Belmondos!!

Finally a day to chill out! Jdeme na party v Pahtek! Pivo? Wino?

Finally i can leave my books behind for a night.
Finally i can let my body recuperate from the physical torment and my brain unwind before the spring got over-twitched.
Finally i can enjoy the night life in Olomouc.

Finally i can unleash all the toxic in me that has accumulated over the week.

Finally............ i can sleep well for a night...Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Teetering on the Verge of Breakdown

Stress is building up as semester exam is just around the corner. So many things to cover , yet so little time left. 7 days a week is never enough for a medical student. Weeks fly past without even realising it. Every week , there are loads of works to be cleared off before the next week approaches. The accumulated work can easily suffocate and drown a person. It is critical to complete today's task by today.Procrastination will kill... There will always be more things waiting ahead.

It is a mental , physical and emotional challenge. Everyday is about being physically fit , mentally alert and emotionally strong to face the mountains of notes and books lying ahead to study. From memorising the rules , grammar and vocabulary of Latin and Czech language to understanding the mechanisms of how cell works in biology back to memorising and identifing the blood vessels , bones , nerves , muscles in anatomy and finally to analysing over hundreds of chemical compounds in Chemistry , that is our routine everyday.

Before this semester exam , i have one book of chemistry (~1ooo pgs) , one book of biology (~700 pgs) , one book of Anatomy (~500pgs) to cover. Phew!!

It is a path we have chosen , so it is also a challenge we have to face. May God bless us with the energy and strength to continue this tumultous journey to the end...

"Crossroads" v Olomouci

It's another cultural event in Olomouc. It's the second year of "Crossroads" , a multicultural festival across central europe where they showcase music , arts and films from all over the region.

Not missing this once in a year event , i decided to give myself some chill after a mind-boggling , nerve-breaking morning of anatomy test and lecture. I picked the Jazz performance by 100NKA , a polish jazz trio.

The outcome - superb! It was really a great performance. They bring new dimension to the music by spicing it with electronic guitar. And they are truly masters of groove and improvisation. A few bars of music can be improvised in so many different ways. The rhythm , the synchopation , the running notes , the diminished and augmented chords , everything was cooked into an awesome dish. Everyone was drifted away by their music.

It's an unorthodox way of playing ,in which the percussionist uses various types of household material like pots , pans and chairs to create the extra sound and the guitarist and basist each with their individual style of improvisation. For some it may sound out-of-tune. For others , it's an appreciation of soulful expessions and freedom in music.

Once again , music has proven to be the common language of all. Despite the communication barrier , we can all sit down and enjoy the same music , be bonded by the same interest , see eye to eye in the same thing. Wonderful!

Snow!

This is our first experience of snow. Everyone is so excited by the first sight of it. Waking up in the morning and seeing everything in white outside the room , i can't help but to gasp "Oh my God! It's snow!!" Finally i am experiencing real snow! Not like back in Malaysia where we have to pay to experience artificial snow. This is just amazing.Donning my newly bought white jacket with fur , i feverishly got myself ready for school. Anam greeted us with his throw of snow ball. That's it! We started picking up snow and throwing at each other. Still not losing the inner child in us.It was a mesmerising experience to just walk on the road and enjoy the chill as drops of snow fell on the face accompanied by the cold and crispy wind. Refreshing!Anyway the whole place will be covered by snow for many months to go. Till then , we might just get bored of it and yearn back our Malaysian hot scorching sun and humid weather!

Halloween Party

My first Halloween Party!

We didn't plan to go initially. It was a last minute decision.Party started at 9. We went at 11. So no costume prepared.Hopefully next year i will get myself one.

Anyway it was really fun. Great music , great drink and great friends!

Destiny

Miracle happens when we least expect it. Destiny changes in a twist of fate. Path that lies ahead turn when choices are made. God's plan for everyone has never been revealed.

We decide what we want and how we want to do things. We decide for ourselves how our lives and our futures are going to be. But there is always something beyond our control. Who would have expected catastrophies to occur out of no where ? Who would have planned for misfortunes to descend on ourselves if we have control over them? No matter how powerful we are , we are still vulnerable and susceptible in face of Him.

Still remember the day when Dad brought me to INTEC 2 years ago when i got my offer from JPA to study in Indonesia. I was in the middle of the cross road. Two paths lie ahead of me which will definitely lead me to very different destinations. Indonesia? STPM? What should i do. I missed home , i missed my friends. I am not prepared , physically , mentally and emotionally. I told Dad i want to go back , i want to reject the offer. Dad assured me everything will be fine at the end of the day. In the end i succumbed to his persuasion.

