendship."
"(ERRRRRRRRRRRR????????)"
"ERRRRRRRRRRRR????????"
""Heyyy.... no special price fare from Paris to Moscow! Not fair!"
"Well, well... We can go up to Brussels, fly Moscow from there."
"Or climb further to Amsterdam. Amsterdam sounds better."
"The price is also higher. Here, how about Zurich?"
"Man, this is too confusing."
""Alright, have you decided already? I've spent the night thinking and becoming more confused."
"No. You? How about her? And her? And them?"
"Ok, me and my sister are flying to Frankfurt and return to Moscow from Milan."
"Hah? Since when Milan came into the picture?"
"Milan?? Waaa I wanna go Milan!!"
""AC Milan's your favourite team right? Haha come with us then."
"Well... but my sister and I have decided to go to Istanbul."
"Right. And since when did Istanbul come into the picture.."
"And maybe go to Athens too? Don't know, if there's time."
""And what about you?"
"I'm going to Munich then to Vienna."
"You?"
"Berlin, then travel down, maybe to Munich, Prague, I don't know... the main thing is I have to get on the plane back here from Zurich."
"O-kay..."
"You guys are going to Madrid right?"
"Yeah, and fly back from Barcelona."
"hey has anyone seen the ad in the lift? A trip to Italy!"
"Ok, it's too late."
"I've always wanted to go to Italyyy..."
In the end, everyone's going separate places. Haha. Geli hati betul.
Someone was late to lecture this morning because the electric juice dried in Hiroshima and, upon stepping on the maiden snow blanket in front of the hostel, she could not resist snapping several pictures. Selamat tak kena halau keluar lecture hall… hehe.
7 November aka 3 weeks ago
22 November aka 1 week ago
28 November aka this morning
We discovered a new route from the bus stop to hostel via Bakinskaya on Saturday. This is so old news for many, but do allow me to amuse myself for a bit. The two of us were a couple of cheats actually- we stalked a senior taking that particular route, hence the (not) grand unearthing. The fun bit was when we had to walk across a railway track, which brought to mind some comic scenes from a much-loved hobby (read: television) of yesteryears. Say, the Looney Toons, where the baddies would strap a damsel on a track with the train coming at breakneck speed, or a gung-ho fight scene on the roof of a carriage in Bollywood flicks. Alright I’m spouting gibberish. In short, we’re including the route in the chronicle of our great traveling (mis)adventures in Russia. *chuckles*
Speaking of which, I’m suddenly reminded of Anastasia. As in the Disney movie, which I loved very much, watching it years and years ago. Her romantic journey across the continent inspired my long-standing dream of backpacking around Europe. Paris on train this winter, anyone? =D
Immunology lecture.
The weight of today trampled on my preceding thoughts of what to cook for dinner. The missing bank card, that is. After a stickler process raiding my haversack, turning the bed upside down, whining, jogging round the neighbourhood of poor memory, asking around, brooding, and self-loathing, the only conclusion I could offer was that I left the card at the ATM machine. Which was a preposterously preposterous idea to accept. Already, the sun isn't looking too bright at me, as I anticipate the looming process of reporting, requesting, more whining, phone-calling et al. Your emotion is one tricky rollercoaster ride; yesterday I was gleefully delighting in the non-occasion cake we bought, today I'm a deadwood.
Room, drinking hot chocolate.
Everyone has their own peculiar little acivities to comfort themselves with. My roomie (and ex-roomie)- in a way bizarre to my befuddled mind but not many others', apparently- tidies up the room, with a capital T in bold. I got back one day to find my whole place spick-and-span- the bundle of dried clothes still in their hangers that morning all folded neatly, bed gorgeously gussied up, and my books arranged in order on the table. The 'excuse' given was that she didn't have anything to do. Furthermore, said she, if she was in an angry mood she would do it faster. Most amazing. Someone I know cleans the toilet, which is even more bizarre than cleaning the bedroom. According to the person, scrubbing on the floor, sink, etc. lends her some tang of satisfaction. O-K.
