Have finally confirmed my flight ticket for July.
I'm going home for the holidays, YAY!
Will have several weddings to attend to; cousins', friends, friend's sister... Hopefully I'll get to go to all of them insyaallah.
Will be flying with TAROM and Emirates this time around. Have never taken Emirates before, wonder what would it be like. Will have transits in Bucharest, Istanbul and Dubai.
Isk, why lah Iasi has to be so far...
But, before the time comes for me to pack, need to go through the exam session first:
Pediatrics surgery, Pediatrics, Ophthalmology, Neurology, Neurosurgery.....
Waduhhh....
10 June 2009
05 June 2009
Three Graduates and A Bride
Last Sunday was a very busy day. There was a graduation ceremony for the girls and a wedding of a friend. I was practically running around for both occasions, but in the end I'm glad that I did it although my feet were killing me by the end of the day.
The Wedding
Remember when I wrote about my friend, Ms.MCL's proposal during class? Well, they finally have all their papers in order and decided to register their marriage here legally. As she is of Romanian-American parentage and he is an Israelian, there were a lot of paperwork to get sorted out. But after all the hassle and running around, finally they were declared husband and wife on May 31, 2009 at the wedding registration place in town.
It was a really sweet occasion. Because it was all kinda last minute, they decided to forgo the pomp and frills and invited only close friends and family to the ceremony. I was deeply touched and honoured that she would include me in it and plus this would certainly be my first.
The ceremony itself was simple, short and sweet; practically hassle free and it took less than 30 minutes. The bride was really beautiful and glowing; she couldn't stop grinning all through it all, and I am really happy for them. As I said it was my first time in a Romanian-style wedding and was delighted to join in with the newlyweds-walking-under-flower-bouquets and rice-throwing thingy because before this we only got to watch how it was done from afar whenever we passed by this place while there was a wedding there.
It was a really really lovely affair, simple and sweet. No hassle no fuss. No frowns, only smiles all around. I wish I could have joined them after that when they went to Ciric to celebrate but I wanted to run back to the graduation ceremony before it's over. And so after giving her the flowers and gift I left the happy couple to join my friends in CUG.
The Graduation Ceremony
Got up early, got ready, and accompanied the soon-to-be grads to the university (5 minutes walk from our place) for a pre-graduation group photo taking session. After that we straightaway went to the Centrul de Providenta in CUG where the ceremony was to take place (which was very very far, according to Iasi's standard lah) and waited for things to get started. As I had a wedding to attend to at noon I had to leave and later on joined them again after the wedding.
It was nice to see all of them happy and excited and seeing some juniors coming to show their support, but I was quite bummed coz didn't get to watch them actually walk onstage, receiving their scrolls and reciting the Hippocratic Oath. Rugi gila lah, tapi takde rezeki nak wat camno...
Eventhough people keep saying that our turn will only be next year, it's kinda hard for me to believe it coz it really felt like only yesterday that I had set foot in Iasi. Will I be ready to don the robe and cap and be a good physician in the future? Scary thought. Sigh, time flies so fast eh.....
I gave the girls white roses as a token of our (crazy) friendship which I had pre-ordered a day before and had asked the boys to pick 'em up for me and gave it to them because I wasn't sure if I could make it after the wedding. And after that we were just chilling out at the sistas place. Good times indeed, they were my travel buddies and also my partners in crime; I'll surely miss them when they've gone back home for good...
Oh, and I am really glad that I came back to the graduation place. Surprise surprise, I got to meet a friend who was with us for the first 3 years but had transferred to Bucharest in our 4th year. He told me before that he had exams the day before and couldn't come, so imagine my surprise when I saw him there. And apparently most of my classmates were there too, but only managed to meet some of them because they left early.
Wonder how our graduation ceremony is gonna be like? Compared to my first convocation several years ago in UM which was a very formal affair (DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah yg bagi scroll hari tu) the ceremony here is, I would say, semi-formal. Takde org kenamaan, cuma org2 besar & yg penting drpd uni kitorang je. Which is a good thing I think. Less hoopla, but a bit dragging also lah. Tak kisah la belalang, asal jangan tergolek doq masa kat atas stage tu nanti udah ler. Isy, malu giler tak terkata gamaknya.....
