Explosions

Just when I mentioned how mad this world has evolved to sometime ago, this situation got worst. As a matter of fact, it has gotten overwhelmingly horrendous to an extend that I can label people as sick these days.

News regarding suicidal bombings in metro stations in Moscow spread like wild fire on webs and papers these days. Killing lives of many, what’s sadder is that there were Malaysian medical students who were injured during the explosion.

Recently another 112 people were killed in twin blasts in the volatile North Caucasus region of Dagestan, one of which was caused by a suicide bomber.

Investigators said that terrorists had recruited 30 female suicide bombers in Chechnya and Ingushetia and dispatched them to Turkey to be taught the precepts of radical Islam. The women are known as Black Widows because they have usually lost husbands or close relatives in clashes with Russian forces and are motivated by revenge.

People are sick nowadays, they really need serious healing. Not just physically but mentally. With such news happening in Russia, parents have been worried sick about us studying here. Well, there’s nothing much that can be done other than being careful and taking extreme good care of ourselves.

By the way, I managed to ace physics control test last week. Not only me, literally half of the class got excellent for it. All the brain cracking paid up after all.

To the ‘Big One’ up there, may You grant us peace and protection. I’ll pray for that.

BBQ

Picture with all the 6th year, 1st year & 2nd year seniors

Since it’s spring now, seniors invited us for barbeque session as well as to celebrate Melvin’s birthday. We had our BBQ session near the Volga River.

Everyone was like carnivores gobbling down all the food, despite the freezing wind. 

Picture with doctor-to-be Melvin Chung and room mate/ banana-club-president-to-be Dennis 

Nice graffiti on the wall

All of us

Kids =.= 

Another soon-doctor–to-be Huey Yee & I

We gathered around the fire place as night approaches.

Tender Heart

It’s a great feeling listening to songs I like, right at the moment when your heart is so tender and exposed that lyrics can emotionally touch you so easily.

Comforting and caring for a sister, wiping away her tears and lending my shoulder. It’s heartening, soothing; it’s what a little brother can do to reassure that she’ll be alright. Cheering her up and putting on a timid smile behind all the torment and pain just because you’re afraid that she’s not okay.

Sometimes I sense peoples’ feelings at the right time, I think it’s what God want me to do. He wants me to heal those who are hurt emotionally, to care for my loved one’s here… because not everyone is strong. We have a weak side and a tender heart.

You know that we all love you, sis ❤

Normal & Abnormal

For those who have null idea on the relation between my post title and it’s content, ignore it. 

College life is really different compared to the days when we were stuck in secondary school. However there are similar things that happened back in school and the next thing you knew it, it’s like karma flashing back in college.

Students, they come to study from all walks of life. After cancelling & summing every species, apparently we’ll end up with the 2 main groups: normal ones & abnormal ones.

How I define normal as normal?

Firstly they came from Earth, they mingle around with normal groups of people, they have social lives with most people around. They have their own group with awesome people. They have unity among friends. They don’t bury themselves in their deep, dark, musky grave. They don’t act like a nerd in front of lecturers, they study but never over strain themselves till they lost their brains. They may face failures with their studies but they won’t commit suicide. Knowledge plays more significance than grades on their paper and the list stretches on…

Now this is the interesting part, how do I define abnormal as abnormal?

First and foremost, I assumed that they come from Neptune or Mars. They do not mix around with much people and form a tiny, secluded and isolated group compared to the normal ones. They tend to be brainless and never tolerate when the normal ones wanted to form unity with them. Their minds are straight and moronically naive. They live under thick, dusky, gloomy rock and obviously never crawl out from underneath to even see the world. They act like nerds and perfect students just because they are desperate to be teacher’s pets. They study 24/7 and tends to kill themselves if they face failure. To them marks are everything….

To summarize it into a single word:

Normal people have life.

Abnormal people have no life. Screw them  

Happy?

Haka & Hakka

Comparing the difference of our Hakka language in Bio class between Mike and I today, Sharifah suddenly popped out with something: “ Oh yeah, Haka from New Zealand!”

Haka (singular is the same as plural: haka) is the traditional dance form of the Māori of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment.