A lot other less-extraordinary people gorge on food, or listen to music; talk to others, and pray, in search for that inner tranquility. I am a lot of the abovementioned things, but the one activity that I found recently to be excellently therapeutic is walking. The cadency of your two feet clapping against the ground is funnily reassuring. And with walking come other little parcels of activities with calming effect on your anxious self- contemplation; talking (if you have walking company); luxuriating in the spectacle of the mahogany leaves showily dancing with the wind, or the evening's ebb budding with brilliant manifestation of colours- all singing His praises; praying for solution to the mysteries of your life (or the missing bank card). All these can be done as you stride past the fancy designer boutiques, brush past tall, gangling Russians, or hike up the hill of muddy earth staining your white shoes black.
So today, as any other day since November arrived, I walked towards my peace- muddy shoes and all. And we had fish for dinner.
"So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief."- Al-Inshirah: 5
Sunset at the train station
This student is not happy though. Is it just my luck or am I really that careless? Cos I lost my bank card today =(
It snowed this morning! The first time (if I wasn't too busy snuggling under the covers to notice) was on Sunday though- the day we had our huge eid celebration for all Malaysians currently dwelling in Volgograd. It was neatly sandwiched between our little 3-day holiday to mark the Day of People's Unity/National Unity in Russia, so we had quite the time and space to set things in order for the grand(-ish) occasion. Since we were not lucky enough to have our own Malaysian hall, Malaysian officials and all the jazz, everything had to be done by ourselves and that, in itself, proved to be a blessing in disguise. You get to have your truly own celebration, style it the way you want. You get to work with your comrades, foster solidarity and good festive spirit. You learn to make 135 litres of syrup and lychee. Heheh.
The (supposedly) ongoing plan for the photo album is again put on hold, as I spam my own site with another merry batch of pictures. Great food, great people, great atmosphere- what more could you ask? And oh yeah, it snowed. *grin stupidly*
Us, the food servers
Volgan (as denoted by Azleen- it strongly reminds me of the Vogons in the Hitchhikers' series. Trust me, you wouldn't want to be in the company of a Vogon. LOL) bloggers:- Neemo, Zyryx, me.
My roomies and me
Some of the 2nd-year students
Food is the order of the week. Being a sophomore, you don’t get as many eid invitations as the super seniors, but quite enough to fill you to the brim with sated appetite. I’m loving every bit of it. Hehe. On Saturday, we were invited to the open house of the kakak-kakak 5th year. Briyani, roti jala- the usual gorgeous stuff. Some contemporary Malay movie was screened in the living room so I sought refuge in one of the bedrooms where the earlier shows of Shin Chan was being shown. Much as I despise that immoral punk of a character (I like his pengetua and teachers though ;p), the alternative of a yusry-erra-farid kamil-fasha etc., etc. combo was almost too daunting for words. Do pardon my prejudice, although I think it’s rather justified. Ngehs.
Some of us girls
Istimewa Aidilfitri bersama Shin Chan
*Both pics courtesy of Neemo
Then there was Raja’s birthday celebration where we had a somewhat distinct course of menu than that of the former- spaghetti bolognaise, fried noodles, fries. An honorable mention goes to the exquisite cheese cake- it’s been quite a while since I had one as cheesecakes are a bit expensive here. The entertainment department didn’t fare too bad either- we had Jeremy with his keyboard, dancing his fingers away with a fetching rendition of ‘Selamat hari Raya’ and a few other classics. The negative bit? Being a camera-less photographer’s distressing.
Er, cos we lack some eid pics here, I'm showing an example of a winter wedding gown for marriage aspirants. This was captured somewhere along Prospekt Lenina last Friday, when Sin Ye and I went nuts and decided to walk all the way to the academy from hostel about 25 minutes before class started. We made it before the teacher (he was late, obviously).