So, to the new bride and the new MD graduates:
The Wedding
Remember when I wrote about my friend, Ms.MCL's proposal during class? Well, they finally have all their papers in order and decided to register their marriage here legally. As she is of Romanian-American parentage and he is an Israelian, there were a lot of paperwork to get sorted out. But after all the hassle and running around, finally they were declared husband and wife on May 31, 2009 at the wedding registration place in town.
It was a really sweet occasion. Because it was all kinda last minute, they decided to forgo the pomp and frills and invited only close friends and family to the ceremony. I was deeply touched and honoured that she would include me in it and plus this would certainly be my first.
The ceremony itself was simple, short and sweet; practically hassle free and it took less than 30 minutes. The bride was really beautiful and glowing; she couldn't stop grinning all through it all, and I am really happy for them. As I said it was my first time in a Romanian-style wedding and was delighted to join in with the newlyweds-walking-under-flower-bouquets and rice-throwing thingy because before this we only got to watch how it was done from afar whenever we passed by this place while there was a wedding there.
It was a really really lovely affair, simple and sweet. No hassle no fuss. No frowns, only smiles all around. I wish I could have joined them after that when they went to Ciric to celebrate but I wanted to run back to the graduation ceremony before it's over. And so after giving her the flowers and gift I left the happy couple to join my friends in CUG.
The Graduation Ceremony
Got up early, got ready, and accompanied the soon-to-be grads to the university (5 minutes walk from our place) for a pre-graduation group photo taking session. After that we straightaway went to the Centrul de Providenta in CUG where the ceremony was to take place (which was very very far, according to Iasi's standard lah) and waited for things to get started. As I had a wedding to attend to at noon I had to leave and later on joined them again after the wedding.
The gummu girls :))
It was nice to see all of them happy and excited and seeing some juniors coming to show their support, but I was quite bummed coz didn't get to watch them actually walk onstage, receiving their scrolls and reciting the Hippocratic Oath. Rugi gila lah, tapi takde rezeki nak wat camno...
Eventhough people keep saying that our turn will only be next year, it's kinda hard for me to believe it coz it really felt like only yesterday that I had set foot in Iasi. Will I be ready to don the robe and cap and be a good physician in the future? Scary thought. Sigh, time flies so fast eh.....
I gave the girls white roses as a token of our (crazy) friendship which I had pre-ordered a day before and had asked the boys to pick 'em up for me and gave it to them because I wasn't sure if I could make it after the wedding. And after that we were just chilling out at the sistas place. Good times indeed, they were my travel buddies and also my partners in crime; I'll surely miss them when they've gone back home for good...
Oh, and I am really glad that I came back to the graduation place. Surprise surprise, I got to meet a friend who was with us for the first 3 years but had transferred to Bucharest in our 4th year. He told me before that he had exams the day before and couldn't come, so imagine my surprise when I saw him there. And apparently most of my classmates were there too, but only managed to meet some of them because they left early.
Wonder how our graduation ceremony is gonna be like? Compared to my first convocation several years ago in UM which was a very formal affair (DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah yg bagi scroll hari tu) the ceremony here is, I would say, semi-formal. Takde org kenamaan, cuma org2 besar & yg penting drpd uni kitorang je. Which is a good thing I think. Less hoopla, but a bit dragging also lah. Tak kisah la belalang, asal jangan tergolek doq masa kat atas stage tu nanti udah ler. Isy, malu giler tak terkata gamaknya.....
So, to the new bride and the new MD graduates:
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Update: Was asked to stand in line for the bouquet-throwing thingy, but the bouquet flew into the hands of Ms.MCL's bestfren. Fuhhh, nasib baik... :))
24 May 2009
Zee Avi / KokoKaina
I love her musical style! So jazzy and soothing. A Malaysian with a Youtube success story. Read more about her here.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
23 May 2009
The Moroccan Dream
One of my classmates is from Tangier, Morocco, born & bred. She's actually a Berber, and can speak several languages (jeles nya!). Eversince I've known her for 5 years now we have talked about lots of things, especially about our cultures, our homes and our families.
You see, I am an explorer at heart. I love getting to know about all these different cultures and their way of life, especially one that is so foreign from my own. I told her that one of my dreams is to go there for a visit, so that I can see the culture with my very own eyes and experience it, sample their cuisines while breathing the Moroccan air.
Sigh, that would be so lovely, wouldn't it?