First semester was an ordeal. Calling home was practically about how i can appeal for a transfer. I had tried to appeal for the umpteenth times. But everytime my hope is shattered, until i finally came to accept the fate that yes , I AM GOING TO INDONESIA. Nevermind what people say , how they think , i will do what i want to do.

And time passed by so quickly. Two years has just elapsed. And i am all ready and well convinced to go to Indonesia. Then out of a sudden , with a twist of fate , i was offered to study here in Czech Republic. Never in my wildest dream have i imagined myself stepping on this piece of land. Honestly speaking , i do not even know where the hell is Czech when i first heard of it. But after almost 2 months here , i am very much adapted to the life here and started to like this place.

In retrospect , what will i be doing if i were to terminate contract 2 years ago. I would be very very far from where i am now. Life is always a roller coster. So sit well , fasten the seat belt , and enjoy the adrenaline rush!

In House Chef

Can you smell it?

Dhal

Rendang ChickenCurry Potatoes"Kung Pao" PorkWestern BreakfastFried Chicken with BrocolliTom Yam Fried Rice with Pineapple

I like cooking , my roommates like eating , what a perfect combination we make. No matter how tiring a day can be , our dinner can never be compromised , our stomach can never be deprived of good food. Sometimes it may take more than an hour to cook and 10 minutes to finish up the food , but the satisfaction gained will outweigh all the hardwork of preparations.

Hmm..Maybe this can be my second path if one day ,medicine is no longer my choice. Hehe. But till now , i still like the bones and muscles i study. Muscles look very much like our chicken drumstick too!

Malaysian Rojak

Coming here has made me realise one thing - i am truly a Malaysian Chinese. Having been brought up from this multi racial country with her rich and diverse cultural banckground, i am moulded to become a Chinese with my own identity , far detached from my ancestor back in China. And i am who i am as a result of years of assimilation of cultures and languages that trangress all borders of races.

When i speak Mandarin , i speak Malaysian Mandarin (Ma-Man maybe) which is very much different from our Taiwan friends. When i speak English , i too speak Malaysian English(Manglish) that is very much different from our UK friends. But who cares? That is who i am and that is how i speak.

People sometimes do not understand us , as if we speak another alien language. It is no big deal for all Malaysian students , as we are so well adapted to our own version of Rojak Language."Eh , what did you makan just now?" "I makan the what liao , erm how to say that , oh , tang hun ar , you know?" "Oh ya. Walao eh , you very keng ha , here also can find tang hun ho!" What a myriad of colours. What a wonderful rojak we have whipped out!

They are even more amazed by our self-created exclamation. Waliu! Walao eh! Fuiyo! Fulamak! Alamak! Ah Pa Ah Ma! It is meaningless yet blurted out so spontaneously.It's sort of a personal identity. They try to imitate us , our language , our accent ,and yet there are some among us who try to fake their British/ American accents. For God's sake , what's the point? What's so wrong with our own Malaysian accent?

Just be proud of who we are la...

Deeparaya Celebration

Festive mood is in the air once again. The smell of Indian Dhal , of Malay Rendang , and a fusion of both , it's Deeparaya!Sadly to say , none of us can fly back to be with our beloved families and friends. But we had our own celebration of it. Small reunion dinner in the room and open house for all Malaysian students in Anam's place. Uphloding the spirit of Malaysian Rumah Terbuka.

The night before Deepavali ,we had some , in fact only two fireworks to play with. Everyone got out of the apartment and waited for 15 minutes just for a display of fireworks which lasted only for split seconds. And it's a chilly night of about 5 or 6 degree celcius.
Deepavali day. Makan day. For Malaysians , all celebrations are eating feasts. So all ingredients are prepared. Chef is ready to dish out all the Malaysian cuisines - Rendang , Dhal , Nasi Briyani and Gong Pao Pork.
Outcome , yummy yummy. Not bad though. Not of self praising. Hehe...
Hari Raya , another makan day. Big feast again. Really really sumptuous , mouth-drooling delicacies. Stomach is filled to its maximum capacity , followed by photo sessions at the hostel lobby. Everyone is donned in traditional costume.What a sight to behold!Selamat Hari Raya and Happy Deepavali!

Sunday

Yawn..... 9 am in the morning. Woke up.
Perfect breakfast of omelette with ham , cheese , tomatoes and garlic.

With one cup of hot coffee with thick milk. Whiff of aromatic coffee alerted the olfactory sense.
Getting ready to............. STUDY