To My Dearest Mom...

HAPPY 56th BIRTHDAY!!

May you be blessed with all the good things in life and more...

Thank you for everything mak, I owe my life to you.

Miss you & Love you lots and lots!


Hugs & kisses,
From your (slightly deranged) daughter ^_^

He's 31 Today!

My dear bro,

You're getting old, hehe...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMRAN!!

Wish you all the best and may your life be blessed with an abundance of love, laughter, health & wealth...

With lots of love,
Your sist ^_^

Home Sweet Home

I'm hoooooome!! Been here almost 3 weeks now, and there were so many things have happened, so much to tell but so very little time. And all the running around + the weather is making me feeling sickly with the usual coughing fits and runny nose. Haiyo, manyak susah lor...

It was only tonight that I could actually sit at home and surf the net leisurely. Seriously, I don't know how the time just flew past by; from the exam session to the packing & room cleaning to the 2-days journey back home to the 3-days leadership training to the wedding preparations plus family time, I haven't had a full day rest as yet. Not that I'm complaining because all of those moments are precious and memorable (except for the packing part) but even though I don't feel my age my body seems to be constantly reminding me that I am getting older.

I had to pack all of my stuff before leaving coz I might have to move to another place when I get back to Romania. Thanks to some misunderstandings and kecoh-ness I could only start packing a day before leaving. 1 DAY. Apa lagi, memang speed packing la jawab nya.

I wish Iasi is nearer to Malaysia, because traveling for 2 days is just too much. Although there are other airlines that offer a much direct and simpler route, but the fare is higher of course. So to be economical I took the one with 3 transits (the last one in Dubai was 10 hours), left Iasi Thursday afternoon & reached KLIA Friday night. Memang pancit by the time sampai rumah.

And then out of the blue mom told me that she had already signed me up for a 3-days leadership training by ESQ 165 in KL. At first I was like "What??!!" and was really annoyed (to say the least), but after it was over I didn't regret it one bit. I am now proud to say that I am an ESQ 165 Alumni Angkatan KL-36. It was really a soul-cleansing and mind-stimulating training that I feel everyone should attend for a better understanding of what our purpose is on this earth. And the best part is, once you have attended the basic training and become an alumni you can come again for recharging sessions for free! You can visit their website for further info, and they have trainings all over the country plus they even do in-house trainings. I have went and recharged once at PICC last weekend, and planning to recharge again for the coming training insyaallah. Maju satria ESQ 165!

And after that there was the wedding of my beloved cousin. Hah ni satu lagi. I was really surprised and touched that she would asked me to be her bridesmaid for both the wedding receptions, but seriously woman, why lah so late. I was worried that I couldn't find anything suitable to wear for the occasion but luckily I have managed to find the perfect baju kurung (a traditional malay costume) for both our side and the groom's side reception. It wasn't that easy to find a nice silver and rosewood pink dresses with matching scarves but somehow or rather I've managed to find really pretty ones at reasonable prices. And what's funny is that I found it all under one roof. Convenient eh?
The wedding itself deserves its own post so I guess I better save the juicy details for another time.

And fyi, that was the first time I was a bridesmaid, first time that I had (allegedly) caught the bouquet, and first time that I wasn't really bothered by the most dreaded question that I seem to get every time there's a family gathering. I guess I've gotten used to it kot. Abis nak wat camno, senyum je la...

Sigh, the downside is, whenever I come back home I always get sick. I guess the humid dusty weather is just too much for my body after so long in a dry cold climate. Fever I can handle, but the chesty dry cough is the one that I most dreaded because it usually takes me several weeks for the cough to disappear. As I'm typing now I am barking like nobody's business that I think it can even be heard next door at my aunt's house. Yup, that loud I am and it has been so bad that I have lost my voice since yesterday. Oh and I don't think it's H1N1 because it's been 2++weeks since I've been home so there's no possibility of imported transmission. But then again local transmission oso got right? Hmmmm......

All in all, it's really good to be back home again. I've realized I miss having the family and friends around, the family outings and makan-makan get-together, and of course, the fooood! Here I am spoilt for choices, but nowadays I can't really eat that much anymore. And since I've been sick some more lah got no appettite. Tapi tak jugak turun-turun, rasa badan macam kena pam-pam je ni ada la. Isy, bahaya bahaya ;p

NB: Tak tahan tgk deghoyan, pulasan, rambutan, ciku, manggis, jambu batu, mangga...& sushiiiii.....cedapnyaaa.....

Selamat Hari Buruh

Yup, Labour Day is celebrated here too. It's celebrated globally in fact. Saya baru lah tau ari tu, hehe...

So, it's an off day today. No classes. Cuti, woohooooo!!

But it's Laundry Day for me today lah, sigh...

Oh, and I am currently on a Star Trek Voyager marathon, again. Makes me realize how much I love and miss this show. And Battlestar Galactica. And Stargate SG-1.
Huhu...gimme more please!

The Day When The Earth Shook

I've been here for almost 5 years now, and have experienced earthquakes TWICE. Thankfully though, it wasn't the earth-shattering ground-splitting type. It was more of a rumble and shake, thank God...

The first one was on September 27th 2004. It was exactly after 1 month we landed in Romania. At the time I was staying in an apartment on the 6th floor, couldn't really feel the first shake. But when it shook again a few seconds after that, my roommates and I grabbed our passports and jackets and ran downstairs! It was at night, and it was rather eerie coz the streets were filled with people and steam. At the time it felt surreal but we then met up with some of our friends a few blocks away and waited for things to calm down before going back to the house. Cuaklah jugak masa tu, isk...

