Ileena's with some herbs & spices...

welcome 2012!

2011-12-29T18:50:00.005+04:00

wishing friends and family,

a very happy New Year 2012.

(fireworks!!!..tad earlier here ;p)

hoping for a more prosperous ( hello to McD prosperity burger.I've been missing you long enough!) year with good health, wealth and Imman, Insyallah.

just so you know, it's weird not having close friends around for New Year. I clearly remembered at this time last year i was busy revising my Obs and Gyne exam and at the same time managed to hop on the earliest train to Moscow for some New Year break away. Student life is always the best, no matter how hard life can be at that time!

My New Year eve this year? Probably i will just sit back and relax, watch TV, enjoying my day off and err..i have no plans at all yet to be honest. Well after all this is the kind of life i chose to be in, how can i be complaining so much?!

Merry Odd Christmas..

2011-12-24T15:29:00.003+04:00

Christmas eve this year is a bit odd. Apart from the land not being covered with snow, i am now at home,scribbling in here on my day off from work. Like i said, always the highlight of the week :P

Nothing much for the past 2 weeks. Work is work, never going to end. The house was a bit lively until 2 days ago, aunt and 3 kids were here for a short stay. One cousin got back from NZ for his 2 months holiday so yeah here to visit the grand-mom. Was not long until the house is quiet again and what's worst is that our maid is currently on a month holiday back to Indonesia and to cut things short, being a house officer without a maid is tremendously horrible. i shall not describe further, just hoping that this one pathetic month move faster than it should!

2012 is approaching,leaving all the memories be it good or bad behind. Honestly 2011 has been a great year for me ( should i or should i not list them out?).

Thus, welcome 2012! Hoping for a great year ahead,insyallah :)

Singapore!after years...

2011-12-10T06:17:00.006+04:00

While talking about work can be quite stressful, so let's not talk about that.

You see, being a Houseman doesn't mean one has got NO life.well, partly. Getting a day off in a week is always THE highlight of the week. Some will spend it just to be at home sleeping the entire day ( well that's what i do during the first month of working) and some will go out and have fun.

To cut things short, i was at the Singapore Universal Studio on my day off this week :)

It was a quick decision, for the fact that Singapore is just 40 mins away from where i am staying right now. Afiq made his way to JB,pick him up at the airport like 2 hours later from his arrival time ( dating a Dr is awesome, we're never punctual except at work :P) the day before.

We made our move the very next day..wasn't really sure how it went since yours truly was being herself ( in which i slept the entire time until we got into the parking space of USS!) "__"

Oh some info to share:

-Driving in to Singapore is easy, all you need to get is an Autopass in which it serves like our Touch N Go. You'll get to buy one at the border. Price wise ...20SD? and you'll need it too as your parking ticket. You can get it uploaded in petrol kiosk or 7Eleven there.

- To always observe speed limit in Spore. No joke seriously.

-Get GPS with you. You'll get there in no time.

-one day pass to USS cost 68SD. or perhaps if you think you'll need the express pass ,will need to add on 30SD ( you'll get on to rides and stuff without having to que)

Well one important thing is that, try not to go during weekend/school holidays or public holidays. We're truly lucky since there were not many people hence less line

up for all the rides.

The rides are awesome! Not that i went on all the rides. Hate to admit this but i am so not the roller-coaster type of person. Afiq had to trick me( countless!!) so that i'll get on some crazy rides. Yeah, i made through some awesome stuff like the new Transformer thing, the Ancient Egypt thing ( this is horrible!) and another so-called MILD roller coaster, the way he said it.

Apart from the rides, there're many awesome shops be it souvenirs stuff, candy place, Hard Rock and the list goes on. I'm wondering,when will they be having this kind of place in Malaysia?This place is so much better than what Genting Highlands is offering now.

If i were to have another day off the next i would've probably spend a night there. The place is awesome and would've seen how it is at night. Well, perhaps one day :P

I'm on evening shift today though.Shall make my way to the hosp soon.

More pictures in FB :)

Cheers!xxx

Salam AidilAdha

2011-11-05T10:05:00.003+04:00

Taking this very opportunity to wish all Selamat Hari Raya AidilAdha.:)

After 6 long years living abroad, i'm back home celebrating this Eid here in Malaysia. It is way different from those I've had in previous years since i'll be on night shift tonight and will be home after 7AM tomorrow, on a blessed Aidil Adha ( or the way us Malay put it, di pagi Hari Raya :P)

I'm considering myself quite lucky since you know, i'll be back home with nice Raya food before going off to bed, to prepare myself for work that night itself.

Nov is going to be quite a hectic month, from the way i look at it. I am no longer tagging around in the ward, so literally I've my own job scope,my responsibilities are now smacked nicely on my two shoulders. So far things are okay and that i'm still breathing the air with my SPO2 of 99% under room air. Well, perhaps i get my leaves approve by the department so that i can have my little breakaway somewhere not to be revealed yet.haha. *fingers crossed*. Its been long since my last flight abroad anyways...*was on cruise to Sweden, Denmark,Norway last July, remember:P*

Probably will be hitting the bed for a nap. Hoping for less admission for the night so that i can get some rest in between. Shall need to stock up the pantry with some nice coffee, since you know, i'm a serious coffee - dependent.

signing off now,xxx

hello from the house officer !

2011-11-02T05:48:00.004+04:00

Its been almost a month since my last post. well actually, I've one entry in my draft space but it went missing pulak..so guess I've to write a whole new one again.

Life as a House Officer is truly challenging.In all aspects. Basically one has got to be strong externally and internally. I am currently in my Medical posting and being a first poster, the thing gets tougher. Had 2 weeks of tagging from 6 am to 10-11 pm ( but it can prolong though) , the days where sunlight wasn't any of my concern. Things you might want to know about the tagging periods:

1. although your working hour starts at 7Am ( so they say), you're expected to come early.say 630 am the latest.

2. tagging doesn't mean you get to stand still and watch other HO do their job. Instead, you've got to be on your feet and help around.Catch knowledge STAT!

3. you'll get remarks like '' kalau tau buat kerja lambat, datang la pukul 5''. Upgrading your threshold level is important at time like this.

4. As overseas graduate, there are so many new things to learn. from procedures to their favorite prescribed drugs to all the short forms. With time, you'll get hold of them..baby steps though.

5.again, patience level should be beyond par.

Despite all the hardships, I'm trying hard not to over stress myself. Things will get better after some time. Annoying people are around but what's the world without them "___"

Important, keep in contact with your close ones. Talk to them to ease yourself since you know this profession is tough!

The new flexi system for HO is quite lenient i can say. 60 working hours a week, and a day off. I am currently at home in KL, enjoying my 3 days off. Left my car in JB and hop on the last flight back to kl last Sunday night. Had my usual dose of Alexis meringue and many more good food and company, and will be back in JB by night time. Well, work is waiting for me tomorrow :p

Till then,xxx

2011-10-09T18:39:00.005+04:00

Its been quite a long pause in here,truly sorry for those who came peeking hoping for any news. September has been a very hectic month for me. Aidilfitri followed by numerous weddings to attend to, raya open houses by friends n relatives and eherm..and a few other important date and meet ups.hehe.

To cut things short, i am now based in Johor Bahru, undergoing my HO training in Hospital Sultan Ismail. It was my first day reporting today,so far HSI looks promising. I've been assign to Medical dept ( yes, the main core back bone of medicine!), and will try to document my working life in this blog, so to my fellow juniors and friends, feel free to ask if there's any Qs regarding HOship later :).

Till then. I've been busy today the entire day,filling in endless forms. More to the hospital and department tomorrow and soon, tagging session will start and that means, 7AM to 10PM working hours. Please, I need luck!

Ciao!:)

too much weddings!

2011-09-19T11:41:00.006+04:00

I've been neglecting this space of mine with few more must-have entries esp those as point-of-reference. Been busy attending weddings and Raya open houses ( where good foods are the main concern :P) all this while. Few more coming up , in fact!

Congratulations to my dear friends,entering the new phase of life.

Kak Ryna, my uni mate,

Aida (Dodoe) my TKC-ian friend.*Sorry dodoe,haven't even transfer my bb photos yet.*

my younger cousin,Ahmad Hakim and his bride Aimi.Welcome to the family!

May you all be blessed with a happy marriage life and cute babies for me to bite! :P

another family celebration

2011-09-10T05:53:00.007+04:00

To begin with, Fatimah Azman is one of my best-best (to show how important this is!) friend from my Uni days, and to make it extra special, we're related in a way that her uncle happened to be married to my mom's cousin. Relatively, we're cousins too! hehe.

Timmy on her wedding day,absolutely stunning and adorable!

The most relax and absolutely compose bride. I've not seen one before so big clap to cousy dearest..:)

To the groom, Muzammil ( also my uni mate and have been teasing with the title cousy-to-be for quite sometime already :p), congratulations to you for being united with my little cousy, your all time sweetheart.Happy wedded life to both of you! I'll be seeing you more often after this Muzammil on our family occasions i supposed hehehe. p/s: gambate for HOship as well but you've less worry since Dr Fatimah will be a good mentor to you :P

Again, Congratulations to both of you,cousins!

Us, the Nizhny clan, the bride & groom and our childhood bff,Hani Nadhirah.

Raya and Baju Kurung

2011-09-05T22:12:00.009+04:00

All in all, its pretty much the same Aidilfitri this time around, as compared to my last one here in Msia 6 years ago. One thing for sure, no instant ketupat, no packet Brahim's rendang, no Adabi's lemang! All came out fresh, home-cooked...! You must've been wondering the amount of weight i've gained up during the celebration i'm sure..well, i have no idea bcoz i'm practically making room for those that i've missed for years :P

Our theme color for the year was supposed to be Green ( dad's veto-ed here!) but he ended not wearing his,for some reason.pffft. It was my first time in a Riau-cut kurung and i love it!

Well perhaps it made me look less fat and more *cough* proportionate. "__". Not that i have a decent pic of me wearing it in here, but here's an idea..

*pic from google*

Well to those who've been trying to go different with your kurung, try baju kurung Riau. It's worth a try and comfy too! Of course, my usual favorite is the typical kurung modern in which i had it done with a Japanese cotton fabric brought to me all the way from Japan.

Thank you kak Huda, http://dailyclickclicks.wordpress.com/.

p/s: go and have a look on her sewing hobby cum business!

Well,drop me a line if you have nicer kurung ideas,since working days are about to start..and that most of my friends prefer cotton kurung for work. senang nak lipat2 the sleeves and more carefree i supposed.

Last but not least, enjoy the remaining Raya celebration and err..i'm up for open house invitations!hehehe "___"

Salam Aidilfitri

2011-08-28T20:30:00.003+04:00

..to all my family members and muslim friends from all over the world, Eid Mubarak.

Will keep u guys posted with my raya journey..and my first raya back home, after the long 6 years celebrating it abroad!

Safe journey to those leaving for your 'kampung' and have a nice holiday to all!

Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir & Batin

cookie jar

2011-08-23T14:22:00.003+04:00

Aidilfitri is just a week from now and how are your cookie jars getting along? All filled up or still waiting?

I still have some more cookies to bake,well perhaps my vitamin M doesn't concur my world :p

Well, baby steps..baby steps.....