Apparently there’s a tribe in NZ with such title, or else I would have thought that I’m originally from NZ instead of ancient China.

The Hakka people (Hakka language: Hak-kâ ngin; Mandarin Chinese: Kèjiā ren) also known as Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and based in the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Fujian in China.

Their ancestors were often said to have arrived from what is today's central China centuries ago. It is said that in a series of migrations, the Hakkas moved, settled in their present locations in southern China, and then migrated overseas to various countries throughout the world.

They have had a significant influence on the course of Chinese and overseas Chinese history: in particular, they have been a source of revolutionary, political, and military leaders.

 

I nearly cut myself from my bloodline and migrated. My ancestors must be damn proud of me.

Physics: Before & During

Before Physics control: Pressing calculator vigorously, slamming books, feeding citrus flavoured cottage cheese and yoghurt, scribbling and crunching paper & hurling them into bins.

During Physics control: Nervous breakdown, mashing calculator profusely, brainstorming trying to be Einstein-wannabe, skipping questions when stuck, handed up paper and breathe! 

Всё Сильней

Объяснить Тебя, слов нет.

Замирает дух во мне.

Всей душой возглашаю,

Что Ты Святой Бог.

Когда увижу я Твой све

Вдруг проблемы уйдут все

Я пленён Твоей славой

Ведь Ты Святой Бог

Ты Святой Бог

Ты Святой Господь

Всей душой стремлюсь ещё сильней

Жизнью всей являть, Божью славу.

В трудный миг я буду всё сильней

Жизнью всей являть Божью славу

Жизнью всей являть Божью славу

Поёт моя душа

Я живу лишь для Тебя

Во всём Тебе хвала

Наши жизни для Тебя, Господь

Another Sunday

Sunday service last week was amazing, we attended one of the local Russian service. I personally enjoyed it, especially when songs or praise and worship were played. You can really feel God in our presence! Of course, everything was in Russian and credits to fellow seniors who translated everything =D

I went to ‘Frontel’ for lunch along with Mike, Hsu Zane & Xun Jin. Food was slightly pricey but for the ambience and delicacies they offered to satisfy our taste buds, it was all worth it. I had pasta in cheese cream with chicken chunks and broccoli.

That’s a picture of Hsu Zane eating her slice of pizza with a huge bull's-eye egg yolk.

Here’s how I summed up an amazing Sunday with Hsu Zane, Mike & I scooping tubs of ice-cream, relaxing. Heaven! 

Last Bite Of Winter

Let’s take a last bite of winter before it’s over

It’s officially spring now that the temperature is increasing rapidly, a deletion of the huge minus sign I observed for 3 full months.

No more thick winter jackets that make everyone look double our normal size; no more annoying gloves that only demolished my sense of touch at all times; no more ear warmers that typically gets into a war with my ear phones everytime I’m on my iPod

The best is…. More sun! Less hibernation!

Hmph… more and more people are dragging me to gym since February and what I normally tell them?

“I’ll go when it’s March! Serious!”

…and when it’s March, I tell them

“I’ll go when winter is over.”

Now that winter is finally over I’m going to tell them

“I’ll go fore gym!”  “I’ll wait till it’s warm so that I can sweat, promise.”

Teeth Extractions

Sorrowfully to say that I shall bid farewell to all solid food for quite a long period of time. No cutlets I used to buy from the canteen, no more salmon cheese pie, no more grilled potatoes in herbs…. and this list goes on forever.

Why you ask? I’ve transform into one of those bereaved person being deprived by death of a love one; also known as the lost 4 of my teeth. Yes,  unbelievably the dentist extracted 4 teeth. Not forgetting to mention a huge sum of blood lost and pain I had to endure for a couple of days.

Such sacrificial act in order to put my braces on. I feel like one of those elderly folks talking without proper teeth, exposing empty gums.

I’m currently on a semi-liquid diet consisting porridges, oats, yoghurts and tofu while the wound starts to heal itself.

Dentist appointment in a week time, braces on S-O-O-N!

Don’t Forget To Be Awesome

Failed Videos

Please removed your skull and place it 45 degrees to have a proper view, thank you :D

This happened when everyone thought that we’re supposed to take a picture with jumping effect. Epic failed.

