Im just me,simply me ...: February 2010

Wednesday, 17 February 2010

Elektrichka-АЛЁНА АПИНА-ЭЛЕКТРИЧКА

YouTube - АЛЁНА АПИНА-ЭЛЕКТРИЧКА

I always have a song for every event that happen in my life.This one is one of those.This is one of my first Russian songs during my prep course here.I came to know it through my Russian Language teacher.She lend me her cassette so that we can listen and then choose what song we like to present it during one of the "prazdnik" day.

This song immediately caught my ears.I like it so much.But at that time i didnt understand the meaning yet.I tried to find out but since im still bad in Russian and she was not able to explain it in good english,it just stopped there.

And when i finally realised that i will soon leave this place,i tried to look back behind through all those years...trying hard to find anything that i like.After some time i found this song in my mental box sealed 'unforgettable memories'.

P/S: i wish u happiness wherever u are.And may u find a way to let His Light shines into your heart.Ameen...

Smile

If this song was in malay im sure it would be one of mom's favourites.Mom just loves songs.She said that it is the best remedy for her.When she is sad she'll hum a melody,when she's in a good mood she'll sing.I once sang with her "getaran jiwa".Just the two of us.

Well,this song is one of my favourites.I like it because of the lyrics.It is simple yet it can entertain me whenever im down.It's called "smile".During my teen years mom keep saying to me you have to smile a little bit in front of people.Or else they'll start to think u dont like them.Well u know i have a problem with that.Seriously.For one thing ive long realised that i have a face which is not made for smiles.Once early in the morning i was waiting for a bus to go to class.Then suddenly came a babushka(grandma) and greeted me.She said u r pretty but u have to smile(what has smiles got to do with being pretty?i dont get it!).U look so sad.Then i said to her im not sad.This is how i always look like,and flashed her a sweet smile.She was satisfied and went away.

U see old people always have a peaceful heart,nothing violent,nothing brutal,nothing opressive.They are just like those white roses early in the morning,u know the kind which has drops of dew on them.Calming.But i guess living in this world,in Russia specifically where people are arrogant,snobbish,harsh and always look down upon u,my face is perfect for it.........

Smile eventhough your heart is aching
Smile eventhough it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky,u'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
U'll see the sun come shining through for u

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear maybe ever so near
That's the time u must keep on trying
Smile,what's the use of crying
U'll find that life is still worthwhile
If u just smile

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear maybe ever so near

That's the time u must keep on trying
Smile,what's the use of crying
U'll find that life is stil worht while if u just smile

YouTube - Smile-Madeleine Peyroux

Tuesday, 16 February 2010

The story behind this samosa

I guess everyone knows what samosa is and must have tasted it countless of times b4.Yes this one is just like millions of samosas out there,but hold it!! It has a touching story behind it....

Here in Volgograd halal meat is scarce let alone cooked halal food so whenever somebody sells food in hour hostel it will be sold out in less than an hour.Pitiful hungry kids we are!

One evening i was feeling sooo hungry.I didnt cook that day and all this is due to the cold weather.It made me want to curl up inside my blanket and hibernate forever. But my phisiology needs suddenly decided to go against my laziness system and forced me to wake up and go to the kitchen to prepare something.Alas,there was nothing at all!Due to my laziness all that was left is just...a half-used butter.No milk,no noodles,nothing.Absolutely nothing!

Then i heard a friend of mine asking out loud for samosa orders and i immediately gave my name.

While i was munching it,another friend of mine said that this samosa was made by a widow.Her husband......died?.....lost? we are not very sure bout that.She lives with her 13 year old daughter,the one who sent the samosas to our hostel.She is very poor.Not enough money for food?maybe.........not enough money to give her daughter a proper education?maybe...I looked at the samosa in my hand for a long time and my thoughts wonder.....Thank u Lord,for everything that i have

Food here in Volgograd

Here are some of the food available in Volgograd specifically somewhere around 20-30 km from the hostel where i stay.Usually we buy them from the 'kulinariya' behind uni,'superman' at the 'sentralni rinok' or in 'okey'..and also in minimax which is the closest shop among all.its just 5 min walk from hiroshima(the hostel where i stay)