So for now, enjoy baking and to some ( or most?), happy buying cookies! hehehe

Ramadhan kareemm..

2011-08-21T17:07:00.004+04:00

Ramadhan is now approaching to an end, without us realizing. I've been busy with the job application procedures, been going up and down the ministry various times and finally done with the SPA interview. I shall make that in one special entry for easy review ( applying to my fellow juniors and friends).

It'll be my first Aidilfitri in Malaysia after 6 long years! Surely i'll be missing our annual Raya gathering in Nizhny,no need to say. Nevertheless i am pretty sure i'll be having a great one this year and will be in Johor Bharu on the first day of Aidilfitri. Can't wait for mak tok's rendang,ketupat etc etc...the place where one shall grow fat! :P

How have you guys been enjoying the current Ramadhan? I supposed its about being good, behave oneself, Terawih prayer and of course,the food galore! :p

p/s: a lot of catching up in the month of Ramadhan too!To all my Muslim friends, enjoy the last few days of Ramadhan and may Allah grant you with the bonus of laylatul-qadr,Insyallah. :)

Home and it is for good this time...

2011-08-01T20:53:00.004+04:00

1. Its been agesssssss since my last post and sorry for those who've been trying to reach me via my blogspot. I've been extra lazy to have any updates in here but believe me i'm 24/7 on FB so u can you know..try to reach me there instead ;p

2. I am now back at home,safe and sound and for good this time. Dr Ileena he he he..is now waiting to be called for the induction program in order to start my duty as a houseman,insyallah. Let's just hope that it'll be sometime after Aidilfitri coz 6years celebrating it away from home is not funny!Been missing a lot of those original (not the instant ones) lemang, maktok's (grandma's) authentic sambal goreng with ketupat..okay and the list goes on.

3.Wishing all of you Muslims a very happy Ramadhan. Sorry for any wrong doings and selamat berpuasa. I've missed today's bazaar ramadhan and now craving for

some kuih koleh kacang...

4. Scandinavia trip was great except for some unnecessary incidence which shall remain silence. I've uploaded some pictures in my FB so feel free to check them out:)

5. Had our second graduation ceremony in Tropicana Golf and Country Club last weekend. As one of the committee member i would like to extend my greatest appreciation to all my batch mates for all the help and commitments given. Well guys, just do keep in touch!

Graduated,Summer trip and now home awaits

2011-07-14T01:02:00.002+04:00

and so the title tells it all! Will be flying back home very very soon and this time for good.

I am sure to miss Nizhny Novgorod and surely my motherland,Russia.

Well,its time to go but will sure to visit this place again one very fine day.

Finals are over!

2011-06-23T01:20:00.003+04:00

and that makes me a Medical Degree holder, alhamdulillah. :)

few more days till arrival of abah,mama and sister,and a few more step closer to .......

the Graduation Day.

It's been quite a long pause in here due to the exam period. Enough for me to say that this has been the longest 1 month ever. 5 exams back to back (it's all Viva...), leaving me with piles of dirty laundry to wash and clean laundry to fold. Well Geena,what sisters are for..you gotta be here quick!Not to forget the major cleaning catastrophe i am about to have!Another built-in cabinet at home is just what i need ( or another 'bilik setor'??)!

Perhaps i'll be writing in here more often starting from now. Am pretty much relax now,being super flaccid and all,lying on the bed with fashion magazines.Life back to normal finally (although not for long...)haha. Gotta enjoy the moment man..gotta enjoy.

Will keep this space posted :)

tweet!

2011-06-11T00:52:00.004+04:00

post-internal medicine examination. Friends and i on a wee celebration.

3 more exams to go till i'm done!

Can't believe that I've gone this far :P

p/s:thank you for all the luck sent ( keep it going till the 22nd June,alright )

2011-05-24T15:40:00.003+04:00

will be busy with exams from now on.....wish me luck! :)

2011-05-15T23:24:00.002+04:00

that's quite a pause in here!

Well, honestly there's nothing much to update.exams approaching and i'm down with fever. There goes my weekend, being in bed looking sick. No i have no picture of mine looking miserable like that ;p. I'm much better now ( had to do groceries shopping in fact today,we're running out of poultry and all the basics!),trying to compile all the energy needed for those mega exams ever. Please send me some duas and fly me all the lucks in the world,thank you :)

On a different note, i'm looking forward for our summer trip.It's been quite sometimes already since we had our last overseas trip together as a family. If only little brother can make it ( ish limkokwing cuti apa you all ni?so weird!), would've been merrier. Well there's always next time!

The fact is, i'm graduating soon. But i am so not ready to leave this place,what more my carefree student life. Life will be absolutely different after this and i am not ready for that yet!

Adulthood IS challenging........

too much for a weekend!

2011-05-09T15:07:00.012+04:00

I'm back for some ramblings in here( although it took 20 mins to upload one single picture. sad but true!) but hold on, today's a public holiday. Got to stress on that! "__"

Some people said everyday is Mother's Day and what's with the Mothers Day celebration every May.True that but honestly, i don't do cupcakes/ flowers deliveries to my mom every day :P. Well, i had these delivered to my mom in conjunction with MD yesterday,

Red Velvet Cupcakes by http://raindough.blogspot.com/.

Thank you Lynda for the awesome cuppies. All for mom, grand-mom and my aunt. Hot mommas deserve best! p/s: is your CX-7 part of Mother's Day too ? "_"

2. Russia's Victory Day today ( 1945- present). It was drizzling all morning but knowing that this is my last VD here, we made through to Minina Sq to witness hot policemen,armies etc in their suits,marching handsome-ly.hahaha. I don't know why but for some obvious reasons, police officers here are nicer to look at as compared back home. Malaysia's one, err............... ( you fill in the blank lah!).

and so that's me,loving the hat!:)

3. Spring BBQ session is a must. It was bright all day long yesterday ( such blessings on Mother's Day!) with the temperature around 15'C. Went to the park, all ready with our marinades (had salmon too this time..!) and the rest is history.

When there's food, there's always a silence :)

graffiti picture.

2011-05-08T01:26:00.006+04:00

i have many things to be shared in here but...

1. my internet connection has been a serious pain to me off lately. called the one in-charged for few days already but to no avail. seriously, i malas nak sound2 ni. i've better things to do. I ended up calling his boss instead and will be here to look at what's going on only on Tuesday

( Russia's now having a long weekend due to its Victory Day celebration on Monday). We shall see how it goes.

2. finished my Surgery rotation for my undergrad. Now exam awaits ( patiently please!). Despite all the fear to Prof Zigmantovich, excessive amount of stress and early-morning cramping in the bus ( not to be late even a minute...), i'm missing grandpa Ziggy already. I would prefer to cramp my brain with serious surgery knowledge now rather than wasting time in public health lesson

( it's not even a lesson.it's pathetic!).

3. Had few photo shooting sessions for the past few days. All for our year book and of course, for the memories. Spring this year is really a pest, what's with it being so gloomy! I realized that once i'm back home, i shall not be able to put the blame for being lazy ( duvet calling all the time!) on to the weather, so here's a big one: i'm lazy because of the weather!

At a graffiti area near our place here. nice,isn't it. Spring,ironically!

(in actual fact i see no flowers ,yet!)

Will update more if my internet connection speeds up. It's really pathetic, i tell you.

a true Cinderella story

2011-04-30T22:47:00.006+04:00

Catherine Middleton,a true Cinderella story! Well, fairy tales are more than true ( finally!) ;p

I was in the midst of my surgery rotation on Friday and was actually fidgeting the entire time, hoping to get home on time to watch the Royal Wedding live cast. It was not much of a help since my internet connection went nuts earlier on before i left for school, was given a ''i-have-no-complains-but -was-admitted-for-i-don't-know-why'' patient for clerking and Mr Prof scoldings (surgeons!what do you expect?). As soon as the lesson ended,rushed home, called for a pizza delivery and was stuck in front of my screen,jaw dropped adoring every details about the Royal Wedding. A wedding filled with character and love!

From her hair up to the detailing on her lacy sleeves, everything was beyond perfect. Sarah Burton from Alexander McQueen did a tremendously amazing job. The top part of the dress was a bit similar to a lacy kebaya,don't you think so? Gorgeous!

Here is the picture of HRH on another reception later in the evening.also designed by SB.

From a commoner to a princess!

Her complexion ,features and gestures truly signifies a genuine princess.Truly, Princess Kate is now the world most favorite princess.

facebook yay or nay

2011-04-23T18:56:00.007+04:00

I am updating in here on a leisure weekend, finally! Nothing better than lazying around enjoying some free time, especially after few episodes of practical exams. I'm spending a day off today, devoting myself to err online shopping, ice creams, some groceries shopping and looking forward for some 'ikan bakar' and a movie tonight. Life abroad is somehow different from back home so enjoy it while it lasts!

My usual Saturday morning started with a cup of loose green tea and browsing through Facebook. It amazed me on how this particular thing abbreviated FB has such an impact in our lives. I am miles away from home but FB makes it feel like as if i am sitting next to my mom, listening to horrifying stories about fat people in order for me to keep watch of my waistline ( waving at mom "_"). It's good to still keep in touch with relatives,teachers and friends, seeing my younger cousins all grown up ( i got confused who is who day by day!). So near yet so far!

Ironically, some people have difficulty in defining courtesy.I made mistakes (countless!) throughout my life too, not implicating i'm any better, but at least i do have a bit of courtesy left in me to make things out so that things get back into place. One can turned down my FB friend request but in actual fact probably has been following this blog all the while and digging stories about me. Shame on you!

I strongly feels that FB is not a playground for you to judge a person just like that. There's nothing wrong in getting to know a person before hand. Haven't you heard of not to judge a book by its cover?

Have a nice weekend ahead!

xxx

sneak peak!

2011-04-20T23:11:00.002+04:00

Hopefully i will end up looking good during my graduation ceremony. Robe is ready.. 5 more exams to go till finishing of undergrad!

Excited scared nervous..it's hard to explain. Is the feeling normal??

part 2 closer to.....

2011-04-13T23:24:00.006+04:00

Obs & Gyne practical exam was held today and Alhamdulillah everything went well. Spent sometime on history taking, some physical examinations and playing with dolls :). I noticed that i have this some 'weird' interest in O&G but being its specialist is not really my option ( i think).

We shall get back to that one fine day. Who knows, Nana the gynecologist! ( would want to have my own fertility clinic with all cool settings just like in the movie ;p).

Exam comes in a package (at least for me!)- stressful days,sleepless nights,eye bags and a post-examination self reward. I see the latter one as a booster for me to do better in the upcoming exam ( in my case now is my surgery practical exam on coming Monday!). Had some time in between today and off for a quick window shopping ( i hardly have enough time for window shopping ,honestly only swipe and go :P). and among the gorgeous spring collections on the rack now are:

So whats your pick? There are few more adorable ones from ZARA and Topshop but seems that Ms Selfridge offers better. Do check their website for more details :)

part 1 closer to ....

2011-04-09T00:09:00.004+04:00

the finishing line!!

Had our first practical skills examination today for Internal Medicine. For obvious reason, had palpitations all the way to the hospital despite quite a thorough preparation before hand. Exams are exams..you remember one thing and you'll forget the other!

Was appointed to a patient for history taking and thorough med checkup. I was given a policeman as my patient with HTN. He was so tall about 185cm, i couldn't even reach his shoulder for lung percussion! "___". What a shorty doctor you have here!