Areena doesn’t know how to walk on frozen stairs

… so she landed on her butt and decided to freeze herself there

Conversations Make Me Colourful

There are times when I just wish that my eyes are like video cams recording all the moments where everyone was stuck by idiocy mix lunacy.

We improved our BM skills during Biology, goodness Malaysia must be damn proud of me!

Areena: You know what’s 'beruk’?

Me: I think so, *beruk sounds buffalo-ish* something like buffalo right?

Everyone : *burst into laughter*

Jacquelyn: It’s not buffalo, it’s badak right???

Me: Badak is rhinoceros right?

Everyone: *laughs even harder*

Dennis: It’s hippo!!!!!!!! Hahahahahahhaha

Areena: I bet you don’t know what ‘tapak sulaiman’ is…

Me: Errr… seriously I have no idea.

Areena: It’s star fish stupid!

Kalis: Omg Hansley you don’t know??!!

Me: Why is it ‘tapak sulaiman’ like some weird place? Why can’t we just call them like ‘ikan bintang’ or whatsoever???!!!

Areena: Omg ‘ikan bintang’ *explodes in laughter* This is what happens when you study abroad.

 

Another incident that’s been happening recently, I assumed that poor Dennis’ neurons we engulfed by pathogens.

Kalis: Is Dennis listening to music?

Me: Yeah… Eh eh! Later I call him right surely he’s gonna give the blur look and ‘huh?’ like that.

Everyone: *observing meticulously*

Me: *Pats Dennis on his shoulder*

Dennis: Huh? *Blurry*

Everyone: *Explodes in laughter*

Me: Told you he’s aging rapidly.

 

Did I mentioned it was the stove’s birthday? Yes… The s-t-o-v-e as in gas stove where we place our pots and pans on them.

Eelin: You realised anything new about our kitchen?

Me: Yeah, new stoves…

Eelin: The ‘mamuchka’ opened the stove for us!!! Yeahhh

Dennis & I: ….

Eelin: *Switched on the flames of all the stoves* Happy Birthday to you… Happy Birthday to you….

Dennis & I: *faints*

 

Somehow we produced food that smells like underwear.

Me: Waah… Finally can eat my chicken rice!

Mike: What smell is that?

Me: My chicken rice! I made it just before we went to wash clothes.

Mike: Is it? I thought it’s my underwear.

Me: =.=””” Yeah right, and your underwear smells like chicken rice.

 

Cute Lil’ Thing

Recorded this in Aktyubinsk during my recent mission trip 

This is so precious and uberly adorable that I can watch it over a million times :D

Simple As A Child

God’s creation is simply marvelous, how can this little thing be so adorable?

 

Sometimes I ponder, life would be much easier if we were to be as simple as a child: always see the best in everyone with good intention, excuse the ones who hurt you, seeing whatever harm that person did as the result of some temptation.

Making friends just by joining their tiny hands, blushing as they smile or grin. So pure, so innocent.

This cute little thing that accompanied for 2 days in Aktyubinsk during my recent mission trip opened my eyes to the world. 

8th March

Thanks to all woman in Russia, its an official holiday for Monday. Woke up as early as 9.30 AM to memorise a Russian article regarding the health system in Russia to get my day started. Being a gentleman I decided to buy Eelin lunch since she did the same to me for Men’s Day last week.

2 of us went together with Mao’ui to ‘Frontel’ to have lunch :D

Coffee milk drink with a dash of wine in it

Mexican beef chop

Grilled potato in herbs

Ice-cream for desserts

Eventually we ate the pizza before we realised we haven’t took a single picture of it, it was an awesome piece. Dining at ‘Frontel’ was nice, affordable price for such sumptuous food.

By night all four guys made dinner for the girls :) See how much we love them?

Happy Woman’s Day

I noticed there were so much flowers being sold almost everywhere the streets last Friday after I had Bio classes. Florists were opening their small stalls in every nook and cranny since Monday will be National Woman’s Day. Too bad I didn’t have time to snap all the blooming flowers with my phone.