Btw, I already have a standing invitation to go there. Tempat tinggal makan minum tak payah nak pikir dah, cuma kena beli sendiri tiket kapalterbang nakgi sana je. Bestnya kalau leh pegi.....
Disclaimer: All the piccas above are not mine. Click at the images to go to the original sites. Thank you.
16 May 2009
"What do you mean you cannot drink milk??"
I got asked this a lot. And when I told them why, they automatically assume that I don't drink milk. Actually, it doesn't mean that I cannot take milk at all, in fact I love dairies, but consuming milk or any type of dairy products will eventually cause bloating, flatulence, abdominal cramps, and last but not least, acute diarrhea that could lead to dehydration if proper countermeasures are not taken.
Why me??
Well, thanks to the 1/8 chinese, and the remaining jawa part of me = Genetic predisposition, of course. And plus milk-drinking is never really a Malay culture, isn't it?
When will I have the symptoms??
Whenever I have appeased my cravings for something dairy i.e. milk, yoghurt, cheese, ice-cream.....YUMMM!!
How come??
Basically, we lack the enzyme lactase that breaks down lactose, a form of sugar found in milk & other dairy products. Lactose is a big-moleculed sugar and cannot be absorbed by the small intestinal (ileum) walls.
Therefore;
No lactase --> Lactose passes intact from ileum to colon --> Fermentation of lactose by the normal intestinal bacteria --> Production of a lot of gasses --------> Bloating, Flatulence, Cramps + Diarrhea (by lactose that attracts water into colon)
What to do??
Avoid dairy products (unless they are lactose-free), oral rehydration salt, water, water, water, water, water... + Oral enzyme substitution (never tried this before coz can't seem to get my hands on it yet)
Where??
Check out the prevalence of LI in the world population:
If you are still clueless and don't know what I'm talking about, go watch White Chicks the movie. Pay attention to what happens to one of the agents when he ate cheese. Oh yeah, I soooo know the feeling. Been there done that, sigh....
IMHO, being lactose intolerant ain't fun I tell ya. Especially for a person who loooooves dairy and can't live without them, like moi. And yes, different individuals have different levels and degrees of intolerance. But 'lucky' me, I got stuck with the one-glass-of-milk-will-make-you-have-diarrhea-the-whole-night type of LI. And imagine what would happen if I'd have 1 glass milk+1 slice cheese+1 stick ice-cream, in 1 day. Berkampung kat dalam bilik air ler jawabnya...
A lactose intolerant gal who loves lactose-full dairies. What a bummer, ain't it?
09 May 2009
Aching Legs
Went gallivanting around town today:
1. Left home early to go to the Neurosurgery Hospital, but upon reaching there I was told that class was canceled. Haiyaaah... Decided to walk back home and so began the 30 minutes journey up & down the hill back to the house...
2. Reached home, had some snacks, and then went out again for some gift-shopping with Ms JZ to the mall. Went round and round the mall while keeping an eye for the things that we wanted to get and had lunch at the food court there.
3. Left the mall at half past four. Ms JZ went back home while I went to the Paediatrics Hospital (which is just 15 minutes from the mall) on foot, walking uphill, for a garda session with our paeds surgery lecturer.
4. After garda, walked back down the hill with the boys and then walked back home alone...
Mak aih, patut la kaki rasa macam nak tercabut je. Nasib baik pakai sneakers tadi, kalau tak, isk...
And now my feet and legs are aching and it feels like the muscles are being twisted in knots. Can't tell you how much I'm longing for a foot and full body massage now, sigh....
NB: Yeah, I know I'm out of shape. I should be used to walking a lot here, but I guess going up and down the hill was a bit too much for my sleep-deprived body today.
Sungguh lah tak fit nya diriku ini, hmmmmm.....
1. Left home early to go to the Neurosurgery Hospital, but upon reaching there I was told that class was canceled. Haiyaaah... Decided to walk back home and so began the 30 minutes journey up & down the hill back to the house...
2. Reached home, had some snacks, and then went out again for some gift-shopping with Ms JZ to the mall. Went round and round the mall while keeping an eye for the things that we wanted to get and had lunch at the food court there.
3. Left the mall at half past four. Ms JZ went back home while I went to the Paediatrics Hospital (which is just 15 minutes from the mall) on foot, walking uphill, for a garda session with our paeds surgery lecturer.
4. After garda, walked back down the hill with the boys and then walked back home alone...
Mak aih, patut la kaki rasa macam nak tercabut je. Nasib baik pakai sneakers tadi, kalau tak, isk...