Then comes the scarier part where i was given a LFT to interpret with only information about Bilirubin increment ( both conj and unconj) and an increase in serum creatinine level. Had 3 examiners right in front of me,pulling strings with each other to decide to whom i should go and answer. Infectious doctor insisted that the LFT result was taken from their department, so to her i went and yes Leptospirosis was the disease. Was quite in a guessing game but somehow i remembered the story of our Malaysia's actor allahyarham Din Beramboi.

and a self-reward for completing the exam for today :

Mutton ribs in an Uzbekistani restaurant.

The amount of fat i consumed tonight would probably last for the entire month!

Birthday finale in Nizhny Novgorod

2011-04-03T11:37:00.001+04:00

Finally, i am officially a 25 year old girl ( eherm!) now.hehe. A day well spent with the family here especially on my final birthday celebration in Nizhny ( after 6 years staying away from home!). From next year onwards, probably i have to celebrate being in the ward with patients (and their food).hahaha. :P

Special thanks to farid,aisyah,sue,jia lynn, alex,galen,emmy,7t,pearly,kiran,maal,hafiz for your efforts, surprises,dramas and gifts. hehehe. Appreciate them all till it all got sink on the bottom of my heart!:) More pictures feel free to click :

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=10150178066916469&id=592656468&aid=349528

Not to forget, friends from all over the world and that i've made friends with through out the years, thank you for the best wishes through facebook,sms etc. Thank you!

To mom and dad, thank you for letting this beautiful young lady into the world!

I guess the wailing stays forever, mom! :p

Ileena Abdul Muin
happy giving birth to me day!hahahahaa .

a year old-er.

2011-04-02T11:21:00.001+04:00

thank you all for the thoughts :)

p.s: i'm with a new haircut!

love yourself before you love others!

2011-03-27T16:27:00.004+04:00

Remember I've mentioned about one cosmetic brand called Fresh Line from Greece ?

it's a.w.e.s.o.m.e!

Their Herbal Softening Hair Conditioner was actually my first purchase and i absolutely love it. Became quite a hair-control freak once i had my re-bonding ( and dyed together) done few years back. Since then, hair mask and conditioners of all kinds are compulsory for me. Can say that this particular conditioner is as good as those in salon professional's, really.

Here's another thing special about FL. Although their products do come with quite an 'ermmmm' price tag ( read: pricey), you can actually buy them according to the items weight,hence a little luxury within budget :).

Had my FL stocked up today!

and as we're speaking ,I've already showered with FL's Grape Bath Sorbet! I smell nice :)

Anyhow, there's no FL available in Malaysia yet ( in which i hope it'll be there soon enough to welcome me home !). Here's the website for more info : http://freshline.gr.

Can't wait to have some hair mask later "_"

thick snow still here!

2011-03-20T15:45:00.002+03:00

Yes it's already March and still thick snow..! Would love if the winter prolongs especially with the temperature now around -5'C only. hehe.

My last winter in Russia and god knows when's the next time i'm touching the snow!

sobs sobs!

tee raa mii suu :)

2011-03-20T10:42:00.004+03:00

Voila!At last, i made a tiramisu from scratch for Farid's 26th birthday! Couldn't find the time to go searching for ladyfingers, i ended up baking one usual sponge cake as to substitute the biscuits part. Only to know that the sponge cake recipe has got to be done in a angel food cake pan (luckily i have one which comes together with the normal cake pan)!

Created the recipe (partially) by myself, i cut the cake into slices and arranged it accordingly on a casserole, press it on so that all layers are even and brush with some coffee & chocolate essence before pouring in the cream cheese mixed. Re frigate for a night and the tiramisu is done!

It is super easy! Try to make yours one now :)

hematology & on Moscow.

2011-03-12T10:51:00.014+03:00

So hi there,

First and foremost, i'll like to mention in here that my Friday started off not like any other usual Friday. Starting to have Hematology rotation for now and let me tell you that Hematology is difficult! Insanely difficult till my tension headache kicks in right after. Did i mentioned about us having to carry our laptops as well to class ( in that super packed public bus..about 45 mins journey in which getting a place to seat is not really an option!)? Well, HOs are not supposed to whine so yes, will probably take this as a challenge. On a different note, i'm still thinking whether Ipad will be of any benefit for HOs? Since you know, emedicine has already been putting up medical notes in Ipad version. What do you think? (heading to the library that and then is not an option,i think!)

**********************************************************************************

Continuation from my last visit to Moscow. Ice breaking cruise was actually listed in my -to -do- list- before- i graduated -from -Russia :). I'm lucky enough to get to experience it since the winter this year has been quite rough. Luckily the weather was great throughout the journey and that the river is still covered with ice in March!

and obviously i do not leave Moscow without -

*Evil laugh*

So yeah, feel free to contact me for any further details about the river cruise. you'll still get to go on one all year round ;p. till then, happy weekend everyone:)

p/s: wish me luck in hematology! i seems to be needing it more than internal medicine! ;p

2011-03-08T14:43:00.003+03:00

Heyaa friends,
I'm back from my short break to Moscow ( prior to our short public holiday in conjunction with the International Women's Day.) Will update about the trip in a short while but for now... just sneak peak:

2011-03-01T01:16:00.003+03:00

Nothing much to write in here, especially when my weekdays are all fully-packed. i turned into a jelly-o once i reach home from the hospital everyday ( well except for today...managed to grab some sushi for lunch on our way home ;p). Other than that, even a pathetic home made Cesar salad will do (such a luxury lunch already there)!

Been spending good weekends off lately especially when the crazy sale is still around. I am not sure what's really happening to this country but the winter sale as for this year is really a huge one. Maybe in conjunction with me being in my final year,hence more massive reduction ( i see bonus there,don't u think so too?). hehe. zara aldo nine west you name it all the high st brands are doing a remarkable marked down sale. Who would've resist to a RM70 Ferragamo Incanto 30ml, those RM100 Aldo killer heels/gladiators among others! I need to cargo my stuff back, that's for sure!

Will be having a long weekend again this week due to International Women's Day celebration. I've something lined up for the weekend, see lah if it happens will definitely brag about it. haha!

No picture this time around, my camera has been kept in sleeping mode for quite sometime already. I should really bring her out soon, winter is ending, and it's my last one here in Nizhny Novgorod ( as an undergrad!).

Cheers!:)

should listen to this.. Msia's queen of Jazz!

2011-02-19T10:31:00.000+03:00

grab your purse, car keys and off u go ....

2011-02-18T17:06:00.005+03:00

to our Malaysia's top designer clearance sale!

and just to share some 'kebaya' tops available during the sale...

guessed i'm one lucky girl ! although i'm thousand miles away from home, i still have my wonderful friend to do the shopping for me ( she's there in searching for her 'berinai' ( one smaller occasion prior to solemnization.she'll have her henna put on on that day) dress.) Thank you for waking me up very early in the morning ( 630AM like that,local time) and made me decide on what i want,that and then.At least my Subuh prayer was definitely on time today.;)

I'm one happy girl today,alhamdullilah.

still winter and final semester

2011-02-15T00:56:00.002+03:00

Sorry for keeping this space quiet for some days! Been busy off lately and by the time i got home all i think is sleep! I'm experiencing some sleep-deprived situation here and the idea of HO-ship scares me...! Now that i still do have some months before the hectic working life, maybe i should sleep longer and adore every single seconds of it . hehehe.

My final semester ( as an undergrad) started off smoothly, what more having our very own version of Bradley Cooper as our prime lecturer *big grin!*. Still a long way to go with this medicine rotation but manageable. To quote him :

" A doctor is an actor."

"A smile can open all hearts."

On a different note, parents and sister all will be coming for my graduation in June, insyallah which leave me now with some paper works ( for visa application) to be settled ( also to plan for our summer holidays too!). If only they've more time to spend, i would've sure drag them all to entire Europe ( covering places that we've not yet been to)..but one can only dream i supposed! Abah and mama ...come la take one whole solid month off! "________"

Pavlova !!

2011-02-06T02:11:00.002+03:00

recipe taken from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xq2yrL8Bns. Thank you for the awesome video. My first try in making one is a success! yipeeeeeeee!

Can say that i'm having quite a productive holiday. Apart from great shopping ( a never ending...), at least i've sharpen up my baking skills too. I'm enjoying the moment while it last, coz i'm sure that i wouldn't have the time to even pre-heat an oven starting coming September ( in which nasi bungkus is my companion!) "___"

Holiday is coming to an end already...Hello Medicine!

our winter cottage

2011-02-04T23:56:00.012+03:00

So here we are, renting a typical Russian cottage to enjoy the winter. You know what's best? The weather during the whole trip was awesome! Thank you Allah for the loveliest winter ever, less painful-brain freeze cold and plenty of snow.

So here's the cottage. 2 floors with 3 spacious bedrooms to accommodate up to 7 pax. Each room with an attached bathroom, tv and refrigerator. very very clean and superb place to be in. Very warm with excellent heating system.

The boys acting like cool guys at the top floor. See those wood ceiling..guessed you'll get this only in the forest.A wee bit later ( after the unpacking and sessions of ooohhh ahhhhh i like this little house i so wanna come here again in spring i shall bring my family here soon... etc etc ), we set off for some skiing adventure in the forest. So to say a tracking way of skiing, not the mountain sloping high kinda ski.

Super beginner like me..i'm proud to say that i made my way this time without even falling! Few came back with back pain , loin pain and definitely hungry stomach and so it's time for lunch.

Included in the package was our 3 x meals. We had typical Russian meals..all the 3 course-salad,soup and its main dishes. Food was great and very filling. Worth every penny ( they charged 550RUB for all 3 x meals). Funny part was that everyone ended up taking a long nap till 6 PM ( dinner time for the Russians). Again, stomach stuffed with good food.

We made a reservation for Russian Sauna at 9 PM that night. Had some cam whoring inside the cottage right after dinner and some junk food stuffing while the boys got busy with their sisha session ( yes!they brought the big huge sisha bottle with them. Farid is the main culprit ..finish end of story )

Was surprised to the brim for what the sauna complex has had to offer! A separate building on its own, complete with a pool and jacuzzi, sauna room,turkish bath room, a big living room, a kitchen on its own and a big dining table for 10. There's a spacious lounge on top with a pool table and a small room with gym equipments. Charges are 1000RUB per hour for the entire complex! Again,value for money. Sorry for there was no picture showing off the sauna..my basic camera doesn't seems to capture well in such steamy place. I don't know if big huge camera does that as well.

Last but not least, our legendary Malaysian after sessions of Russian sauna. Dedicated to dearest aunty Sya..from Russia with love!hahahaha.

Was indeed a great trip! More info, click http://www.viptravel.nn.ru/.

Feel free to ask me if you have any questions...and p/s: no,i don't get paid for promoting..hahahaha..just for the fun of sharing :)

macarons! my first try.

2011-01-30T23:24:00.002+03:00

It was quite a challenge especially all i have here is a hand mixer. Yup you heard me..i meringue-ed them using just a hand mixer. :P. Here's the recipe, taken from http://dl.dropbox.com/u/546793/Demystifying%20Macarons%20-%20Desserts%20Magazine.pdf

Mine turned out a little bit fragile and brittle ( I've no idea why, blame it on the mixer i think,no? or perhaps i've to let it stand for an hour exactly as directed in the recipe. now that is important!) but was literally good although the look is definitely incomparable to the ones from Laduree! hahahaha...so, happy trying!!!:)

holiday mode on but....