Like I said, flowers everywhere

 

Gorgeous red blossoming ones

All in all, we bought 4 bouquets of flowers. 2 for Russian teacher of each group, Mrs. Sokolova & her daughter. It’s considered a huge celebration to them Russians.

These were given to our Chemistry lecturer’s toddler daughter, Liza

Last but not least, to woman that had changed my life, my beloved mother, sister Lily Chong, cousins, amazing friends…

Happy Woman’s Day

Complains Are Essential

My number of complaining and griping on hectic and frantic life has sturdily multiplied to infinity.

I nearly vomited blood when we are required to memorize 16 articles each with 250 words minimum regarding science and poets for this semester, wondering how I survived the previous semester with 12 articles was enough to cause an Armageddon. With Russian texts on Biology, Anatomy and poets for this semester? I hope for a black hole to just suck me in it.

6 hours of Physics yesterday with lecturer reading notes as fast as a bullet train, my phalanges and metacarpus were about to drop off any moment. Despite not having mathematics, I would personally prefer to crack my brain on counting other than playing logics torturing my puny brain.

Russian history is the one and only class which I felt like play school. We're required to memorise an article for each week [which I normally do so an hour before class cause' I normally place the book under my nose]. Other than that, this brat can be found either playing 'bad apple' on an iPod touch with the companions of his fellow comrades.

Like as if anyone bothers about this subject which is not even included in finals?

As I was walking back from main campus, I blindly assumed that a whole plot of land was frozen ice and moronically stepped into it. Shit! There goes my shoes and jeans soaked in a pool of muddy water. Add on to my list of chore I need to complete: Wash shoes!

On the other hand, we had a meeting regarding mission trip to Aktyubinsk this coming Saturday, am really anticipating for this activity!

I’ve got so much to read and absolutely no time [trust me, I’m sick of this phase as well].

Did I mentioned that it suddenly snowed AGAIN!

Recommended by the guy who seats behind me

Protect Our ‘Heart’

Don’t let discouragement steal your faith.

Faith itself is tough and I personally find it the hardest to sustain, especially when discouragement comes collapsing onto us. In life, there is always a particular someone that tells you how wrong you are, constantly hurling and suppressing you with discouragement.

Sometimes I wonder… how can some people like myself be discouraged so easily and admire those with faces as thick as castle walls or is it simply because they have artificial faith?

With God, we see things differently! That’s why we’re special, we are not shaken and be able to stand on solid ground. Challenges and circumstances are just part of growth, it inflict us only to let us learn new ways of life – to increase our faith.

Don’t let disappointment steal your hope 

All of us have different hopes and necessities in life. I believe when there’s a need, most of will have our fingers cross, praying desperately and sincerely to God. However, there are times when praying alone is not sufficient and thus… we got disappointed and began to put the blame on Him.

Actually, God listens to our prayers, in fact I believe He still insists to listen to them despite the millions of prayers that buzzes in His mind. So what if our prayers are not answered immediately? Continue praying… and praying… and never loose hope!

Always know that it takes more than simple prayer for things to happen, and when you realise that… miracles will come flowing in your life that you feel scared that all our needs are answered all the time!

Don’t let hurt steal you love 

Love is passion. It is a nice feeling to love someone and be loved in our lives. Doesn’t matter its a love shared between family members, friends or a special someone. God encourages all to love.

Sad to say that there are moments when you love is not appreciated or not answered the way we wanted it to be, and so we felt hurt and despair. Everything changes dragging along the people and their feelings in it, for the best or for the worst.

But always remember, love is not about making ourselves happy… It is about making the person we care for happy. When you’re happy, I’m happy - that is true love.

Love is not hurting, it’s when we fall out of love that is hurtful.

Don’t let un-forgiveness steal your destiny

Eliminate and demolish all feelings of hate, loathe, selfishness for they are the keys to open the chambers of un-forgiveness. Why is un-forgiveness related to our destiny? When we close up our hearts and keep grudge and hate towards certain things, we are not able to move forward, in fact all we can do is standing statically or even move backwards.

When it takes over, we not only loose focus but we loose faith! How can we keep on our faith if un-forgiveness and hatred stops us from possessing it?

What’s the point of hating, it only destroys us from within. God tells us to love, even our enemies!