Gong Xi Fa Chai 2010

Dawn of the year of tiger.. Another year has come around, and i'm still stuck here doing the same thing.. Trying to prepare for my surgery exam that i so conveniently put off before skidaddling to europe. Upon returning home (pfft, home it seems ) to Moscow, the very first thing i did was gave my laptop a hug, slight caress before plugging in it and letting it boot up while i prance around the room strumming Mikhaila ( my guitar). Tons of offline messages popped up, as i scanned each one briefly before stopping to one that made my eyes dilate with horror.

"Hey, don't mean to ruin your holiday, but thought i'd let you know that the next date for surgery exam is on 12th"

Boing!! I was literally stunned for that second, before going "ehh.. Whatever.."

Somehow, as time flew over the years, we tend to get less worried about exams and being pressured to do in on time, or the threats from the dean that it IS in fact the very last official date of the exam. Cos in the long run, we've all figured out, it's just a bunch of bull. Very much like the boy who cried wolf.. so to speak.. .. or something along those lines.. Annyyyywayy..I hadn't yet prepared myself to be going for classes yet, let alone doing an exam.. So screw it.. I skipped the first day of class, which was the day after i arrived and just spent the day being zoinked out.. I have no idea why, but upon arriving back in moscow, i just felt totally lost, and discombobulated as to where i was, or what i was suppose to be doing or anything else for that matter.. Guess i needed awhile, and slowly but surely like Stella , i got my groove back.. Still, i needed a whole lotta while to get back down to earth, cos i was literally sitting in the dark for the past week with nothing on but my table lamp, watching Ed the bowling alley lawyer.. (i missed Ed! :D ) I really needed that week off, for now... i'm like back in the zone babayy.. all geared up and ready to rumble *does boxing motions* It's now or never, i'm taking this exam on, mano e mano (yea, that's why i'm here blogging, right)

Nay, main reason i wanted to blog, it's so i dont forget my yesterday. That's right, people.. i successfully hosted my very own Chinese New Year party all by myself (mostly). I wrote out the menu, got all the stuff ( yea felt kinda rich enough to sponsor this on me own), and worked it all out.. Believe me, i was a nervous wreck though, praying the food would be enough. I felt like i under budgeted the food for the amount of people that i invited, but it was all good.. I mean, i was so worried in the beginning that i didnt even feel like eating till everyone had their share. Nothing made me happier than those three words uttered "I'm damn full"... Phew *wipes sweat* Somehow i felt that was the most hardworking i've ever been without being pushed for it, and i felt proud.. of course i'm back to being the lazy ole me again today and at least i can say, ehh at least i deserve it hahah.

I do hope however, the year of the tiger is on my side.. I mean i have no complains and i don't really believe in luck but i do hope for less complications and more excitement to fly my way and for my family. Remembering past events has really shown me that we've come along way, and it just occured to me that i still speak of my grandmother in present tense unconsciously, sometimes.. and i wonder if it's because i'm so far away that i've never really came to terms with her passing. But no worries, i Do believe this year, will be a great year ahead. And i'll do whatever it takes to make sure of it ;) Starting with this dreadful exam.. *sighhh*

back to the salt mines it is....

Yule go crazy..

I just realised, that i've been out of my room alot. Starting to fall sick, so decided to stay in for the weekend. It's Sunday evening, and already i feel like i'm spiraling into another dimension. I'm so used to being out of the room at least a couple of hours everyday and with winter here, everyone's just hibernating. Looking forward to class tomorrow. Need to get out and about.
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I've been craving for Alfredo's pasta for way too long. Since no one wanted to follow me to Il Patio's or any other italian restaurant for it, i decided to make it myself. Simplest recipe ever. Of course, consisting of only the fattiest components in the world - Butter, Cheese and Heavy Cream. Yay! Made a huge batch of it, and gulped it all down, bowl after bowl, strand after strand, stopping only to take a huge chunk of my garlic bread which was also smothered in butter. Muahahaha.

Of course, the after effects, made me regret not taking it in slow. I had a bad case of indigestion. And to make matters worse, i decided to watch Cloudy with a chance of meatballs and the amount of food flying everywhere towards the end of the movie made my stomach churned. I swore I'd never make it again anytime soon. Well, it's only been a week, and already i'm craving for it again. Yes, I LOVE PASTA! Thinking about putting in bacon this time. Mmm wouldn't that be lovely..
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Christmas is just around the corner, coinciding with the last day of my classes. Russians don't celebrate christmas on the 25th so we won't be getting any holidays. Come to think of it, i haven't been getting many days off this year. Well doctors don't get days off and they rarely call in sick, whereas teachers at the university do that all the time. Damn, I'm starting to worry about when i have to start working. Which reminds me, it's time for me to study. Exam's in 22 days! Not really feeling stressed yet, and i need it to give me a jump start.