2011-01-27T02:36:00.004+03:00

is a dull one this year. No euro tour, no designer outlet go-crazy,definitely not a normal winter holiday. long sighhhhhh. had plans all lined up to St Petersburg and up north to Tallinn, Estonia but had them all cancelled off due to bad snow and recently the Moscow bombing.

and now, hostel is being under stupid quarantine due to some epidemic flu. no guests allowed during the entire holiday. there goes my usual tea time party with friends ( supposed to be having some goreng pisang & carrot cake get together tomorrow!).

*another long sighhhh....*

I find it hard to believe for the fact that this is how i'm spending my very last winter holiday before my working life ( double cranky-ness!). Shopping this time?Ask me about what's new in Zara and those high st labels available in town, i can seriously tell you the exact price of each and every pieces ( esp the floral blouses and working attire that i'm stocking up now). Seriously, if i am to be informed about the stupid hostel quarantine, i would've made my way up to Denpasar , enjoying the beach together with whole lot of Russians tourists. In fact, i've some l'Occitane bath line stock up just to give me the h.o.l.i.d.a.y mood kind of feeling. Pathetic, i know.

Actually, i do have some plans, just to see whats best and whats not. In fact i've to send my vaio lappy for a fan repair ( its making a hell lot of crazy noise..till i feel like slapping it left & right!), to send our Braun blender set for some service and my soon-to-be 6 years old microwave got some wee problem to be fixed. Not to forget, me and some friends are trying to get things settled for our families to come here for our graduation ceremony ( invitation letters,visa etc etc).

I have quite plenty of chores to be done ,you see but i'm stuck to Youtube watching a malay series-lagenda budak setan. :)

well, think thats all for now. i'll write more about this very upsetting holiday of mine oh yes with the hope that Lynn comes back with precious Miss F for me. ehehe now thats something to look forward too actually. :)

Lynn turns 24...and sushi again.

2011-01-22T23:42:00.003+03:00

Happy Birthday dearest Ng Jia Lynn ( or simply LynnLynn!) and wishing you the very best in your future undertakings. OK..ok ...JB with you for housemanship :)

Will be your last birthday celebration with us all here and i'm sure you'll missed the sushi and rolls we all had today. For the fact that i know I've been eating quite a lot during this winter month...;p

*********************************

Seriously not much of an update. Been busy with public health tutorials ( which is so much a waste of time). Thank you to whoever invented the subject on the very first place,with the hope of cracking our not-so-much-spaces- of- brain- cells left for us to ingest such one hopeless subject. Counting so many different rates, proportions whatnot...whatever is that for!

Our 1st semester is coming to an end in few days time and will be starting our new ( and the last!) semester on February 7th. Things happen too fast in which i find it quite hard to believe that i'll be graduating in just a few months time! Parents and younger sister will be planning their way up here for the graduation ceremony and some Euro trip after, insyallah. Will be starting the semester with the nerves-wrecking subject of all times ( medicine, what else) and i supposed a good break prior is just what i need ( eventhough abah will say...break sokmo! ;p)

Have a good weekend ahead then ;)

its been awhile and Happy Birthday Norleen!!

2011-01-16T23:26:00.004+03:00

so here again..after quite a long pause..Hello!:)

1. Gynecology exam went well. Prepared quite well, questions are all manageable and examiner was extremely nice. Couldn't have asked for more,Alhamdulillah. Seeing the O&G specialist here, i wonder what its like to be working ( more to be under their supervision) with 'loud' O&Gs back home later. Let alone the screaming and all from the midwives and nurses. I wonder why these 'mat salleh' medical personnels seems to be having more manners than some of them in Malaysian gov hospitals especially. I've seen them during my elective sessions previously and seriously... no wonder people opt for private practice nowadays.

2. Its Norleen's 24th birthday yesterday in which we ( among her special crowd of friends :P) had a small celebration just for her today.

See, birthday girl ( lady!) was extremely happy with the cake i baked for her. Being herself, she gets excited pretty easily this girl i tell you. She had this entire smile stuck on her face ever since January 1st i think and you can just imagine how she look like 2-3 days prior her birthday. *ROFL*. Anyhow Norleen, hope you like all the sushi, gifts,cakes and the memories built on your 24th birthday this year. It will not be the same from next year onwards because probably you'll be enjoying your 25th birthday in a pediatric departments with so many kids crying on to your shoulder :P

Best wishes to you Norleen, the Doctor to be :)

My version of Lava choc cake!

2011-01-04T23:20:00.005+03:00

CAUTION!!!! only 12 minutes away from a heavenly chocolate madness! watch your BMI people :)

I've amended the recipe from the one i had previously. So here goes:

1) Melt 125g of butter together with half mug of choc bars. Mix thoroughly. If it is not chocolatey enough, add in some choc powder till desired (i've no exact calculation on this, just so you know..instinct!;p)

2) in a different mug, whisk 2 egg yolks together with half mug of sugar (caster sugar would be just fine)

3) mix in mixture 1). then add in 6 tbs of flour.

4) add in some vanilla essence

5) into pre-heated oven at 200'C for 12 minutes.

6) make sure u have some vanilla ice cream with you :)

thats all folks!!have fun trying:)

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-04T00:19:00.006+03:00

I hope it is still not too late for me to extend my New Year wishes to all of you. Have a splendid year ahead and may 2011 brings lots and lots of joy and happiness to all. :)

2011 is the year that I've been looking forward to: my final year in being an undergraduate hence the year where i'll be settling in for my position as a houseman, Insyaallah. Time flies really fast don't you think, as if we've skipped 2010 and taddaa..its 2011 already!

Spent the eve with some company in Moscow. There is a saying in Russian about how you celebrate the New Year. If its a good one, you'll probably have a good year ahead and also vice versa. 2011 started off pretty well for me and so will have to keep praying for more good things to happen all year round.

Among others : TGIF Mocha Mud Pie!!

("let's get into Nana's world"- Maalini..before she had her first bite on this yummy thing!)

My winter shopping this year is not as bad, really. High street labels are (almost all) with 50% or more marked down!! I love my wardrobe for now, although god knows what it feels like to be one ;)

finally..it arrived!

2010-12-26T23:27:00.007+03:00

The long awaited snow has finally arrived!! Not to say that there weren't any before..i mean to say the REAL Russian snow! pheewww.. its way taller than i am,looking almost like a snow-desert out there..!

Had a pot-luck dinner just to welcome the snowy season. Had my first try on a grilled stuffed chicken. Invented the recipe from scratch ( with whatever available within reach) but well, it tasted just as fine :). Not to forget our recent hobby, making tartlets. And so we made some mixed fruit tartlets with custard filling too:)

and thats me..trying to look like Santa's baby sister. haha :)

Hope you've had a wonderful weekend too.

Season's Greetings to all of you! :)

Snowing and Xmas is approaching!

2010-12-21T21:39:00.004+03:00

Wowww..!its been quite some days not updating in here. Things are good..weather wise..windy but the snow flakes seem to be very very pleasantly abundant this year. Oh yes,,did i mentioned about the bruises i had on my both knees after one session in the skating rink? To top up to that, i slipped few times in this one month alone. Is it the icy road or is it just me getting old here? ;p

Snow and Christmas seems very much alike and so Boxing Day. I'm pretty sure you hardcore shoppers in the UK are getting ready to que up as early as 6am in front of Harrods. How i wish to be there too! but yeahh.big boss doesn't seems to be allowing that since i'm in my final year

(where more books are concern!)..i shall probably need to save up from day 1 of houseman-ship to be able to bring my sister for a Boxing Day trip in Paris, perhaps!

By the way, what's so special about the heavy snow in UK? All major airports being closed down and its only -7'C...?Let's just hope that the British will do some 'extraction' of technologies from the Russians on their winter 'issues'. hahaha! We even go to school at -35'C with all the public transports running smoothly. Will be heading on to Moscow next week for a few days during the New Year break...and let's just hope the weather is as mild as possible, and that the winter sale is heaven as it can be! I seriously need this break esp at the midst of doing Gynecology rotation!

Thinks thats that..will update in here more often with more pictures to come! Have a nice weekend everyone :).

Dining and Culture..together.

2010-12-12T21:01:00.006+03:00

When i first heard about the existence of such a thing in Nizhny Novgorod, i really can't wait to venture those new eating places in town. Being someone used to going for weekend high-tea with family back home, it is actually a look- forward- to- event as well.

Good food = good weekend= everything is good :).

It started of with a friend suggesting a place called Bezuhov. Nice interior although food is not that much of a variety. It is still a nice place for latte and some desserts.

Price wise (in scale of 5 = 3.5).

Next is Bufet. A dungeon liked place with delicious russian cuisine. Price wise is superb..5/5!

Where else can you get a moxito (without alcohol) for only 40 Rubles?? Even the berry cake was good. Sorry, couldn't show you guys the proper image of the place since it is really2 small for us to move around snapping pictures.

The Kitchen was our next try. Price wise is errr...quite expansive. I think Dome in KLCC offers a better price tag! Only their coffee was relatively cheaper than any other places that we've been to though. Cheese cake is a must try although it can easily cost you 215 rubles

( RM 21approximately) for a portion. No doubt that the food presentation was beyond amazing!

Ambiance was excellent..somewhat close to being in Nikko Hotel KL.

As for today, we brought ourselves to Moloko ( means 'Milk'). Good food with a-student-like price tag with an interior somewhat close to Full House restaurant in KL. European, Japanese and Russian cuisine all in one roof.

Well, there are still few more places for us to discover...will keep updating on Eda u Kultura!:)

2010-12-07T21:33:00.003+03:00

Ever since our dearest TV3 made some changes to its website, i hardly been watching some tv shows online. Except for my weekly series of Gossip Girl ( well who doesn't!). I'm not really a tv- addict unlike some people i know, who can spend hours watching tv shows ( i rather do some heating to the stove rather than that). Usually, only weekend movie night with roomate and that will do. But today...i found one Indonesian film via YouTube and is really a good one -

The story line is somewhat similar to Ayat-Ayat Cinta, another Indonesian film but it is worth watching. Portraying a heavy context of love in the Islamic way. I like the part where the heroin gives out her 'syarat2' in order to accept a proposal. A lawyer friend of mine once told me that it is a trend nowadays in Malaysia for a woman to get hold of a written do's and don'ts before agreeing on a marriage. Well, i guessed its proven in the hadith since long time ago!

On a different note, i've indulged myself with my first ever ( which so happen to be the latest one in store ;p) Ipod Shuffle 4th generation. A pink one ( as most of you must've expected!:P).

I'll write a review on it when the time comes ( err..one thing is that they don't have a tiny casing hence the pouch! Sayang la if scratch...).Couldn't be more happier since this is my first time having one. Little brother is going Ga Ga on Ipad now while the big sister just got her hands on one very tiny little Ipod.hahaha... well, better late than never!

Oh yes..did i tell you Forensic class is s.c.a.r.y??? Oh dearrr.....

One more week to go till i'm done having to shower everytime i got back from class and being paranoid all day long....