The Diwali celebration yesterday was grand, to put it in plain words. Guilty as it sounds, my (almost) sole mission going down was to revel in the glory of the mutton. Tee-hee. We were served with briyani, mutton curry, dhalcha, fried chicken, veggies, payasam, laddoo. I wished my favourite Indian dessert, kesari was included. But still, hats off to the boys and girls who started cooking in the wee hours of the morning- the efforts certainly paid off with the success of the event.
Note the pretty little kolam made by the girls (and guys, perhaps?)
As we went out to capture some moments together, I noticed this magnificent streaks of sunset proliferating the layers of the heavens. Mashaallah.
It completed my kenyang day ;)
Meanwhile today is my classmate, Farah’s birthday. We brought two small cakes to Anatomy class to celebrate with our beloved teacher, Irina Vladimirovna, all along hoping she would cancel our test for today (birthday’s a good excuse, no?). Our plan backfired funnily; except for the birthday girl- she was exempt from the test but no mercy spared for the rest of us. Haha. Still we had a good celebration afterwards- I realise that I’m going to sorely miss Irina after our 2-semester stint with her is over, come January. She’s easily my favourite teacher, and I’m sure many others feel the same way too.
Irina Vladimirovna and Farah
Meredah hujan selepas kelas
And finally, tonight the freshmen threw an open house for the seniors. I'm out of words by now, my mouth is full. Thank you.
Gadis-gadis cedok air
*The rest of the pics are courtesy of Fatin's camera
I wanted to set the alarm at 6 am but I knew better than to trust myself not to hit the snooze button about six times before eventually waking up. So I set it at 5.23 am (it’s a meaningless habit of mine, planting odd numbers) and close enough, my body finally caved in to the persuasive clock after four ‘snoozing’ actions. Thank God for the chipsmore-ish hot water currently in effect, I managed to have a really good mandi sunat hari raya. After putting on a nice baju kurung, I had a bite of the ketupat and rendang ayam which we cooked last night (Actually I just helped blend the chilies and stir the gravy;p) before going down to pinch my sister’s brilliant rendang daging. Unlike me, she is an amazing cook. Her modest reply to compliments would be that she simply hentam-ed and threw every bit of this and that into her dishes, but well, her hentam-ings would always turn out into some scrumptious piece of art. My hentam-ings, on the other hand, would materialise in the form of tongue-flaming (not in an exciting way, not really) sambal sotong, bland briyani (tu pun dah pakai ready-made perencah!), soggy fries. I’m much better in the eating department.
Emulating the tradition of having family breakfast before the prayer, all (well, most) 2nd-year students gathered and gorged on a gorgeous spread of soto, nasi minyak, rendang, etc. So much so that we missed the rombongan to the mosque (via hired mashrutkas) for raya prayers. Erk. There were 15 of us (including a few 1st year students left behind as well) and we decided to cross to the other side of the road to mashrut no. 19’s final stop and hired one car. Upon looking at the long queue of waiting passengers however, we scrapped the plan and called for taxi instead, asking to pick us up in front of the hostel. Thus we went back and waited. And waited. The trip to the mosque takes abut 15 minutes; the prayer was due at 9, and we had about 20 minutes left.
Our guy-in-charge, Shafwan called again but was told that no calls had been made and whether we wanted them to dispatch the cars now. Na-ah, too late. Last resort- intercepting a mashrut going up to their last stop (a 19 or 75), an idea proven to be the easiest and should have been executed from the beginning. Hence we rode on a 75 and luckily managed to reach our destination just on time. The crowd was wonderful (I felt strangely at home and almost cried...the mercy of Allah is ceaseless), albeit myself being sandwiched in the truest sense by a Russian lady on the left and a Mongolian lady on the right. It wasn’t this crammed when I went for Eidul-adha prayer last year, I thought.