This is greek salad,one of my fav.But i guess u could find it anywhere in the world.Basically its a mixture of vegies-cucumbers,capsicums,salad leafs,tomatoes,olives and of course the cottage cheese(my fav).But here they add 'ukrop' a kind of herb which has a distinctive smell.It took me quite a while to get used to it

And this one is called "mintai pod marinadom".Mintai is a kind of fish.It's not really my fav coz the taste is very...it is tastless actually.More like dull and unfriendly taste.I dont say i hate it but if given a choice i'd rather have "skumbrya".It's much better.Oh, "mintai pod marinadom" can be translated as marinated mintai.The fish is first fried.Then the top is layered with grated carrots fried with onions,tomato paste and some herbs.It taste fine to my hungry tummy

Oh and this one was yesterday's lunch.It was milk with 2.5% of fat(yes here as for milk we can choose the fat contents.They range from 0.5%-6% The bigger the number the more expensive it gets.But i guess in Malaysia it's the other way around.The less fat it has the more expensive it gets.),Lay's chips crab flavour(after checking the contents to my surprise it has nothing whatsoever to do with crab!Just FISH oil),and Esmeralda biscuits

Yes this is Esmeralda biscuits which is only available in minimax so far.The aunty after taking it out from the cupboard turn to me with a smile and said "bez etogo studenti nikuda! 33rublei" I took the money from my purse flashed her a smile and said "spasibo"
Notes:this is one of the malaysian students' favourite food here in Volgograd.And the aunty said u guys are nothing without it...which is kinda true? =(

Monday, 15 February 2010

My summer sem started with infection cycle.Its the furthest of all the hospitals where i have my classes so far.Takes about one and a half hour from hiroshima hostel.But the location is comprehendable since it is infection hospital thus needs to be isolated far away from the population.And i dont know why but it's extra cold there.Freezing cold!

And a few weeks ago my sis asked me to take some pictures of snow for her but i with my usual self delayed it till the end of winter.Then i regreted not doing it earlier.But to my surprise it snowed today! Thanx a million Lord!

So today i woke up early(so that when i do my shots with snow there'd be no one to give me those strange looks.Russians always give me strange looks.....)

So by 6.50am im already outside with my small nikon cam and headed off to class.And these are some of the pictures i took on my way

This is Lavrovaya mosque.It is situated in Kirovski district where i have my classes.It's still under constructions.Donations have been handed in but still its not enough.Hopefully it will be completed b4 i graduate so that i can go there at least once to pray.Notes:this will be the first proper mosque in volgograd

me on the way to class

this is the distance i have to go through to get there....i wonder where the water comes from.it was like that since last friday

It looks like a river so i took a closer look...

This is the first T sign which indicates im almost there.

Yeah yeah yeah i plunge through the snow and continue walking.....

Yes im closer now.This is the second T sign which means i'll be there in 5 min time

Im in the hospital compound now.So,this is how it looks like.

I was 13 min early so i guess no harm in snapping another pic

It didnt come out good...it's suppose to be like the one in posters

To be honest i forgot where my class is.We changed the venue since its really cold.Its somewhere in the dungent.....

hey look it's sky!

Can i go inside and ask where the class is?

Ok im in the right korpus

im on my way!(and 15 min late)

Sunday, 14 February 2010

Counting My BlEsSiNgS

3 days ago for the first time in my life after almost 6 years living here i realised that i am very sensitive to changes.physically and emotionally.....

After coming back from my winter holiday i got sick but not so badly.just sore throat the kind that when u swallow it hurts,then i got runny nose and i got a headache.Its all due to the extreme weather change from +10 degree to -20 degree.As a result i didnt go to class for one day and was late on the second day and the following days i was still adapting mood swings and all.

And a week passed by.im ok now.Quite happy to see all my floormates.i realised that they all have been complaining bout the same thing-coldness.Most of them have to wear two sweaters and a thick blanket to sleep.Imagine that!

Then i realised that im actually lucky becoz i didnt realise that coldness DID affect me all this while(6 years is a long time).u could call this ignorance too but i guess it doesnt really convey the real meaning.im not ignorant its just that im too occupied with other things to analyse all these.

Then i realised that im quite lucky actually coz my room is not THAT cold compared to theirs...i mean #%&*!! all this while is worth saving

Then i began to realise that my bed is positioned next to the heater in my room.

Then i guess i have nothing to complain anymore...

Thank u Lord,for everything