Till then!:)xx

a cup of tea....

2010-12-05T02:00:00.003+03:00

is having a cup of tea. Have you ever tried this one before?

*credit to twinings official website*

Very refreshing! Well, this must probably be the reason why i am still wide awake at this hour of the day.....Sunday is tomorrow..and tomorrow is Sunday.....if only they have weekend high-tea in town....*sigh*.

Diwali and Kebaya..a mixture of traditions :p

2010-11-28T21:42:00.006+03:00

I am sure that some of you already noticed about my passion towards Kebaya outfit. and no, i am not half indonesian whatsoever,answering to some of you who'd asked me many2 times before,seriously. Even though singers like Hetty Koes Endang, Broery and Tetty Kadi are among my favorites. hehehe.

and again..in my kebaya and off for a Diwali celebration organized by the indian student association.

Kebaya top by Uluwatu - http://www.uluwatu.co.id. Simply mix & match with different batik sarong or opt for a modern look by tying up batik pareo ( Noor Arfa / Innai have good selections of pareo!). Done that..did that!:)

Also, i decided to try this simple hair do for the event yesterday. A stuffed-in ponytail!

and last but not least...thank you mr official photographer!:))

next!

2010-11-23T23:43:00.002+03:00

End of surgery rotation with Prof. Zigmantovich. The father of all surgeons in NNSMA.

Next in line is infectious disease rotation. The subject that i sort of hated. Seriously i have issues in trying to remember those tiny winy subjects causing diseases. and where serology is the mainstay of diagnosing. So boring. Lab people..how do you survive??

Temperature's dropping now!! Looking forward for the knee-length snow in few days time!:)

sweet tooth

2010-11-22T00:40:00.003+03:00

Obviously,i am the type of person who greatly enjoy sweet foods. I've always wanted to learn how to bake a cake as early as 5 years old. Family and friends from the east coast will probably remember my cravings for 'jala mas, nek bat' - all eggs containing dessert with only- god- knows how much sugar they've had inside. So again obviously, scouting for good dessert is actually one of my way in spending the weekend.

To my surprise...Tiffani Bar in town has included this Molton Lava Cake in their menu! and it tasted just as good as The Apartment in KL.

Next is my first attempt on a pandan cheesecake for our (pot luck) nasi lemak dinner get together just now. I came across this superb blogspot - http://tiffinbiru.blogspot.com/. For you hardcore bloggers cum recipe hunters ( like me ;p), i'm sure that you are already familiar with Mat Gebu's ( named after the owner ker?).

So here's the recipe taken from http://tiffinbiru.blogspot.com/2009/05/pandan-cheese-cake.html. Easy, fast and tasted brilliant! To Mat Gebu, thank you for your wonderful recipe!My friends and i love it to bits. Maybe i can go out with different flavors as well one day :P

On another hand...my favorite season is finally here!!It's all white outside. Its time to put on my bear paw boots and go sleighing! :)

Pfffttt................hello - 8 ' C toooo !!!

Wished you all had a good weekend wherever you are,too!:)

2010-11-17T00:38:00.003+03:00

Salam aidil adha to all Muslims celebrating.May this year's eid be filled with much happiness and peace, insyaAllah.

Had a good day off today from Prof Zigmantovich after the short weekend (hehe). Missed the eid solat this morning (sigh! was really hoping to go earlier on) simply because was busy being a sleeping beauty myself. Oh dear..what a waste. Got up around 10 ish, get things prepared and there..few of my closest ones sitting together,gluttoning on bowls of laksa johor each.Since its a day off ( a day off from prof ziggy..is like a serious big thing ok!!) a coffee session at the English Pub made our day today. Somewhat a bit tad different from the usual way of spending eid esp in Malaysia :p.

Things has been going on like usual for me,well apart from some sensitive/personal issues that concerns me. I know that at this stage ( read: final year) i'm not supposed to be sparing my time unnecessarily with unnecessary things.hehehe. Not that they're giving any impact in my life later on so why bother but being me, i love to express my feelings.i love to be vocal and i am one seriously very vocal.

It occurs to me that people have different ways in handling things, different way of interpreting things. I'm so aware of that but the point is, i couldn't help but to comment on some things which i consider as ridiculous.

1. The idea of helping/landing other people a hand is to make one's life easier in which ever way that is possible. Clearly, its not about getting credits or hoping for your wall-sized passport picture to be up on Hall of Fame.

2. Being the most calculative and selfish human in the community is so not cool okay. You've no award for that. Maybe we can have one for our Msian Night this coming March.

3. Women nowadays i tell you. With wedding bells ringing everywhere, some are pretty scared for not having a man to marry to. In my opinion, things like marriage are not meant to be rushed.If so, you still have your career to focus on to, then why worry. You (girls, take note please!) no need to go scouting for a man instantly ( especially after you've been dumped from your previous precious ex boyfriend! ) just to tell the world that you've moved on,that you're having the world all to yourself etc etc .....which in actual fact you're nothing but close to hurting yourself even more.

I remembered one saying from William Shakespeare something like ''God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.''

Its all yours to decide whats best!

weekend only for a day...

2010-11-15T00:09:00.004+03:00

...if that is to happen for real...the world is surely not the best place to live after all!!

Surgery posting going on with mr-scary prof, a lot of revising,reading to do, laundry to attend to..kemas itu kemas ini......anddddddddd with the flu & cough i've had for the past entire week

( started antibiotic course already yesterday...), life is sort of hectic. I can't believe seeing i've pile of unfold clothing!! Undoubtedly, doctor = SUPERHUMAN!

All drained out for the week, bff called up for a 15% -off for English breakfast early today. Finally...a bit of leisure :).

Monday is few hours from now,hence the cycle of being busy. I can't imagine being a houseman with lack of sleep,rest ...basically lack of everything that i'm used to! Oh dear..and thats not long from now. It's actually a good training though..(shivers!).

Weather wise, surprisingly it's been really really good these few days. I'm actually in the midst of watching some drama going around me..ha ha ha...grow up people. Let's talk Jimmy Choo or something. There's nothing wrong with doctors playing dress up, no?? ;)

I better get going now since its already late. Journey to the hospital tomorrow will be quite tricky since its the first day of the week...and i just can't afford to be late!

till then...happy Monday blues :)))

2010-11-13T00:01:00.002+03:00

Seriously nothing much lately, apart from being extra busy in surgical rotation ( still..till late November) under Prof Zigmantovich supervision. A typical surgeon, even his look tells you that he's a surgeon and what made him so special? He goes around making phewwww sound whenever one is late for class ( indicating '' you know the exit well'') and telling you things like...''you know what...this is rubbish! What is rubbish in Russian?''- followed by us saying '' мусор''

( pronounced as musor.)

and that very moment ....it alerts me on how my father will always go rubbish here..rubbish there whenever things doesn't seems to be going his way!

*waving to dad*

"_______"

On a different note, its going to be a working saturday today,hence a shorter weekend. With this sub febrile fever and productive cough i'm having right now, all i want is to wrap myself in bed,plus to being pampered with breakfast in bed..such (i know my little sister had that whenever she falls sick!).

In actual fact...one ( read: i ) can only dream. haha.

till i have more updates to update ...cheerios!:)

Deepavali celebration cum long weekend

2010-11-08T12:49:00.009+03:00

As you can see from the above picture, i'm trying out the indian way of wearing the hijab.hehe.

I tell you, these friends are such great cooks. I had filling indian-styled Briyarni rice with chicken..and seriously speaking, the herbs got hold on to my fingertips till late at night! At last that's a substitution to Pelita Nasi Kandar back home :).

Next, we celebrated Ivon's 25th birthday in a cool quite french restaurants in the old town of Nizhny Novgorod. Typical French concept: a baguette sandwich for me..

and here...look at what the girls have been up to! drawing & sketching all over the sheet of paper placed on the table. French people loves to draw hence this concept applied in the restaurant.

All in all, i've had a wonderful long weekend. Well spent with dearest friends and been busy going around town. hahaha! Back to hospital and study schedules for now.

x0x0!

2010-11-05T19:39:00.001+03:00

trying to be a model ,NOT!hehehe.

I'm on a long weekend break since yesterday due to some public holiday in Russia. Just a quick update..will keep posting later.

cheers!

questionnaire for you!

2010-11-02T22:53:00.004+03:00

Here's a situation for you -

Part 1

A person came to you asking for your opinion on a certain matter....and yup, you had your ideas all laid out for her/him. With all the explanation needed, pros and cons altogether.

You will then :

A) wait patiently and let him/her to decide whats best.

B) encouraging him/her to follow what you think is best.again listing out all the pros and cons.

C) enough with the opinions and try not to get involve any further.

D) start to quarrel!

Part 2

Now, pretend that you're the one asking for help. How will you react after a friend of yours generously listing out suggestions in order to help you out?

You will :

A) listen carefully and thank your friend for being there for you.

B) arguing with your friend and say its a total rubbish.

C)pretend to nod hard , as if you're 100% agreeing on your friend's ideas but in real life...you think she/he is a total loser.

D)you're actually letting your friend talking to the wall.

Please do share on what you think, guys!

2010-11-01T23:54:00.004+03:00

So November is here! Time passes by really fast, i couldn't even get hold to whatever i'm up to everyday. Classes till evening/late noon, evening nap ( headaches are my best friend at this time of the year), dinner and my study-table calling. I'll surely be missing my student life soon enough.

We'll be having a very long weekend this week due to Unity Day, meaning another public holiday..yipeee! I'm still thinking on how to spend the short break, well most probably nothing much though since the weather is a bit s0-s0. Sleep..eat...revising...again repeating.LOL;p

On another hand, i'm happy to see that many of my friends are coping well with the working world. Best friend Anne is being super busy (and trying hard not to forget me,as a matter of fact ;p), Afiq & Apit ( the 2 love birds...) are always in meetings all over the country while Adi is probably busy fixing phone cables ( he's a e&e engineer by profession btw) in Cyberjaya. hehehe. Well guys, i'll be joining you guys next year insyallah ( tapi i nak apply jauh2 lah ..meaning no Arrawsyar after my first pay.hahaha..gotta act smart a bit.lol;p ).

On a totally different note, some things are better left unsaid.....!

Halloweenbooohoooo

2010-10-31T23:12:00.011+03:00

After almost 6 years of staying in Nizhny, i finally get to see that the locals do actually acknowledge this thing called H.a.l.l.o.w.e.e.n. More supermarkets and toy shops selling mask and costumes nowadays. Even babushkas (granny) start to sell pumpkins ( as in the whole pumpkin for carving) in the rinok. When i first came (in 2005), i was quite surprise not seeing these Russians dressing up for Halloween ( i remembered dressing up like a big tulip during my St Mungo days for Halloween). They're not like the British, where costume parties on Halloween night is almost always a must.

Our last Halloween as undergrads, we decided on having a wee bit of a dinner party. A potluck style spooky delish dinner including -

fingernails cookies

my spiderweb red velvet cake

pumpkin soup

smiley spaghetti bolognase

and many more!

well, last but not least.....

......

.......

...........

...................

.........................

.................................

..........................................

Booohooo! Happy Halloween!

Feel free to share your Halloween weekend people :).

p/s: Hello Monday! An hour extra for me to spend in bed. Thanks to daylight savings time!

eye make up expert,,anyone?