YIKES!

Confucius say

Chinese that go without rice or noodle for a week will go mad.

@@

I is mad..

Need.. Food...

no more junk..

"...."

help..

X.x

For the Love of Egg tarts..

Tart telur.. What's tart in malay? Hmm.. Even karipap is taken from an english word, curry puff. Hmm.. Anyway, my craving for egg tarts has initiated me to make some today. That's the thing about being away from home is, if you want anything, you gotta make it yourself. In Malaysia, everything was just a drive away.But over here, if you want anything.. You've got to make it happen yourself, people! haha. i've just pushed my first Eggy in to the oven and wished it Good Luck! Hehe..

I have test tomorrow and i'm thinking of my stomach first.. Not good, not good..
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20minutes later...

yeye.. Eggy turned out quite nice. Presentation might be a bit off but who cares.. huahuahua. Would like to take a picture of it but right now we would prolly need an X-ray.

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I've been working out on my arms so much that it's much bigger than i am, so to speak, that my blockmate thinks i've put on weight. And now i'm suddenly self concious of myself all together because my friend and I were on a topic of discussion of hair.. in places well best not mentioned. But at the end of the day, it's all.. ahh who gives a damn. If no one can love me for who i am, then i shall just end up alone and not share my love at all... =/

*whines.... >.< ---------------

A: Akhirnye cita-cita mu dijadikan realiti..

It doesn't look as good as it taste but i can assure you, it's yummylicious. Aite, running off to stuff my face. FooooOoood...

Of sushi, parietal chicken, mee goreng, and fried rice

Spent the whole day eating. Feel kinda bloated. Stupid moscow weather made me sick again. It's cold because of the wind, and it doesn't help that it blows snow directly at your face a prob 10kph. Having flu makes me really drowsy and to make matters worse, it rained today. A tip for you though, snow, Can turn your hair to ice. Harder than you prob thought when u put gel on it. J is going off to his euro trip tmr. Hope i wont be feeling too lonely, tho he's going to give me the keys to his room so i can play PS2. Need a hair cut soon before i go off.. If i ever do..

Moles..

Ever heard that each mole that you have on you, is most likely to be significant. A mole at any ear lobe signifies intelligence. One near your eye would mean you have insight to certain things or whatnot etc. Well I have one on my lower lip. And no it doesnt mean i'm gabby. Far from it actually.. Hm.. only at certain times i guess.. According to believe, ( i think) as my grandma used to tell me.. I'll never go hungry.

And for that I thank the Lord. ^_^

Me love food... ^0^

I live to eat, not eat to live..

K, sometimes i eat to live.. only sometimes.. ^_^(Y)

And those are the times, when i'm in need of food, and have none around, somehow food magically appears! Very good example would be today.

I usually attend Surgery classes (though it's boring as shit.. i noticed another thing. why is everything compared to shit.. taste like shit, heavy as shit, there's good shit bad shit.. shitty news, quotes like "this is the shit!", "i shit you not!", u can always look like shit, be as angry as shit, smell like shit.. i think shit has lost all meaning.. anyway) after Surgery class, we would have more or less and hour plus to kill before the next class, so we usually head off somewhere to eat. Seeing as how this time around, i skipped Surgery, woke up and late and rushed off to the next class, I didnt have anything to eat.

By the time class was over, my stomach was grumbling thunder, and no one wanted to follow me out to eat because everyone already ate. Dammit. Was too damn lazy to cook, so i ate bread. Well, Lo and Behold, my blockmate who went to the embassy to celebrate Army Day ( in all my life I've never heard of such a thing) came back yelling "I've got foooood for uuuuu!" ^_^ Satay, Kuah Kacang, Murtabak, Currypuff, Fried Rice and Orange Juice. Left overs. *drools*

I have luck when it comes to food. Yey!

This is my form of luck. For others they're in the form of money. My blockmate who's a scholar, gets about 2000RM a month, extra cash for winter clothings, goes to this sort of functions at the embassy (only for scholars) and gets another 20Usd. *faints* If only i was that lucky. =/ I'm thankful anyway, for all that I have. Little things are enough to please me. I guess I was brought up that way. Things that I long for are never material. Sucks though. Sometimes I wished that the things that I wanted could be bought with cash...

