Final day of class was also the final day of the year. And thus began the clumsy waltz through winter exams which would eventually end on the 23rd of January, some several light years away. They say Dermatology is a walk in the park, but it actually is my least favourite subject this year, so I'd add the word 'punishing' before it. Psychiatry is psychiatry, and Paediatrics will be conducted in Russian, being a 'national examination' paper. I've exhausted the topic on my Russian, so I shall say no more. In a nutshell, the prosaic med-student life is about to go Armageddon.
I've neglected to write on a daily or weekly or even monthly basis, so clearly a world of things have happened in the time that I kept pushing the snooze button on this blog. Ergo, I've selected highlights, or rather, created awards for time-saving and better reading purposes. And as usual, most are spontaneous and quite random in nature.
Lesson of the year
To never give up no matter what. Sounds unoriginal and outdated, but I'm talking about the moments when all seem to be lost and we can almost taste the bitterness of failure; when many of us would customarily begin to prepare our minds for defeat. Don't. There have been numerous super-comeback and fighting-tooth-for-tooth moments I've witnessed especially in sports this year that reaffirmed the mantra "it ain't over till it's over", and that goes the same with life.
Breakthrough hobby of the year
I had this post-rainbow withdrawal syndrome after my 'rainbow' left me, and, quite similar to Dr. House after his brief asylum spell, I turned to cooking. I surprised even myself with the stuff that I did, topped by taking orders of nasi minyak for 20 people- making a dish I had never before made on my own in its entirety. My friends encouraged and helped me all the way and I want to personally thank Farah, Fatin, Sakinah and Firdaus for their part. Hehe. Another friend, Fahida, inspired me to bake cakes, and in the span of a few weeks I was on a sort of a rampage, baking chocolate cake, carrot cake, tiramisu, and pandan cake (twice!). Unlike House who grew out of it, however, I got hooked. So Mak, I promise to bake cake(s) at home next year. :)
Teacher of the year
In a year filled with great teachers, our infectious diseases teacher, Olga Alexandrovna Chernyavskaya managed to steal the award at the last moment from various strong contenders. We are even cooking for her this Monday in a li'l thank-you party, which, coming from our semi-dysfunctional group, is a uber strong statement.
Season of the year
I would have settled for autumn like always, it being my favourite season in terms of practically everything, but the last few weeks gave us a sight to behold for a long, long time to come. A dramatic turn of the weather saw our city covered by snow up to our knees within one day, accompanied by cruel, wheezing wind that literally made you cry. Only a few days later however, the temperature escalated to above zero and we had had a substantial rainfall. Just when we thought to brace for muddy and flooded streets the day after, down went the scale and the earth froze over. And, almost out of nowhere, came to light the most stunning picture- trees in ice glimmering like 24-carat diamonds! Of course, we have seen ice-covered trees before, but nothing massive like this- the whole city was positively twinkling, and at night, everything appeared more glamourous and dream-like. And although I waited for more than an hour to flag a marshrut/taxi that evening, and eventually had to walk up the hill to our place, I was grinning like an idiot the whole time, ooh-ing and aah-ing following every few slippery steps.
I can design several more awards of freakish nature, but it's new year and I don't wish to start by getting into anyone's bad books for being super lame. I do wish, though, for Volgograd to bring about a professional hockey team to enter the Continental Hockey League for the 10/11 season so that i can watch great live hockey here every other week or so. Yeah.
Happy hibernating, Volgans.
ps: just got back from an usrah/slumber party/qiyamullail combo which surprised me in many ways- all for the better, inshaallah...
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Friday, January 01, 2010
Friday, January 04, 2008
Winter goodness
Note: the following accounts were separately written according to the time frame.
Three weeks ago.