2010-10-27T23:37:00.005+04:00

Being a newbie in this makeup-field, purchasing a simple cream eyeshadow can somehow enlighten my day! ( its been drizzling all day long, mind you. *holding on to umbrella real tight*.

While most of the make up experts seems to enjoy 'painting' my EXTRA large dark brown eyes

( amoi...you punya mata banyak cantik lo...very big..accentuate the color perfectly etc etc), i myself find it hard to D.I.Y-ing ( if there is such word, excuse me;p)them. Will ended up looking like a hungry panda,aiming for its next victim!

So basically, my point of concerns are:

how should i apply my eyeliner ( top & below) and not looking like having extra eyelids?
brown eyeliner will cause less panda looking, am i right?
Mascara wise, any differences based on the brush shape?i've seen Lancome mascaras with weird looking brush. I honestly can't afford to volumized my lashes in any case!
Applying liquid eyeliner in my case, will the technique be the same? or should i do some adjustment?

Well, suggestions and advices are seriously needed. Comments/FB inbox or email are most welcome.

Thank you in advance!

2010-10-26T23:56:00.002+04:00

To be shared with all of you here is a picture taken during a recent hemihepatectomy surgery

( partial resection of the liver) done on a patient with liver cancer, metastasis from colorectal cancer.

Was being informed by our surgeon that the number of occurrence among us,Asian are somewhat around 16 : 100,000 ( could've been said to be an epidemic in Asia).

Yes, i'm currently under going my surgery posting ( in which i find it quite interesting,after 5 years of med school.lol;p).

It was indeed a very interesting procedure..witnessing the laser cutter penetrating the liver. The liver was so terribly enlarged most probably double the size of the normal ones with many abnormal bulging here and there. Pity man but chances of surviving is much better for him now.

Oh yes and by the way, a tension headache strikes me during the surgical observation. Wasn't even sure what was the cause of it, maybe it's because of long time standing cum hypoxic ( wearing mask so lack of O2 to the brain yadaa yadaa) or maybe its due to hypoglycemic state. Prolonged till late evening and pain killers did nothing. Basically pain subsided after 8 hours solid of sleeping...and the news about Evita Peroni has it's Concept store in Moscow!

p/s: Halloween is coming soon! surprise awaits!

a jazz night out

2010-10-22T23:56:00.006+04:00

So finally its weekend again! time passes by really quick, ehyyy? We had a seminar going on this morning on Pediatric hematology, and so it was the end of our pediatric rotation today. Came back home earlier than usual,browsing the net and thats when i came across this:

A restaurant called Fonoteka

http://fonoteca-nn.ru/

You know what's best?? It reminds me of Alexis! the dessert..the coffee ( i had hot choc with marshmallows since its pretty cold outside) and most importantly is the live music!which so happen to be a jazz performance by 3 handsome Russian men.gagagaga..If only they serve pavlova....*sigh*. Otherwise, food is so-so but it'll be a cool chilling place.

The interior was uniquely designed. A real Russian bar so to say. How i wish i had the chance to snap more pictures but there was no place for me to roam around since it was kinda packed. I'll do that next time since this place is just a distance away from one of the hospital. hehehe.strategic gile please!:p

Last but not least is my favorite part among all -a baby grand on the ceiling!Have a happy jolly good weekend friends!:)

my old time favorite-a generation gap?

2010-10-22T01:49:00.001+04:00

Being someone in the early 20's ( or should i say in my mid-2o's??) , i keep on getting funny remarks on my liking towards the oldies. I mean..hey...its oldies...those people were the ones with such REAL songs. Songs were much more meaningful back then and look at how they appear on tv shows!hahahaha..definitely nothing close to our local artist nowadays.

Honestly, akademi fantasia should stop getting overboard with their costumes and all. After all its the quality that counts! LOL;p

and Mary McGregor is definitely a favorite!

happy 20/10/2010

2010-10-20T20:49:00.003+04:00

So here once again, a very unique day for us to remember.its 20102010.

Wedding bells, anniversaries, birthdays perhaps are much more remarkable on such a wonderful day. Whatever that you're up to today, i'm sure it has been filled with much unforgettable memoirs :).

Well...but well...today is just like any other day for me. Nothing special ( well maybe i managed to slot in some space for a movie just now..*medical student can be so boring,i know!)..so i decided to make something nice for dinner tonight - a 5 minute chocolate cake.

A quick share ( i'm sure you've seen this similar recipes from many other bloggers too):

4 tbs flour

4 tbs sugar

1 tbs cocoa powder

2 tbs of whisked egg

3 tbs of milk

3 tbs of vegetable oil

some choc chips

few drops of vanilla essence ( for those in Russia, can get it substituted with vanilla sugar)

*mix them all in a medium size coffee mug..(those ikea/Luminarc mug will do fine)

*for us with Russian microwave directory, select средняя ( medium) heat. for solid 5 minutes!

For best result, top it up with Baskin Robbins Praline & Cream ice cream or melt some milk chocolates and pour it over.

Your perfect 5 minutes dessert is ready!

Original recipe taken from http://www.instructables.com/id/5-minute-Chocolate-Cake/

a fruit lover

2010-10-19T01:43:00.007+04:00

Weekend visit to our district rinok ( read: market) is actually a must and thats simply because i'm a fruit lover!

*pictures taken about 2 weeks ago where the weather is still at its best.*

Look at the melons!! I honestly think that the ones here are juicer and is perfectly perfect as compared to our ones in KL. Is there any geographically significance innit? How about the ones in the UK or other European countries? The ones here are so much bigger (say 7-8kg in average) and i rather not being seen carrying it home!

The only setback-> melon season is about to end ( you'll get them best from august till end of september) and is actually my last one in Russia!

( NB: i'll go scouting for melons in chow kit road instead, just to get THE feeling.lol;p).

Not to forget the tiny seedless grapes ( the locals named it as Kish-Mish)..

Was at the market few days ago and.....

baby tomatoes!something like cherry tomatoes but not quite. cousins probably?:)

and now that the air is getting colder and the sky is becoming gloomier day by day, hello frozen veges and errr...expect a price increment in all the veges and fruit products from now on!

roast beef, anyone?

2010-10-17T16:48:00.005+04:00

*had this done sometime around last week,but i was pretty tied up hence the delay.well anyways..;)*

Getting halal beef in Russia (read: Nizhny) is quite tricky.Hard to find and rather expensive. Since a friend asked me to tag along to Metro (where its membership card is a concern), i tried my luck, looking for halal meats and poultries. You've guessed it right alright...its roast beef time!

I went online, searching for some easy recipes ( more to our Asian liking so to say) and here's a good one from http://www.proudduck.com/2009/10/moms-roast-beef in which i amended some of the ingredients, like adding on some oregano,allspice and parsley onto the marinate.

Served with some steamed broccoli (in my case, i love to add some butter and sprinkled brown sugar just before serving) and potatoes of your liking.

Well, maybe its not something close to Meatworks or Tony Romas but its definitely worth a try!:)

p/s: thanks Vivy for the wonderful recipe!:)

New home...welcome everyone!

2010-10-17T01:52:00.002+04:00

Welcome..welcome..to my new (old) blog home.hehehe.

*chicken dance...*

will do some updating tomorrow perhaps.Happy Sunday everyone:)

thanks Google for the chicken dance up there.

little India and some belly dancing

2010-10-10T12:09:00.009+04:00

Another great weekend during the autumn season! Weather is perfect with the sunlight and temperature settings around +12'c. Living abroad especially in Russia...having a perfect weather( esp on a supposed-to-be gloomy autumn) is such a blessing, really!

It is like as if planned, there was this little India fest in town, from now till October 17th at the city's Yarmarka- a huge place where they set in trade fairs. A place that i have not been to during my years of staying in this gorod ( means city).

Back to the Indian fest, it was actually quite a thing.To be honest, i wouldn't have expected to see pretty pashminas and shawls sold at such low prices. The Russians went all out,stocking up their shawls collection since winter is now approaching. We even saw the locals buying teak coffee tables, chairs etc etc and not to forget curry powder and spices. Surprisingly, no one that i saw bought an elephant there..hehehe!

Followed by a camwhoring session

Finally, we wrapped up the day with a nice Uzbekistani dinner later at night.

So, kebab anyone???

its been a while!

2010-10-06T08:30:00.006+04:00

..yup since i last had my blog posted. Oh my..October is already here. Hello October!

I was being quite on the run for the past one week, despite having a light rotation- Occupational diseases. Now, i'm back to my usual routine with medicine rotation. More busy! Can't wait for the weekend to come. Somehow Friday night is simply not just like any other..where i can go puking with movies and dozing off the entire night till god knows when. And for the fact that i have only about 8 months to go to cherish this student life of mine, i better do!

On the other hand, life is good. Am now having the time of my life as a final year student. Good friends good food everything is on its place. The room is spacious tidy and odour-free and the nicest thing in life is to live with someone not as pain. Staying with a junior 4 years younger is actually not a bad idea at all. at least i am very sure she wouldn't let me walk around to Raya open houses in such a disaster fashion manner. ha ha ha. long 'kebaya' with jeans...You gotta be kidding, woman!

but one thing for sure: I think i might need a kitten. i mean another one since Luvie is now at home. Its veryyyyyyyyy weird not having her by the door welcoming us back from a long tiring day! Oh myyyyyyyy...

treasure the Baltic during winter??

2010-09-27T23:15:00.003+04:00

I came across this map from www.tralfagar.com and http://www.luxexpress.eu offering best connections within the Baltic. Since this is going to be our final year experiencing the REAL winter..might wanna give this a try. like seriously -30'c...!

we shall see.....

sneak peak Autumn.

2010-09-27T01:48:00.012+04:00

* dinner with friends*

* first try on red velvet cake!:)*

*6th year students photoshoot*

*Moon cake festival*

my 6th year and my last one in Russia...

2010-09-18T17:34:00.006+04:00

As much as i want it to be in Malaysia with family & friends, i am somehow sure that i'll be missing this moment celebrating it abroad with dear friends.

a tea lover

2010-09-12T17:07:00.008+04:00

Being a tea lover myself, i finally get to enjoy the REAL jasmine tea at home! Apart from it being a good source of detoxification, its light fragrances is just hard to resist. Soothing and very calming. Together with the jasmine scented aromatherapy oil..just the way i would've wanted to spend my Saturday night with ( together with my endless medical books, of course ;p)

to fellow nizhnians, you're most welcome to come and 'beraya' and i surely serve you the tea.:).

Salam perantauan:)

2010-09-09T23:50:00.002+04:00

was indeed a simple but meaningful Aidilfitri:)

from kl to nizhny and now it's Eid Mubarak

2010-09-09T00:22:00.005+04:00

I'm back writing again and is currently safe & sound in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Smooth journey all the way alhamdulillah, i am now back on track. Some of my closest friends came to send me off at the airport for the last time till i'm back for good next year, insyaallah.