After we finished praying and listening to the khutbah, a round of hand-shaking and cheek-brushing followed. This one young woman (of Armenian origin, I would guess) offered us dates. Meanwhile, one mak cik handed round 1 rouble coins as sadaqah and I got one. It reminded of my 1st Syawal last year, when a Russian guy on the street wished me and my friend well and gave 10 roubles to each of us. We did not understand a word he said, with the exception of ‘Musliman’ and ‘Ramadhan’. We need not to. This day… today… is one of those days when even utter strangers can be your family. Everybody wishes you with a smile and you couldn’t resist smiling at everybody yourself. Haha. There’s just such a good vibe around you can’t help but be merry. Even if the devils are back.
Me, Fatin, Farah, Fahida, and Baya in the morning
Rombongan kanak-kanak lambat ke masjid- waiting for mashrut 19/75; the weather was wet and cloudy, though not very cold.
Rombongan pulang dari masjid- the location was in a kampung neighbourhood; walking back to main street gave me sort of a homey feeling, like walking back from the mosque to my grandparents' house in Kampung Selamat. =)
Taking picture with some of the juniors (plus 1 senior). Pak cik Ruski ambil. Gegar la pak cik...
ps: All pictures courtesy of Fatin's camera
The dawning of Syawal, as usual, is greeted with bittersweet emotion. Alhamdulillah for the past month we managed to perform tarawih, qiamullail, tadarus Al-Quran, and, just now, takbir together as a jamaah in this tiny Muslim community far, far away from the sweet warmth of home. Selamat Hari Raya to every Muslim in the world- may Allah accept all of our ibadahs and grant us absolution from our past, present, and future sins. Inshaallah.
To everyone who knows me, I beg forgiveness for my every wrongdoing towards you, halalkan makan-minum and everything. =)
My blogging journey began when Azleen invited me as a guest to write in her blog. That was more than two years ago. A few days ago, meanwhile, I suddenly noticed the link to Azleen’s old blog displayed in her current one and decided to have a walk down the memory lane. So here’s my first ever blog entry (Sorry I took it without permission, Azleen.. bleh eh?), for old times’ sake. It has been only two years, but I sense a stark contrast in the way I write, then and now. For one, I was more cheerful then. You can easily note this by the numerous exclamation and question marks (double at a time no less) expressed in the entry. Jeez. Look at what two slight years can do to your brain and soul. *shudder*
02/03/04
The Game Is On..!
Assalamualaikum! For the record, i am NOT the original pH_Yulio. She just plead temporary insanity, so... i'm taking oveerr!!!!!! *BEWARE* boy, this blog needs total revamp!!*kidding, kidding* heyy... this is cool. blog guest huh.. ok first, let me just say that pH is one extraordinary person- she has me as her friend!! that's just the coolest thing ever, is it not??.... Like, would any of your friend be so kind as to write in ur blog when you're too lazy to write?? NO? exactly. the whole point is, pH, i'm your lifesaver. just remember that each time you even think of wanting to remind me about how many times i forgot to let go of the handbrake.
Alright..... what does a blog guest write about?? herself?? or the lucky-but-not-thankful blog owner??... due2 la.... kan? ok... let's see... today we went to school on a request from Pn. Azora to help with the english debate team. But i guess in the end we just hampered their holistic development as excellent debaters. plus we hotwired Pn Azora's laptop and 'accidentally' took it for a little ride around Kuantan Garden courtesy of Faezar's Tiara. or, should i say, her sister's. anyway i guess after three months' leave from school my brain has technically become frozen. As frozen as TKY's(go figure) sense of humour. i guess i'll go and defrost it now. all in all, it's not a bad day today. cheers everyone;p
ps: pH won't be back anytime soon so don't hold your breath
It was cool experience writing for you, Azleen. And now, reading these 'cute' entries reminded me of the fun, hassle-free days of post SPM which I treasured dearly deep in my heart. Sentimental lah pula...