Forlorn grey cloaked the sky for the past week; no more rays of evanescent warmth for you sun-lovers. Haha. I’m quite the sadist. Although now I’m actually the one having a jolly hard time contending with the frosty wind that keeps finding their shrewd way into our already-sealed windows. So by right I should be shuddering at this turn of weather and pray hard for spring to come to light. But I’m not, because… well. I love winter. Even if I did fall last week on the icy slope and got a brilliant green bruise on my thigh, or that my fingers were this close to getting frostbite (hyperbole) from dusting snow crumbs off my bag (inside out, too) due to evil works of a classmate (I got him back big time; don’t ever mess with the snow queen. Hoho). Because, because, because… the sight of pure white grounds beneath your feet with sparkling diamonds of frozen canopy above your head on the way to class is simply worth it. It’s like something out of Narnia, as someone puts it; enough to make anyone’s heart spouting poetry (a bad example in my case as you can see).
A fortnight ago.
When snow melts, there goes all the fun. In fact, that’s when trouble beckons. Picture streams, not just puddles, of mud that bar you from crossing the road to get to your hostel, and so you keep walking upward to find a better way out. The trouble is, there is no better way out, and you keep swaggering further and further from your destination until you’ve had it and decide to cross anyway, even though it means drenching the kain of your baju kurung, and yes, it is eid morning. Silver lining? It snows afterwards! And thank God for black baju kurungs =p
Last week.
Too slippery for words. Numerous wobbly moments. (Fall-o-meter: 0. Yay!).
Last night.
Temperature: 20-something degrees below zero. expected to reach 30 during the coming weekend.
Remember Balrog from the mines of Moria in The Lord of The Rings? Remember the dum-dum sounds the Fellowship heard before that fiery ancient demon appeared (did those come from him or the Orcs before that, btw? Argh, must have a rerun again sometime soon.)? Well, the sounds banging against the window of our room at this moment eerily resemble the aforesaid ones. Outside, you can even see violent swirls of wind as they fuse with traces of snowflakes (I saw but a glimpse from the kitchen window, a friend related the more violent ones). Luckily it’s a one-week New Year holiday now, so I don’t have to experience this vicious side of Mother Nature firsthand. But then, being cooped up in the hostel isn’t such a cozy idea either, since our condition here is nowhere near the word cozy, or even acceptable. We’re living in a giant freezer. Imagine me wearing long johns, two woolen jumpers, an over-sized sweater, two pairs of socks, and shivering after half an hour typing on the laptop…(?!!) And they forbid us to buy our own heater because we may whack the circuit dry, which is the case every night because almost everybody secretly owns a heater anyway (not me, though. I’m an Eskimo wannabe). And can anyone blame these people after seeing those feeble, metal thingies they suspiciously call heaters? It’s come to a point where I have to sleep either with my headphones on or by cocooning my entire body inside the blanket because my ears can’t stand the cold. Sad, sad, sad. I already lodged a complaint to our rep so, well, I guess we can only wait. And wait we will, do count on it.
Both pics: Frost on glass. 9th February 2006.
Motifs on the wall of the central market. 8th April 2006.
Impressive facade of a bank, somewhere nearby the academy. 17th July 2006.
Messing around with fallen leaves. 15th November 2005.
Three weeks ago.
Forlorn grey cloaked the sky for the past week; no more rays of evanescent warmth for you sun-lovers. Haha. I’m quite the sadist. Although now I’m actually the one having a jolly hard time contending with the frosty wind that keeps finding their shrewd way into our already-sealed windows. So by right I should be shuddering at this turn of weather and pray hard for spring to come to light. But I’m not, because… well. I love winter. Even if I did fall last week on the icy slope and got a brilliant green bruise on my thigh, or that my fingers were this close to getting frostbite (hyperbole) from dusting snow crumbs off my bag (inside out, too) due to evil works of a classmate (I got him back big time; don’t ever mess with the snow queen. Hoho). Because, because, because… the sight of pure white grounds beneath your feet with sparkling diamonds of frozen canopy above your head on the way to class is simply worth it. It’s like something out of Narnia, as someone puts it; enough to make anyone’s heart spouting poetry (a bad example in my case as you can see).
A fortnight ago.
When snow melts, there goes all the fun. In fact, that’s when trouble beckons. Picture streams, not just puddles, of mud that bar you from crossing the road to get to your hostel, and so you keep walking upward to find a better way out. The trouble is, there is no better way out, and you keep swaggering further and further from your destination until you’ve had it and decide to cross anyway, even though it means drenching the kain of your baju kurung, and yes, it is eid morning. Silver lining? It snows afterwards! And thank God for black baju kurungs =p
Last week.