Well, basically i got back here just in time for us Muslims to celebrate our Eid!Wishing everyone a wonderful Eid, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri..maaf zahir & batin:)

p/s: sort of looking forward to having my last Eid in Russia!lol;p

pampering day today

2010-09-01T11:53:00.009+04:00

I'll be flying back to reality on this coming weekend thus i am now on the go, going around with my last minute shopping list. Since mom's birthday is coming soon (had one whole pavlova booked as her birthday cake.yipeee!), she's been getting some birthday vouchers from various dept store. They are somehow *cough* are fully transferable..so i got myself to indulge in some pampering today:)

Was entitled to a complete over-the-counter facial. I love the black mask there...made me look so o-tai like that.Lol;p

Was my next stop. Instead of a quick touch-up, i was given a complete make over!Thank you

EL for the tip-top service especially to their senior makeup specialist and also beauty advisors in Parkson KLCC. Not just a plain make over, they even taught me on how to apply make up accordingly especially the eye make up ( i 'm almost zero there to begin with!)

Last but not least, made my way to Delicious at Duo Residence to pack these angels..the red valvet cake. To http://www.thepinkstilettos.blogspot.com/( k.iza), hehee...thank you for your awesome recommendation.:)

a weeeeeeeeeeeeek to gooooooooooo!

2010-08-28T12:25:00.003+04:00

a week to go till my flight back to the reality. one of my most precious week that is!

well, i'm keeping my fingers crossed, hoping for a better life,less heartaches, being more studious than ever before and so many other goood values in me ( i.e: LESS DRAMA)...on my last year of medical school!

Yes..my last year of being an undergrad!

grrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnn. "___"

pic: gourmet beef pie from Dome.lovely!

If it isn't because of Ramadhan Qareem, i'll be enjoying my tea time now in Dome with its fresh baked scones and butter. Doesn't matter really...still can go right after the terawih prayer.hehe. Well..that reminds me on that CPK red valvet cake i've been longing for ages. or in other words...can someone go get it for me?i'm just too lazy to you know..pick

up the phone and call them up just for the sake of a piece of cake! nak..tapi malas!hmmmmmmm.

Family gathering cum Pre- Aidilfitiri.

2010-08-23T06:58:00.008+04:00

Its been years since i get to be in our annual family gathering, i mean from my father's side. It is actually one big family and being one of the eldest grandchildren on both sides, its wonderful to see how the little cousins grow up. Time flies like magic, seriously. Suddenly i feel so like a grown up!

Two of my dad's sisters couldn't get to join us that evening since they're staying miles away, nevertheless we've had quite a big crowd at home. Mom was definitely the head chef cooking all those fantabulous dishes like' soto ayam' and many many more! (err okay i'm hungry now even by typing the word d-i-s-h-e-s).

The best part was, my dad and i went all out by having some oil lamps in our garden. So like a pre-Aidilfitri celebration, for the fact that i'll not be able to celebrate them in Malaysia ( again. for 5 consecutive years, man!). Big kids small kids had their fun by playing games in the garden till very late at night,which includes trying to put off the oil lamp!

Few more weeks left for us to enjoy the Ramadhan and for me to enjoy Malaysia.

Off to Jb for a few days:)

balik kampung ohooo...

2010-08-20T07:25:00.004+04:00

Another pre-hari raya for me this year. Went back to Terengganu for 3 days to see the family and of course...'jalan2 cari makan':). Having one of the dearest aunty in KT is totally awesome especially after allowing me to enjoy nekbat at 2AM in the morning! Oh my summer holidays.

Stayed for a night in Ri-Yaz Heritage ( i love this place.no hang on..everyone loves this place!). Called Aimi my junior back in SSP to come and spend the night together..so it was us 3..having a jolly good time.. reminiscing the old memories back in school. Apart from that, each and everyone of us turned into a big dancing 'ular sawa' after an enjoyable Ramadhan buffet by the marina. Love the breeze love it love it love it.

On a different note, i'm going head over heels on my new charm bracelet! A simple one and is actually the smallest one available (thank you small wrist!)..all i need now is that tiny baby blue shopping bag charm i've been hoping for for ages.hehe.

Ramadhan Qareem

2010-08-14T21:26:00.003+04:00

Catching up with the girls at Felda Villa Restaurant. Had a jolly good time together and of course, it comes along with good food as well.:)

How's your Ramadhan so far? Keep well and eat well :)

all around KL

2010-08-11T07:55:00.010+04:00

1. I was appointed as the front desk girl (hahaha...macam lah get paid for the post;p) at my parents annual UKM alumni dinner in PWTC. Although it was merely a 5minutes drive from our home, we decided to spend the night in Seri Pacific Hotel ( you know..ladies need hourssss to get ready to functions!). It was indeed a memorable night for them especially for the 1985 batch. Half of them are medical school lecturers and deans, not to mention the HODs from various hospitals scattered all over Malaysia. * bitting nails*.

2.Stayed in Renaissance KL for the night with my sister, right on the following day. As usual, followed by our weekend hi-tea before we checked out. I personally think Temptation Restaurant offers better buffet than the other one. Following the picture below, mom was curious..'' tak muak ke makan strawberries? dekat sana mkn..sini pun mkn.banyak pulak tu!'' lol;p 3. Farid's parents came down to KL for the weekend. It was a pleasure meeting and bringing them around, window shopping in KL and of course, Pavlova hunting in Alexis. Joined them for breakfast in Royal Chulan and again, jalan2 KL before their flight back to Kota Baru. We even managed to catch a movie together ( which was actually my 2nd movie ever since i got back in July!poor thing.), the Sorcerer's Apprentice. A good movie i must say!*Nicholas Cage...wink.*

4. My BFF from SSP came by on Sunday for a quick dinner ( prepared by nobody else but myself!). Its been 2 years since we last meet up with each other but thank you Facebook for keeping us in touch really well. Based in USM Penang now..i hope i'll get to meet her more often by the time im done with studies.

Last but not least, wishing all Happy Ramadhan and stay healthy in this holly month!:)

Some stuff during the holidays.

2010-08-04T07:21:00.008+04:00

*pictures updated*

1.Luvie is coping fine with our Malaysian weather and just like any of us, she will lay flat and dozing off to sleep when the air-cond is being switched on. Somehow she likes to play on my sister's ( the snob) bed.:)

2. I made my mom ran after the 'mamak roti' just to get SUPER RING but i managed to get a bigger packet (with small ones inside) at Carrefour. hahaha. All time favourite. If you're to tell me about the coloring , MSG etc etc...you are definitely talking to my hand.LOL;p

3. I went back to hometown JB last weekend with my 2 cousins. JB is all about food.hahaa.Went to a friend's engagement there since i know i would not be able to make it to her wedding day in October! To Dyla dearest..may happiness be with you always! The BFF ( okay Isma..you read it.that's you there i'm refering to.lol;p) came very early in the morning before i depart to KL..just to bring me out for breakfast:). Cikgu Isma is such a doll! ''Selamat Pagi Cikgu.''
HA HA HA!

4. Did another hairdo yesterday! No..i tak 3G sape2 during the entire time. That is just so L.A.M.E.

On a different note,i'll be having a very busy weekend this week. Mom and dad has their annual alumni thing going in PWTC (and they like always drag me into it too). Will update on that also if time permits.

Cheers!

nasi padang and makan2 in Jakarta

2010-07-26T10:21:00.005+04:00

Another thing i heart about Indonesia is their food. Indonesian cuisine like Sundanese, Nasi Padang and such is definitely a must try. Being a big eater myself, i've been to plenty of these Indonesian cuisine dine-out here in KL and i can say that i love them. Puti Bungsu in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng,Wong Solo in Kampung Baru, Sari Ratu ....just to name a few.

My happy stomach was filled with good food during the trip. It was however aisyah and farid's first try on nasi padang. and they love it too although they were both keeping quiet with their jaw wide open, when the waiters brought in the dishes and presented them on the table. Well, thats how they do it in a nasi padang restaurant. So-called their food presentation.:p

So basically if you're wondering, this nasi padang is really not much of a difference as compared to our local nasi campur ( also served with steamed rice). Just that the dishes ( lauk-pauk) is a bit different. Things like Dendeng Balado, Ayam pop, Ayam penyet, Sambal Hijau are among the favorites. Why not give it a try? Really..a.must.try!:)

Besides nasi padang, i also tried this very interesting dishes called Nasi Ambel. The rice is stuffed in that green banana leave and served with beef and some salad ( ulam with air asam). Absolutely delicious.

In case if you're wondering, what's for dessert or ' budak kecik ni makan tak tahu nak minum air ke?' ( doesn't this little fella knows how to drink instead of stuffing herself with food?)..

Try Es-Teller! Indonesian most famous air-batu-campur ( ABC). Shaved ice served with jackfruit and colorful syrups.

Why wait?Find your way to the nearest nasi padang restaurant in town!:)

Taman Sari Spa, Jakarta.

2010-07-22T21:23:00.009+04:00

A visit to an Indonesian Spa was actually my MAIN point of coming to Jakarta. Apart from shopping for great kebaya materials that is. After some surfing and browsing the internet, getting reviews and suggestions from fellow friends, i decided to try Taman Sari Spa, located along Jln.Sudirman ( just a short 5 minute drive from Plaza Indonesia).

Definitely a 5 star Spa.

I insisted on trying out their 2-hours Javanese traditional Spa Package. For just 400,000 Rp, it was trully worth it! It was actually my first time trying out a full body treatment like this and i surely will come back again.Surely.Definitely. Started with a full body massage, then the body scrub and body mask. One thing for sure, you're entitled to use their jacuzzi and swimming pool for free! Sorry guys, i should've snapped Farid's picture swimming in a javanese batik short pants! :O

I then had my hair cut there at the Spa by a local hairdresser. She made me look like a westernized-Indonesian lady and i think i look quite decent in that.hahaha.

I obviously recommend this place for you who'll be visiting Jakarta. Appointment is advisable especially if you're running out of time/just for a short visit in the city. You might have to wait for some time till you'll be called in, but overall service is good. They have the jacuzzi for you to kill the time after all.

Oh yes, in case you're wondering, they're using Mustika Ratu products in all their services here including their shampoo. I even had my hair smell like those typical 'jamu' *herbs* till the day i arrived back in KL ! :)

Jakarta for the weekend.

2010-07-19T20:26:00.007+04:00

It was a super long planned-ahead weekend vacation. Simply because of that Air Asia Promo..RM 25 for a round trip to Jakarta! Yes..its RM25!! Initially it was only us 3- me, farid and aisyah on the trip but as expected, mom and dad booked theirs as well.

Arrived Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Friday morning. Since dad decided to just hit-and-crash the hotel booth at the arrival hall, no reservation was done before hand. Was hoping to get one unit in the Ascott, turned out to be there was no room available!Apparently there was a 'pameran' in town hence the fully booked. Ascott N/A, Nikko Hotel N/A, Le Meridien N/A. Finally we settled for Aston Rasuna Serviced Apartment.

My personal review for this place:

Service: slow!
Cleanliness: lousy to satisfactory
Breakfast: good
Location: 10-15 minutes from town if no 'macet' ( bad traffic)
Room: 3 star.

So if you're planning to stay in Aston Rasuna,i suggest you to book their online rate. Way cheaper than walk in rate and it is meant for their 3 star condition. Anyhow it was just a short stay, so i wouldn't want to complain much ( mom went koo-koo with this place!haha).