The timbalan pengarah JPA’s currently in town. Yesterday all JPA students were thrown a grand(-ish) dinner at Intourist hotel whilst us non-JPAs bit our fingers in denial. Haha, as if. Still, it’d be nice to have someone treating you to a dinner at a hotel once in a while. Dato’ Adnan, jemput la ziarah Volgograd… ;p
A bug on the wall at home a week before coming back here- it stayed put for one whole day before falling off the next morning, dead.
My state of mind is a scrambled 5000-piece jigsaw puzzle. These random thoughts keep gyrating in my brain without much congruence to one another, all at once. Some people might say I lack organisation. I don’t disagree. So here are some arbitrary words of wisdom (not!):-
I’m not a bright little sunshine, for I feel happiest when the day’s cloudy.
I’m terrified of the dark though; I prefer to sleep with the lights on.
I really love being able to watch sunrise from the eye of my window; although frankly I think sunset’s prettier.
Cats are the cutest animal on earth.
Walking used to be my favourite pastime and mode of transport, but I wonder why I never walked down the hill and take the bus instead of dashing across the street and flag down mashrutka (my excuse is the fasting month, but I think it’s more to do with my waking up late in the morning).
Having been a debater at school, I reckoned I should be able to put myself across fluently. Interestingly, I have spent the better part of my social life being misunderstood.
I don’t think I’ve gained anything of substance in Philosophy class.
And I’m surprisingly surviving without my handphone- thought I wouldn’t last a week. Human being’s sense of endurance is remarkable. I bet I can live through winter.
Hehe.
Ps: Happy birthday Azleen! You’re nearing adulthood, kid. Beware. ;)
nostalgic nye... hehe.
There is one advantage living in a four-season country that possesses this amazing knack to switch weathers on the double- you won’t run out of topics for a blog entry. We had a cold day yesterday- a sudden change from the day before, though the sun has decided to spread some love this morning. It’s still cold though, a fact contributed by the ever swift gust of wind outside. Plus we haven’t had hot water in hostel for days now. The call for patience cannot be more aptly placed at this point in time, what with Ramadhan and all... At least people don’t hog the bathrooms that much! Hah.
Last Friday, whilst we were whiling the time away during our practical hours for Surgery, an old nurse came to me with the kind smile she always wore whenever we bumped into one another. She then suddenly asked (in Russian, of course), “Why are you wearing black headscarf? Why don’t you wear another colour, like your friend there?” She then uttered a Russian word- something like ‘gorye’, which didn’t sound like it had a very nice meaning so I determinedly shook my head no. “I simply like this colour”. Well, it’s true. The lady nodded and smiled, adding that she thought I was *insert gorye word and the likes* and simply asked. Back in my room, I suspiciously scrounged the word in the dictionary and found the answer- ‘grief’, ‘mourn’. Oh right.
But I wore khaki pants!
Well. Later that day, we were fortunate to witness an operation (our third in this class) where the patient had a trauma of the leg and subsequently a thrombosis in the popliteal artery- we went in late but managed to observe the surgeon performing anastomosis to repair the artery.
People these days no longer pose me this question, “Your parents suruh jadi doctor ye?” Instead, they ask, “Nak specialise apa nanti?” and my response would always be almost non-committal, ‘hehehe’-ing around and mutter, “Not sure la, see first”. Truth be told, I want to become a surgeon. The reason I don’t say it out loud- especially not in front of relatives- is that I would only be sadistically laughed at. Why, jokes have been made time and again on how I would like, leave scissors or gauze or whatever inside my patient’s body cavity if ever I become a surgeon. Which is rather funny and well, rather justified too (haha), but I still want to become a surgeon. Something about this discipline simply caught my eye in ways I cannot plainly spell out- perhaps it lies in the challenge; perhaps the seemingly sheer simplicity of the practice (according to some, “belah badan, korek2, buang ni, taruk tu, jahit”) yet its complex exigency for precision; perhaps the steadfastness in the doctors’ eyes that I had observed as they worked wonders with their fingers - I think I’ll risk trying to become a surgeon. And it’s not because I watch too much of Gray’s Anatomy, I promise.