And now my feet and legs are aching and it feels like the muscles are being twisted in knots. Can't tell you how much I'm longing for a foot and full body massage now, sigh....
NB: Yeah, I know I'm out of shape. I should be used to walking a lot here, but I guess going up and down the hill was a bit too much for my sleep-deprived body today.
Sungguh lah tak fit nya diriku ini, hmmmmm.....
05 May 2009
98 DEGREES & Counting
Remember this?
At the time when boybands were sprouting like poisonous mushrooms everywhere, I've gotta say that 98 Degrees is definitely a class above them all. Unlike other boybands that were assembled by the recording/talent companies, these guys actually had formed a group on their own before getting themselves a manager and signing on with a record label.
I love their voices, how they harmonize and blend their voices with each other. And yes, they sound good live too! In fact, personally them singing live is way better than the recorded stuff. And I could still remember my sister telling me "Sedih kan sebenarnya lirik lagu Invisible Man ni? He likes her but she doesn't notice him. Cian kat dia..."
Ingat lagi tak ezra? ;P
They came to Malaysia a couple of years ago (when I was in college) to perform. At the time I was already a fan, and plus the tickets were very very affordable. Buy 1 cassette you get 1 ticket, buy 1 CD you get 2 tickets! Crazy right? It's as if the tickets were free only. Plus you get to keep the CDs/cassettes some more. Since it was a no brainer I went and bought 1 CD and 1 cassette, finally had gotten myself 3 tickets in total: 1 for me and 2 for my (younger) sisters. Bawak la diorang sekali sebab kesian tak penah gi tgk konsert kat mana2 lagi kan. Kakak mithali, chewah... :D
The showcase was at the Sunway Lagoon amphitheater. All through the show, there were lotsa screaming fans (it was mostly girls, go figure) and they were literally shrieking away when they were not singing along with the boys. Saya pun agak teruja lah jugak masa tu, tapi takleh nak lawan dgn adikku si dokter yg memula malu-malu tapi akhirnya terjerit-jerit keseronokan jugak, hehehe... It was really fun because I got to see and hear 98 Degrees live, watch the antics of fanatic fans, and see that my sisters had fun that night too. Well I've never really asked them how it was for them, but by them screaming their heads off and singing along means that they were having a good time then yeah, they might be. As for me, suffice to say that I had a sore throat that lasted for 2 days, a side effect from the sing-a-long cum shrieking session that night, lol...
98 Degrees didn't get as OTT famous as BSB or N'Sync back then although their sound has quality. Hey, I love BSB and N'Sync too ok. Yeah peeps, I was a boyband fan, huhu. But the truth is I like music for its sound and harmony regardless who performs it and from which genre it is. I can listen to any and all kinds of music EXCEPT for dangdut and house/club. Serious tak boleh layan ah lagu-lagu cenggitu, isk...
Eventhough they haven't split up 98 Degrees are now in a hiatus. I hope they will come out with something new soon because I'm sure their fans can't wait for their reappearance in the music scene (termasuk lah saya rasanya)... ^_^
I love their voices, how they harmonize and blend their voices with each other. And yes, they sound good live too! In fact, personally them singing live is way better than the recorded stuff. And I could still remember my sister telling me "Sedih kan sebenarnya lirik lagu Invisible Man ni? He likes her but she doesn't notice him. Cian kat dia..."
Ingat lagi tak ezra? ;P
They came to Malaysia a couple of years ago (when I was in college) to perform. At the time I was already a fan, and plus the tickets were very very affordable. Buy 1 cassette you get 1 ticket, buy 1 CD you get 2 tickets! Crazy right? It's as if the tickets were free only. Plus you get to keep the CDs/cassettes some more. Since it was a no brainer I went and bought 1 CD and 1 cassette, finally had gotten myself 3 tickets in total: 1 for me and 2 for my (younger) sisters. Bawak la diorang sekali sebab kesian tak penah gi tgk konsert kat mana2 lagi kan. Kakak mithali, chewah... :D
The showcase was at the Sunway Lagoon amphitheater. All through the show, there were lotsa screaming fans (it was mostly girls, go figure) and they were literally shrieking away when they were not singing along with the boys. Saya pun agak teruja lah jugak masa tu, tapi takleh nak lawan dgn adikku si dokter yg memula malu-malu tapi akhirnya terjerit-jerit keseronokan jugak, hehehe... It was really fun because I got to see and hear 98 Degrees live, watch the antics of fanatic fans, and see that my sisters had fun that night too. Well I've never really asked them how it was for them, but by them screaming their heads off and singing along means that they were having a good time then yeah, they might be. As for me, suffice to say that I had a sore throat that lasted for 2 days, a side effect from the sing-a-long cum shrieking session that night, lol...