Too slippery for words. Numerous wobbly moments. (Fall-o-meter: 0. Yay!).
Last night.
Temperature: 20-something degrees below zero. expected to reach 30 during the coming weekend.
Remember Balrog from the mines of Moria in The Lord of The Rings? Remember the dum-dum sounds the Fellowship heard before that fiery ancient demon appeared (did those come from him or the Orcs before that, btw? Argh, must have a rerun again sometime soon.)? Well, the sounds banging against the window of our room at this moment eerily resemble the aforesaid ones. Outside, you can even see violent swirls of wind as they fuse with traces of snowflakes (I saw but a glimpse from the kitchen window, a friend related the more violent ones). Luckily it’s a one-week New Year holiday now, so I don’t have to experience this vicious side of Mother Nature firsthand. But then, being cooped up in the hostel isn’t such a cozy idea either, since our condition here is nowhere near the word cozy, or even acceptable. We’re living in a giant freezer. Imagine me wearing long johns, two woolen jumpers, an over-sized sweater, two pairs of socks, and shivering after half an hour typing on the laptop…(?!!) And they forbid us to buy our own heater because we may whack the circuit dry, which is the case every night because almost everybody secretly owns a heater anyway (not me, though. I’m an Eskimo wannabe). And can anyone blame these people after seeing those feeble, metal thingies they suspiciously call heaters? It’s come to a point where I have to sleep either with my headphones on or by cocooning my entire body inside the blanket because my ears can’t stand the cold. Sad, sad, sad. I already lodged a complaint to our rep so, well, I guess we can only wait. And wait we will, do count on it.
Both pics: Frost on glass. 9th February 2006.
Motifs on the wall of the central market. 8th April 2006.
Impressive facade of a bank, somewhere nearby the academy. 17th July 2006.
Messing around with fallen leaves. 15th November 2005.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Winter's back in town
Today’s a lovely Wednesday- a touch of snow for the wintry feel, and, as per every semester in the past, killer subjects to round the day with. Lovely. And so, the so-called honeymoon semester of our medical years has begun. My inner mind’s still somewhere far away though, far enough not to be plagued by unnecessary inconveniences termed as homework and lullabies of a lecture, and, well, people staring at you as if you have just grown two heads. I enjoyed my holiday very much, and have related my story in its entirety to quite a number of people, aided by maps and guide booklets no less (which we stole from tourist info offices). Hehe. I wish I could do the same to my far-away family and friends, but hopefully my writing will do for the moment. Turkey is a beautiful country, be it in its exquisite sea views, the untold stories of the past immortalised in fine architectures of its buildings, the warm Turkish hospitality, or the glorious cuisine.
In the eve of the trip, I vowed to keep a detailed day-by-day, minute-by-minute journal documenting my first solo vacation to this country separated by two continents, housing one of the cities included in the list of places to visit in my lifetime. What I had in mind as a product would resemble something out of An Unexpected Light, crossed with The Motorcycle Diaries and Around The World In 80 Days with a dash of Ibn Battuta’s and Marco Polo’s travels, a romantic depiction of a bona fide traveler.
Ok, end of angan-angan. For the record, I did not keep a journal (hands too busy clicking on the camera' shutter) and granted, I might have forgotten some of the smaller details that I didn't intend to forget. Well. Anyway, I know I’m not writing for an award-winning book, and I’m not having a bout of writer’s block at the moment, but a bad news from home had me at a lost and halted my progress. Thus my account of the trip might be delayed for some yet-undefined while, until things get brighter. My best wishes to everyone out there.
In the eve of the trip, I vowed to keep a detailed day-by-day, minute-by-minute journal documenting my first solo vacation to this country separated by two continents, housing one of the cities included in the list of places to visit in my lifetime. What I had in mind as a product would resemble something out of An Unexpected Light, crossed with The Motorcycle Diaries and Around The World In 80 Days with a dash of Ibn Battuta’s and Marco Polo’s travels, a romantic depiction of a bona fide traveler.