Eating sushi the other day at Soko Maru (sesiapa nak tolong translate, silakan...)
The first time I tried chocolate-rice-coated sushi stuffed with fruits, drenched in strawberry syrup. Fab!
ps: pictures courtesy of Fatin's camera.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
The stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee;
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company;
I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth to me the show had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
William Wordsworth
Feeling schmaltzy... hehe. It's been a week since I unwittingly lost my phone. To those who SMS-ed me and didn't get a reply, many apologies. We have a big concluding test this Saturday, and I'm nowhere near getting started (on revising, of course). Need to hit the sack! er... books, I mean.
ps: I tried to align the poem centrally but to no avail. Any help for this IT-not-so-savvy blogger?
pps: the song's from Final Fantasy 8 which I'm (re)playing after more than six years... for old times' sake =p Currently in Esthar trying to cure Rinoa.
A recent incident got me thinking. It came purely from observation, and I don't intend to draw fires from anyone.
You don't put your comrades down in public. You just don't.
And no finger-wagging gestures please.
Don't the words etiquette and courtesy mean anything?
One cute fella with his cute bike
I'd donated my father's camera to a clothing shop in Penang several years back; his handphone to a bookstore; my pairs (note the plural) of glasses to I-don't-know-where; my ATM card to the, um, street; my necklace to thin air; my watch to the ground and God knows what else. Now it's my handphone's turn...
Feeling so down =(
The light of Ramadhan illuminates the windows of our lives once again- praise be to Allah for this precious gift of hopes and opportunities. The month lavished with barakah; the time for self-reproach and renewed fortifications of our iman. Are we all up for it, then?
When you're volleying from one building to another for classes in a barmy weather (the sun's won the fight for the time being, as it appears) whilst suffering from occasional sore throat/cough fueled grandly by either the automobiles or the much less tolerable smoke reeking from those cancer sticks (smokers, I loathe thee), you're prone to overlooking the finer details of the befitting observation of this holy month. Meaning you get all hot and impatient, even if sometimes you do manage to keep it at the brim of your bursting ego. And now that you don’t have the devils around to blame your sick thoughts upon, it really makes things more difficult, as paradoxical as it may seem.
The jihad against an-nafs should not be taken lightly. They’re well-prepared, armed with strong dosage of immunity courtesy of their bosses before the latter went on hiatus. And chances are, you won’t even notice that it really is your nafs acting by proxy when you reach for those extra chicken drumsticks during iftar which you suspect will make you bloat like Shrek and monkey with your concentration all through tarawih later but you do it anyway. This is but one of the many examples to demonstrate the discreet work of our soul's inner demon. This parasitic form of the syaitans are way cunning, and if you don’t upgrade your fortress right away, you’ll find yourself amongst the comeback presents of fallen comrades for the ultimate hell-dwellers currently-being-‘subdued’-as-we-speak.
It is easy to forget, that Ramadhan comes only once a year, and we may not live so long as to observe it next time around. Let's barricade our iman with due prayers, rising for tahajjud, reading the Quran, zikr, sadaqah- the possibilities are endless. What’s most important however, is our intentions, as good deeds must be coupled with good intentions. If we work on these, conquering our nafs might just be one step easier.
Alhamdulillah we’ve completed three tarawihs already as a jamaah, with a tazkirah afterwards. Life’s been peachy, though a couple of classes leave much to be desired (in terms of which I’d rather not discuss). Nothing that these sturdy hands of mine can’t handle :)
Seingat saya, saya tak pernah menulis entry dalam bahasa Melayu. Saya pun kurang pasti mengapa. Mungkin sebab saya tak pandai menulis dengan gaya bersahaja (casual)- akhirnya saya akan kelihatan sangat skema, seperti menulis karangan untuk Pn. Ehsan, guru BM saya di sekolah (Pn. Ehsan pun tak akan approve baca ayat-ayat ni! Minta ampun laa, cikgu).