The second time that I've experienced an earthquake was just yesterday, April 25th 2009. This time around even though the earthquake originated from Romania, we only felt a minor shake. At the time both Ms JZ and me were in the hallway having a lively conversation (i.e.mengumpat session, lol) when we suddenly felt the doors shaking. I was stunned, but thought that I had somehow experienced vertigo (ala-ala nak pitam gitu), while Ms JZ thought that someone had slammed the entrance door downstairs until our doors shook. Well, this was rather an acceptable explanation because we live in the first floor and my room is just above the entrance of the building (memang boleh sekodeng orang kuar masuk from my room's balcony, hehe). But out of curiosity I took a peek out of the kitchen window and saw people running out of the opposite block like as if there was a fire or something. It was only then that it had occured to us that it was an earthquake! Talk about clueless, lol...

So, having had the honour of experiencing 2 earthquakes in my 5 years here, and being the paranoid freak that I am, can anyone blame me for having a pre-packed bag containing several essential items in case of emergencies?

And no Erin, not only expecting mothers have the emergency bag, I do too!!

Yup, confirm. Your friend is a paranoid freak... ^_^

When I'm Home Alone...

..... I bake. A lot. It's Easter break and I'm stuck at home here, so what else to do but cook and bake, heheh...

What I had: Baked chicken (with 3 types of seasonings/marinades = sour cream+mushrooms, lemon+herbs, tandoori style), baked pasta (creamy baked pasta, mac&cheese, tuna casserole with tonnnes of cheese on top), pastries (butter, cheese and also chocolate filling), chicken curry with lots and lots of potatoes, ayam masak lemak cili padi (which was waaaaay too hot for me! Nasib baik tak kena diarrhea, lol...) and maybe tomorrow I might bake a banana cake if I could find a couple of ripe bananas today. Yummmm....

And suddenly yesterday I was hankering for some roti canai banjir! Sabar jelah... Since I've no patience (and skills) to make it from scratch, I decided to improvise and make them using some ready-made pastry dough that I've found in my fridge. Had to use lots and lots of oil (got no ghee), some sprinkled sugar, pan frying, and voila! And guess what, they turned out good! I was surprised myself, but when I had them with some fish-less fish curry with potatoes and carrots, oh my oh my oh my..... I even made some mamak tea (used fresh milk instead of condensed milk) to accompany my meal..... Ahhhh.... a little piece of heaven from home.....

Oh dear, all this free time and good food is so not good for me, I know. So don't be surprised to see me bloated up and round when school starts next week mi amigos!

Apart from cooking up a storm, I do go out and stretch my legs. The weather currently is so fine, and last sunday was Easter for the Orthodox. Went gallivanting around town and sat in the park for hours enjoying the sunshine. It was kinda peaceful this week, thanks to the fact that the city is almost empty because most of the students had gone back to their hometowns for the holidays. You see, Iasi is a kinda like a college/university town; it's quite small but has quite a number of colleges around here. So, the usual crowds during normal semester would consist of mainly students, while during the holidays (eg. Easter, Christmas, summer) it's practically quiet around here.

Hmmm...maybe I should go and settle my internet bill today coz it's so nice and breezy outside. Could just pay in the bank downstairs, but why not take a tram and a stroll to their office, eh? And since I have the student's transportation pass that enables me to hop on and off any busses, trams or maxi-taxis (like a van), I could go wherever I want (within the city's limits of course)!

Hope you guys are enjoying your holidays!

2 Things

This is a tag posted by a fellow Srikandi in FB. Still got a few more tags that I've got to do in the notes box there but kinda lazy to do them now. This tag may look simple, but boy was I scratching my head trying to answer them coz I realized that I have more than 2 answers for each of the questions!!
Typical Gemini I am, LOL...


1. Top 2 things found in your wallet:
- Money
- Blood type card (in case of emergencies, I'm O+ ok!)

2. Top 2 songs you can listen to again and again:
- Plush (Stone Temple Pilots)
- No Air (Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown)

3. Top 2 reasons to watch television:
- House (love the sarcasm and medical jargon)
- Battlestar Galactica

4. Top 2 places I'd want to visit:
- Paris
- Scotland

5. Top 2 obsessions:
- Jane Austen
- the Darkhunters

6. Top 2 favorite nick name:
- Eve/Evie
- Sophie (only Mdm Popovici calls me this!)

7. Top 2 favorite food:
- Caramel pudding
- Tokne's cooking (Y.U.M.M.Y!!)

8. Top 2 favorite snacks:
- Caramel popcorn
- Sour cream & onion flavoured chips

9. Top 2 favorite websites:
- www.thestar.com.my
- www.facebook.com

10. Top 2 goals you want to accomplish:
- Completing my hajj
- Publishing a scientific paper on a medical discovery

11. Top 2 favorite colors:
- Blue
- Pink

12. Top 2 favorite parts of the house:
- Bedroom
- Kitchen

13. Top 2 things I can't wait to happen:
- Financial independence
- Meeting THE one (that is IF there is such a thing lah...)

14. Top 2 places where I love to shop:
- MidValley Megamall, KL
- Any hypermarkets

15. Top 2 movies I could watch over and over again:
- Centerstage
- Drumline (it reminds me of the good ole band days, sigh...)


Okay peeps, I'm tagging everyone who are reading this. So, considered you're tagged!