Ok, end of angan-angan. For the record, I did not keep a journal (hands too busy clicking on the camera' shutter) and granted, I might have forgotten some of the smaller details that I didn't intend to forget. Well. Anyway, I know I’m not writing for an award-winning book, and I’m not having a bout of writer’s block at the moment, but a bad news from home had me at a lost and halted my progress. Thus my account of the trip might be delayed for some yet-undefined while, until things get brighter. My best wishes to everyone out there.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Snow, where art thou?
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!
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!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Winter is not for hibernation
"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.
"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.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Let's talk about the... weather!
It seems like the winter is reluctant to say goodbye… instead of sunshine, green grass and blossoming flowers everyone has been anticipating for March, we received a very amiable (yes, a hint of sarcasm there) parting gift in the form of a gale for the last couple of days and even a bit of a blizzard yesterday. The fierce, unrelenting might of the wind could really sweep you of your feet, big time (if the slippery pavement does not get you first, that is) and had I a little fragment of sense-which I hadn’t- I would have just stayed home and read a book. Speaking of which, I just found out from a friend about this bookstore- probably the only one in the city (or one of very very few, if any) which stocks English paperback classics. Sad as it sounds, I was thrilled! Hence the purchase of three happy copies, which were probably stuck there between the shelves since the dawning of men, screaming for attention.
“The Time Machine” by Herbert G. Wells
“The Quiet American” by Graham Greene
“Death on the Nile” by Agatha Christie.
Ok, just for the record there ;p
Alright, where were we before I digressed… ah, the weather. I queerly found the wind-snowstorm-slippery track combo fascinating- an altogether unique ensemble of experience that I have never tasted before firsthand. A bit scary, yes, and very humbling to the core. The genuine extent of the unpredictable forces of nature is being demonstrated before my very eyes, although this is not the worst scenario that could have surfaced, of course. I saw a girl holding on to a pole to steady herself, my sister related on how she had to cling to a car’s boot to avoid being engulfed by the wind, and yesterday my friends huddled together as they walked, for better stability. And ah, I’m about to wander off from the main topic again. Speaking of yesterday- we went ice-skating and had a whale of a good time, despite the fact that I fell down flat on my bottom twice and had countless of wobbly moments (I was very watchful of my weak knees, mak and abah, so no worries ;p). And you should watch those Russians- they were darn good! I glanced at some of them with envy as they played train and tag (imagine that on ice. I wish!) with one another in effortless movements. So, obviously... this calls for a second trip! And third and fourth and fifth! Hehe.
This morning I had the fortunate opportunity to observe a cat exhibition and later, a sushi treat near Volga. Many of the cats were simply gorgeous and I was deeply reminded of my cats back home. Blimey. I’m missing them!
at the exhibition: a kitten sleeping
“The Time Machine” by Herbert G. Wells
“The Quiet American” by Graham Greene
“Death on the Nile” by Agatha Christie.
Ok, just for the record there ;p
Alright, where were we before I digressed… ah, the weather. I queerly found the wind-snowstorm-slippery track combo fascinating- an altogether unique ensemble of experience that I have never tasted before firsthand. A bit scary, yes, and very humbling to the core. The genuine extent of the unpredictable forces of nature is being demonstrated before my very eyes, although this is not the worst scenario that could have surfaced, of course. I saw a girl holding on to a pole to steady herself, my sister related on how she had to cling to a car’s boot to avoid being engulfed by the wind, and yesterday my friends huddled together as they walked, for better stability. And ah, I’m about to wander off from the main topic again. Speaking of yesterday- we went ice-skating and had a whale of a good time, despite the fact that I fell down flat on my bottom twice and had countless of wobbly moments (I was very watchful of my weak knees, mak and abah, so no worries ;p). And you should watch those Russians- they were darn good! I glanced at some of them with envy as they played train and tag (imagine that on ice. I wish!) with one another in effortless movements. So, obviously... this calls for a second trip! And third and fourth and fifth! Hehe.
This morning I had the fortunate opportunity to observe a cat exhibition and later, a sushi treat near Volga. Many of the cats were simply gorgeous and I was deeply reminded of my cats back home. Blimey. I’m missing them!
at the exhibition: a kitten sleeping
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