=/

Ha Lok

Damn, haven't posted for a very long time. It's officially april and as usual my yearly pranks on this day must be kept up to tradition. Have already chosen my victim and the mission will commence at 1600 hours tommorow. I hope. Time is not really set though. We'll just have to wait for the prey to come to us now won't we. Went to Hard Rock today. It's the first time I've stepped into that place for the 3 years that I've been here. Nothing much to say really. Frankly, TGIF was a much better to place to hang out at. The food was not up to it's standard, as we were continously saying that it's overrated and overpriced. Major dissapointment on our behalf that my roomate just had to comment on the food to the waiter, in which he only gave a weak smile and walked off. I had half a mind to just run off without paying or at least ask for a refund. In the end we decided to be civilized, so we stole all the sugars, salts, sweeteners, tissues, pepper, etc. As everything looked quite posh, we were all expected to behave at our best, which was quite hard to do, and made the night quite dull because to be honest, it could have been more fun. Plus, the meal ruined my mood. Grrrr... I guess I would say, the only thing worth looking at for me over there were the guitar's and watnot's on the walls and the fact that the waitresses were wearing reaaaallly shorrttt mini skirrtsss.. don't judge, just washing eyes (directly translated from malay which is cuci mata).

Gong Xi Fa Choy

This year is officially the first year that I've ever celebrated Chinese New Year with my friends. I'm the only pure chinese in my group and being that, we've never had any real chinese food during potlucks or any other gatherings. The food would usually consist of Malay mixed Indian dishes and not one drop of Chinese culture would be added in. So, this year, I decided to hold a Chinese New Year party, for my groupmates and a few of my friends. It was all set. I was going to make the perfect Chinese meal for them.

Dinner consisted of Chikuteh (their request), Steamboat, Mee Hun Kuey and Lor Han Kor which I made. Fried taufu, and fried rice sponsered by my other friends and for desert, we had Tong Yuen and Mandrin Oranges. I also put out groundnuts, which Chinese people love so much. It was perfect to me. But upon naming some of the dishes, I was more that surprised to find out that none of them knew wat Mee Hun Kuey or Lor Han Kor (a drink made from Buddha's fruit) was. Makes it all the more fun for me to introduce those dishes to them. Of course, the first step would be memorizing the name, and to them, it's all rocket science. Lor Han Kor became Lor Hong Kong, and Long Kong, even Long Kang -_-''

Now, I had left the window for YouTube open since my friends wanted to listen to some Chinese Songs and I only have like 4 Chinese songs in my laptop, so I played songs from there instead. Blasting Gong Xi Fa Chai songs are quite irritating to me. I'm not that chinese after all, but my friend D, seemed to have a pretty good time singing along to the words of that blasted song, rocking his head from side to side.(he's Malay btw). Anyway, when the others arrived, they started searching for lion dance videos on YouTube and that's when they all got stuck. Eating good Chinese food and watching lion dance and imitating them as well *rolls eyes. I had asked all of those who were coming to wear red for the gathering, and you can imagine more than 10 people, crowding in a tiny room, all wearing red, must have been pretty confusing for the people outside passing by. They kept asking me what's going on, especially those who weren't Malaysians.

Dinner was followed up by another chinese tradition, Gambling! Of course we didnt really gamble. I distributed my collection of kopeks (russian coins) and considered them as chips. One chip was worth a million just to spice things up. We played Cho Tai Ti (big two), Gim, and my all time favourite Poker. We played up to 12am before we decided to call it a day. Our 2nd semester officially started on the 7th. And seeing as how I'm typing this post at such a time, it just means that I didnt wake up in time to go for my classes. To hell with it, it's Chinese New Year after all! Gong Xi Fatt Choy to all!

Of eye bags and white hair

Been having my exams these few weeks. It was the craziest 2 weeks of my life. Studying nonstop from morning to night. Trying to cram in 3 semesters worth of anatomy and histo in only a few days. When I was studying, my senior's advice of starting early kept flashing in my head. Nontheless it's all over. I did pretty well so I'm proud of myself and of my other study group members. We really pushed ourselves passing any limit that we've set. Looking back only a few days ago, it freaks me out. Sleeping only when we could read no more. Books strewn on the floor. And to keep ourselves from being bored to death and to keep us awake, we kept smoking shisha everyday. We didnt even have time to cook so for the 2 weeks, we've been living on biscuits, bread and junk food. I seriously lost a lot of weight.