98 Degrees didn't get as OTT famous as BSB or N'Sync back then although their sound has quality. Hey, I love BSB and N'Sync too ok. Yeah peeps, I was a boyband fan, huhu. But the truth is I like music for its sound and harmony regardless who performs it and from which genre it is. I can listen to any and all kinds of music EXCEPT for dangdut and house/club. Serious tak boleh layan ah lagu-lagu cenggitu, isk...
Eventhough they haven't split up 98 Degrees are now in a hiatus. I hope they will come out with something new soon because I'm sure their fans can't wait for their reappearance in the music scene (termasuk lah saya rasanya)... ^_^
04 May 2009
Paediatrics Surgery Test
.....is tomorrow. If we don't pass this test we won't be allowed to sit for the final exam.
Wish me luck!!
Nb: I love doing garda with our paeds surgery lecturer. He's a hoot, and the surgeries are pretty interesting. Will definitely join him again for the next garda.
Wish me luck!!
Nb: I love doing garda with our paeds surgery lecturer. He's a hoot, and the surgeries are pretty interesting. Will definitely join him again for the next garda.
The Beriyani Experiment
Out of the blue today I got a hankering for some nasi beriyani. And since I have (almost) all of the ingredients in the kitchen, I attempted to cook it myself. Mind you, I've never tried making it ever, but there's always a first time, isn't it?
So I Google-d some recipes online and finally decided to try out the Beriyani Kurma recipe found on mesra.net resepi webpage with some modifications of my own. Instead of using beef I used chicken breast meat since that's all that is available for me here, and I substituted evaporated milk with yoghurt and I also added a handful of raisins.
The verdict:
It turned out well enough, albeit a l'il bit soggy. My bad in over-estimating the water for the rice (as I usually do, lol!). What's more, I didn't use Basmathi rice (mahal lah) and used another type of long grain rice instead. All in all it was edible (and I think it was kinda tasty too, hehe) although it wasn't visually appealing. But hey, everything's gonna go into my tummy in the end right, so what's the biggie? As a side dish I made some spicy tomato-based acar timun (I used pickled cucumber), and VOILA! Dinner is served. Yummmmm
It's usual for me to cook in abundance and finish it in 2-3 days. Why do I do this? It's because food keeps well here due to the weather but actually the main reasons are pure laziness and no time. This way at least I could have something that is cooked and meaty instead of bread and eggs all the time, oh man...
So, what else to cook next week? I'm craving for fish but the fish here is so not very the fresh. Tuna/sardin dalam tin pulak dah naik harga skang ni. Telur lagi lah nampaknya, hmmmmm
So I Google-d some recipes online and finally decided to try out the Beriyani Kurma recipe found on mesra.net resepi webpage with some modifications of my own. Instead of using beef I used chicken breast meat since that's all that is available for me here, and I substituted evaporated milk with yoghurt and I also added a handful of raisins.
The verdict:
It turned out well enough, albeit a l'il bit soggy. My bad in over-estimating the water for the rice (as I usually do, lol!). What's more, I didn't use Basmathi rice (mahal lah) and used another type of long grain rice instead. All in all it was edible (and I think it was kinda tasty too, hehe) although it wasn't visually appealing. But hey, everything's gonna go into my tummy in the end right, so what's the biggie? As a side dish I made some spicy tomato-based acar timun (I used pickled cucumber), and VOILA! Dinner is served. Yummmmm
It's usual for me to cook in abundance and finish it in 2-3 days. Why do I do this? It's because food keeps well here due to the weather but actually the main reasons are pure laziness and no time. This way at least I could have something that is cooked and meaty instead of bread and eggs all the time, oh man...
So, what else to cook next week? I'm craving for fish but the fish here is so not very the fresh. Tuna/sardin dalam tin pulak dah naik harga skang ni. Telur lagi lah nampaknya, hmmmmm
01 May 2009
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!
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!
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