Basically, it was just a short shopping trip! Thanks so much Ratih and k.Tasha for the travel guides! We went to Mayestik for great kebaya materials ( need them for Raya and my graduation) and i love them to bits! If only we have enough time, i would've made my way to Ratih's family tailor, Tante Nana. But then again, i managed to get a wonderful indonesian kebaya sketch from one of their designer in Mayestic itself. Now what i need is a tailor in KL that can made my kebaya with the bustier together. Do share with me if you guys know any!:)

Will continue my 'coretan' for this weekend breakaway soon. the internet is being a pest now!

till then:)

You might wanna bring your cat/kitten back home?here goes!

2010-07-13T22:43:00.002+04:00

I received a note from aidanarina.blogspot.com/ ( hello Aida!:))..asking for the procedures on bringing Luvie, my cat to Malaysia recently. Really its kinda easy, provided you have all the documents and time sorted out.

Step 1. Thorough medical check up and Rabies vaccination. This vaccination is valid for a year from the day the cat got it done. You will get the international passport with this step 1.

Step 2. Compulsory to get it microchip-ed. It does not cost a bomb, probably around RM100 the most.

Step 3. With all the documents documented in the passport, get it scanned and please download a FORM A from the jabatan haiwan malaysia website. Fill in the form. Email all these details to your relative/friend in Malaysia, the one who will be going on your behalf to the jabatan haiwan to obtain the Import Permit.

Now, the import permit part is quite tricky. My first application was rejected by the jabatan haiwan in Wisma Tani Putrajaya. Reason being: They need a HEALTH CERTIFICATE from an authorized government veterinary clinic, to state that the so and so cat is healthy and fit to travel.

( this is Step 4 in case you don't have a health cert for your cat. )

As of Russia, the health cert needed for Step 3 will only be issued 3 days before you arrival date in KLIA. In my case, i had to call the veterinary doctor in Putrajaya, followed by few emails to convince them that that's the Russian regulation for animal exportation.

Finally they agreed and with the help of one kind doctor in Jab.Haiwan Putrajaya, she released my Import Permit just on time.

Step 5. Make sure you email all the details- the passport with all its content being scanned clearly to your chosen airline company. They normally need at least 72 hours to confirm your booking for your cat. The cat can either go in as a hand carry (into the cabin with you) or into the cargo. As for now, the only airline that i know which is able to carry pets on board is Thai Airways.

Also, email them about the breed of your cat together with the weight (INCLUDING the carrier and the cat itself). They will charge according to the excess luggage tariff.

Step 6. Please make sure that you have the very last document ready- the health certificate that is valid for only 3 days upon arrival.

Step 7. Be ready at the airport earlier than usual. You need to go to the airport veterinary counter for them to do some last minute check up on your cat. ( was very easy in Moscow,Domodedovo Airport).

As for the quarantine, some countries might need them, some might not. Please email me if you have any further question and i can help you to get in touch with the nice lady vet in Putrajaya main office.

Well, hope this helps.:)

A night in Impiana and Ratih's wedding reception.

2010-07-11T19:25:00.009+04:00

1. Checked-in Impiana KLCC Hotel & Spa for a night, with darling sister. Yes, its 10 minutes away from home:). Cuti-cuti Kuala Lumpur! Had my first high tea the very next day (today). Another food heaven! I bet you can't get that one anywhere else. Malaysia, i love you!

2. Attended a blogger friend, Ratih Sulastri's( butterscotch85.blogspot.com/) wedding reception in PJ Hilton. Oh my, she was beautifully dressed and groomed by Lynda Rahim the designer. I met few other bloggers whom i managed to recognize- snowiffy.blogspot.com/ and dryaya.blogspot.com/. Beautiful ladies, such a pleasure meeting you both. K. Yanie, we should've snap a picture together. Well, maybe next time.:)

More pictures like always..in my FB album.

To Ratih and Haimi...Have a wonderful life ahead and be happy always!!:)

""_""

2010-07-06T21:26:00.002+04:00

Food galore!Picture taken by Anne. Yup after 3 years Anneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee OMGGGGGGG.reunited!!!!Eh Anne..u forgot to take your own picture lah! nemind.tomorrow k!

I like your new Honda Jazz. Pick me up more often babe!:)

It is sooooooooooo good to be back home!Family Friends Food. The 3F.

Like always, Jalan Damai is my favorite hang out place, well this time in Andalus.Another middle eastern restaurant. Lamb kebab and mango juice... pleasurable!And yes..the Barbican drink.

Another thing about being back here is that, i get to finally meet up with my friends!I've a lot of meeting up to do with family and friends. Did i mention food as well??lol.

Most important is the surroundings. I don't have to face those hatred around. Life is so much wonderful and meaningful. No dengki here..dengki there. Dendam here and there.

Oh yes..did i tell you little brother can now (safely) drive me around? No more valet parking!

Green green grass of home!

2010-07-05T14:51:00.002+04:00

I am finally HOME!

1. roti pisang upon arrival @ Pelita Nasi Kandar Jln Ampang - c.h.e.c.k

2. teh tarik with ice in OLDTOWN - c.h.e.c.k

3. Nasi Lemak Kg.Baru - c.h.e.c.k

Life is great for now!:)

Hello UAE

2010-07-04T08:21:00.003+04:00

Yes..yes..i'm finally in Dubai, waiting for my flight to Kuala Lumpur. Oh so good to be saying it out loud...Kuala Lumpur!

Had a miserable day in Moscow Airport ( Domodedovo) during the check in.

1. The line was terribly long, filled with students dari negara yg macam2 warna ( get it?get it?) with weird behavior! They made EK looks so much worst than Air Asia or any other budget airline one would've known.

2. Ground staff is another thing. Seriously EK has got to do something about their ground stewardess in Moscow. Definitely does not represent the world first star airline ( or whatever you wanna call it).

Anyhow, flight was on time. Food was great. I sat next to 2 Russian men who'd been treating me like a 5 year old kiddo travelling alone like that. hehe:).

As for now, i'm waiting (again,patiently) for my flight to Kuala Lumpur! Another 7 more hours to go till i'm back in the motherland. Yipee!

oh yes, did i tell you that this entire Blogger thing changed into JAWI the moment i had my lappy switched on? I don't even know which one is the log in button and end up pressing whatever there is on top there. hahaha.

ermmm...i actually failed my Arab paper during my primary years. Oh well...

but this Arab women...Gorgeous!

Hello from Moscow!

2010-07-03T18:03:00.002+04:00

Was indeed a very long journey! I am now waiting patiently till the check in desk is open.3 more hours to go!pheuuuw. In case you're asking whether i'm alone, unaccompanied? Partially. Farid is sleeping on the bench nearby. Oh my..poor guy had to carry my heavy bags from the start!

takpe..tomorrow nasi lemak kg.baru!:)

So far the journey was smooth,alhamdulillah. I'm now munching on packs of Wanner Nougat Wafer i had left from my winter trip to Vienna, Austria. Had our brunch- stir fried macaroni in the train. We're good till now, and for the fact that i really hated having to go to to the toilets during the long haul flight.

I'll update once i'm in Dubai perhaps. Have some shopping to do there. Please.I need SALE!

leaving on a jet plane

2010-07-02T11:19:00.002+04:00

Well, that's me shortly after taking my visa to go back home!weeeeeeeee...

View from our famous Chkalov staircase in Minina.

My pineapple ice cream was nice!

My flight back home is gonna be like t.o.m.o.r.r.o.w! Guessed this will be my last post before i depart home.

oh la la la...

nasi lemak kg.baru...i can sense you right from where i'm sitting now!! ngehehehe.....

happy holidays everybody!:)

2 birthdays today!

2010-06-30T16:47:00.003+04:00

2 BFF celebrating their 24th birthday today!!:)

Afiq Redza and Isma Azilah...Happy Happy Birthday!

Afiq being nobody else but himself, trying hard to make me jealous by calling Anne and Adi for some Nasi Lemak @ Tanglin. If you're planning to abandon me, Youn..i shall go to Chow Kit pasar the 1st thing on Monday morning, wearing your HRC tshirt. ngahahaha. try me.

Isma..My JB mate! Can't wait to go ronda2 JB..with you, my living GPS:)

See you guys soon!

home soon!

2010-06-28T15:57:00.002+04:00

1. My kitty cat luvie is now safe and sound in Malaysia! Everything went well at the airport ( both Moscow and KLIA). I hope my sister Geena will not be a bully. You geena...stop staring at her tail!

2. I'll be in Malaysia pretty soon! Get readyyyyyyyyyyy...i'm food-deprived! I need bowls of Assam Laksa..Cincau drink...that Kelantan shop near Kg.Baru...hermm what else??oh i've listsssssssssssssss going on in my mind!

3. I dont like the packing part. Mama..meh la tolong!

4. Looking forward to Jakarta, babeh!!:)

they issued my cat an e-ticket!hahaha.

2010-06-23T12:34:00.001+04:00

You cat is confirmed! Please see it below.

BQNFAZ * ETKT *

HDQ 1B RM 0215Z/4MAY

1. 1SITINURAISYAH/MOHDTHAZALIMS

1 TG 975 M FR25JUN DMEBKK HK1 1825 0630 *1 E

2 TG 415 M SA26JUN BKKKUL HK1 0905 1215 E

TKT- T/E2173603852184

G-FAXSSRPETCTGHK1DMEBKK0975M25JUN.ONE SIBERIAN CAT/4KGD/50X35X30

SSRPETCTGHK1BKKKUL0415M26JUN.ONE SIBERIAN CAT/4KGD/50X35X30CM

*** Please note all fares are not guaranteed unless ticket issued at time of quotation ***

*** Please be informed working hours from Monday to Thursday from 09.00 to 1 8.00, on Friday from 09.00 to 1 7.00 ***

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Welcome home, Luvie!!!:)

Father's Day..Happy!

2010-06-20T00:28:00.002+04:00

I simply like this picture. So him. hahaha!

Happy Father's Day big boss. I'm coming home soon. I am so food-deprived..so please make up some space to accompany this eating machine later.

I shall make up to you with a very nice carrot cake with cream cheese topping later. Just like your favorite one from Nikko/Le Meridien ( it may be not exactly..exactly but we shall see!).

xoxo,

Nanotte.

delicious!

2010-06-18T17:16:00.005+04:00

From top to bottom:

1. Montorgueil PM

2.Neverfull Ebene Damier MM

3.Gucci Craft

4. Sukey..OH my..i want this one!

ok Ma..here are some of them in mind. Chanel tu graduation present tahun depan. HA HA HA.

*had those pic taken from Gucci.com and google.*

heartiest congratulations...!

2010-06-12T13:45:00.005+04:00

To my dearest sisters of Seri Puteri...Congratulations! :)

My college sister, Dr Zatil Amali. Another College sister, k. Nadira Mustafa and my batch mate cum 'satu kampung in Terengganu', Ms Arifah Radhiah.:)

Sorry for having to turn down all of the invitations! Will see you guys soon:).

an apple a day keeps the doctor away!

2010-06-08T12:33:00.004+04:00

The moment i flip on my hematology set of exam questions...i'm clueless!

Went panicking for a while..only to find out that there's no such precise answers ( i'm talking about some differential diagnosis here..) in the text book. So i decided to try on searching in the net. Maybe some e-book will help.

This website here http://pmj.bmj.com/ helps me out!

Okay..what i'm trying to say is that....maybe....this is such a necessity after all:

I hope dear boss gets the hinting laaaaa.....:)