Bagi saya, kalau nak menulis dengan bahasa harian kita, sudah pasti menggunung kesalahan-kesalahan tatabahasa yang akan saya buat (penggunaan perkataan, struktur ayat, dan sebagainya). Bunyinya macam sedikit poyo, tapi saya tak suka tulis ayat-ayat 'cincai', bahasa pasar. Sebab tu saya lebih selesa menulis dalam bahasa Inggeris kot, boleh tulis offhand, everyday entry tanpa (sama ada) melanggar undang-undang tatabahasa ataupun berbunyi seperti seorang sasterawan negara. Haha. I guess I'm just a weirdo.
Tentu ada yang tidak akan bersetuju dengan pandangan saya- mungkin memang ilmu bahasa saya yang cetek yang menghalang saya daripada menulis dengan baik secara informal (perkataan ni dah dimelayukan ke belum? ;p). Tapi tak mengapa, saya akan terus berusaha (memang sah poyo)!
Hari ini genap setahun sejak kami pertama kali menjejakkan kaki di bumi Volgograd. Perasaan saya? Bercampur-baur, tapi lebih kepada terkejut- "dah setahun ke?? Waaa...". Banyak yang saya pelajari sepanjang setahun menimba pengetahun di sini, meskipun kehidupan di universiti langsung tidak seperti yang saya terbayang-bayangkan semasa di bangku sekolah dulu... mungkin banyak sangat menonton TV. Pengaruh media massa! Haha. Alhamdulillah kehidupan saya secara keseluruhannya boleh dikatakan baik, dan saya berdoa agar Allah S.W.T. mengentalkan semangat saya untuk tahun-tahun mendatang.
Amin.
Our anniversary cake
I've never seen a live parade aside from those on our school's sports day, and last Sunday I participated in one. The occasion happened to be our city, Volgograd's 417th birthday. Many of us were not actually aware that we were required to join in the parade (instead of watching it) when our Russian teachers told us to turn up in our national costumes. Despite some degrees of reluctance (not for me though- I was actually quite excited), we marched on with the mass, stretching several kilometres from Lenin Square down to Volga river banks.
Due to a moment of brilliance during our Bekelah hiking trip the week before coming back here in which I dropped my camera and all but destroyed it, I was left with a faulty machine and had to borrow my sister's for this day's purpose. All went well, that is, until the memory card pleaded full and the battery ran out at about the same time. I could have wailed out loud then and there, for the best part of the show had just started. Nevertheless... I display some of the captured moments here for dear viewers.
Some of us girls before the parade
People laying flowers at the monument in front of the academy
Litte Ms. Kitty poses with Sin Ye, Sany, and Farah
Look at the tail!
Cinderella's late for the ball...!
Lovely kids and balloons
Girls in traditional costumes
Medieval princes and princess
Posing with the circus acts
A pak cik, mak cik, and an elf
Farah with a bunch of girls dressed up as, erm, fairies?
Again, people from the dark ages
The Malaysian crowd (the Indians behind us)
Robocop guy with his clan
An Indian guy with the acrobats
The parade begins!
Shu An and Li Fen enjoying the show
Anything to stand out!
Viewers by the roadside
Performing dance for the crowd (couldn't get the partner- they were too fast!)
An enthusiastic kid hoisted above the crowd
nearing Volga
Farah with two, err, belly dancers?
Little Dima brandishing our flag
by the embankment
dancers on a parade car
the crowd at the banks of Volga
I'm turning this into a photo album already! There are more interesting pics of the costumes, but a bit too saucy for public viewing. Hehe. Still, a splendid celebration with great show of patriotism.
To my camera, please get better.