Histology exam was on the 16th. The nights before exams are always the worst. The lack of sleep from the nights before really got to us. There were hallucinations, a certain extra-hyper person dancing around, whacking of own heads, and screamings when you realise you just couldn't take anymore. Exam was at 9. We studied till 8.30 in the morning and decided to head back to our own rooms to bathe, and get changed. I on the other hand couldn't take it anymore. So I slept for a good 15 mins and was surprisingly fresh after that short power nap.

Our format for the exams were as the usual. Theory questions, slides, electron micrograph pictures. Once you're done preparing for that, you answer orally. One on one with the teacher. Anatomy was the same except with the cadaver. Good thing our cadaver was in a bad shape, so we couldn't really point out much.

I managed to get good marks for both exams so I'm satisfied. Celebrated the night by going out to T.G.I.F. After a long time of not having a good meal, the Rosemary tenderloin I had really made my day. Plus I haven't eaten pork in a real long time, since my blockmates are all muslims, so I was really contented.

But this exam really got to me. I've been having a hard time falling asleep at nights and I seriously think i have more white hair now. Trying to get it all together this semester break and since baby is coming to moscow to visit, i'm getting geared up for that.

Can't wait.


hey i think he's smiling... i'll take that as a congrats from u.

Msia!

I know it's weird that in one day, I posted like 5 posts.. and then just went missing for a few days.. Thing is I'm back in Malaysia already.. woopieee.. been missing baby girl alot lately.. thinking of all the times we spent together in Moscow. I have yet to blog about the remaining places I failed to mention on our trip around, like the Moscow River Cruise. Been rather occupied lately (except for today) what with my cousin's wedding and all. Food, has been my main priority. I'm not overeating as much as a certain someone, but nontheless it is alot. Ticked a few dishes off my list already. Wantan mee, beef rendang(tho not really satisfied yet), pao, oh and at the wedding of course had typical chinese dishes, so that is over and done with. Still looking forward to Bak Kut Teh, Indian dishes and Mamak of course!

I'm wondering where baby is right now. She doesn't really reply me anymore,afraid my mum might get suspisious again. But it's already late at night, and i told her everyone's asleep. She must be working. Sigh.. Missing you dear.. If you're reading this, I want you to know I love you very much. Hope you know that. Can't live without you. Take care for me k? Will be waiting for you to come online. mwahx

There's no food, like Malaysian food.. Indeedy..

A phrase frequently used while i'm overseas. "There's no food, like Malaysian food". And that is indeed a true fact. Just been sent a link to a blog and 'wala' when I opened it, behold! great wonders of all that is pure and evil, this is pure evil. Images of food presented itself before me. And as i scroll down, there was more, all the way, right up till the end of the page. Ahhhhh! How can one be as cruel as to send me this, just to remind me of what I'm missing. I'm a food person, no doubt. Take after my mum, can't be helped, it's in the genes.. or the way I was brought up or something or other. I just thank the lord with all that I can eat, I don't exactly put on weight. At least not alot of it. One of my favourite motto's in life, "Live to eat, Not eat to Live". And how I'm craving for foooood right now! Seeing all those pictures... At certain times I think I could bawl like a baby just thinking bout all that I've left behind coming here.

K, I'm making it sound as though I'm never going home again, which in fact I am.. hehe.. I think I've actually accumulated a list of food that I need to eat when I go back. That's just so when i get home I don't miss anything out. Char Kuey Teow, Char Siew Bak, Char Siew Pao, Bak Kut Teh, Wan Tan Mee, Chinese Fried Rice, that srumptous Chicken Rice from the stall near my place, Duck Rice, Dim Sum, Yam Rice, Mee Hun Kuey, Pan Mee, Yong Tau Foo, Chee Cheong Fun, Clay Pot Chicken Rice, Sweet and Sour Pork, Glutinous Rice, Fried Cray Fish, Crabs cooked in any style... erm.. is this too much? I have lots more to put down but I think that's going overboard. *maintain composure*.. Been hyperventilating as I'm writing all this down, typing faster and faster with everytime I add a new dish.

These are the 3 main dishes that I'm just dying to eat right now

Char Siew Pao

the ever famous Bak Kut Teh

and my all time fav. Wan Tan Mee

I sent the link to my aunt. She's a food person as well, and as I'm asking her how she likes the blog she asked me to shush, because she wants to concentrate. *faints*. Secretly, I think she's drooling all over her keyboard. I on the other hand have self control. Better go check on her incase she bites of the monitor screen too. Aunty...... Nooo..............Bad aunty!!

p.s: I didnt intentionally steal those pics from mum-mum(another blogger). Just so happen to come across those pics as i was googling. She blogs insanely bout food thus explains why I kept stumbling upon her blog as I was finding for pictures of food.