Kursk, Russia 2011

Hola! It’s going to be a post on my own adventurous trip to a place which was 8 hours past which I have never been before which is Kursk, Russia! It’s tough to go around when the people around you are not talking in the language that you are familiar with but, thank Lord that everything went fine for the entire trip. Took the train from Kurskaya Vakzal, Moscow to Kursk itself at 12.50am! Yes, a midnight train! It’s so cool that it really looked like you were at the Harry Potter train station at that moment when it was so cold with all the mist surrounding you. Here are some pictures taken at the train station.

The waiting hall area. This is just a part of the whole big awesome train station! <3

This was taken when I was still waiting for the to announce which platform I should go to, to go onboard my train! It’s a total new world as every single announcement was made in Russian language there! Burh! It’s so important to know how to converse in their language here in Russia. But, I really do enjoy learning and conversing with them in Russian language.

This was taken at the platform.

Now, moving on how it really look like in the train for all the first timers out there! Truthfully, I was so worried that the condition of the train would be so bad till I couldn’t sleep throughout the 8 hours journey.

It was really comfortable as when you are on the bed, and the train is moving, you will feel like you are in the rocking baby cradle!

After the 8 hours journey…..

Kursk!

Went to the Sports Hall of Kursk State Medical University.

One of the best shopping mall in Kursk! ‘Evropa’ Went there a lot of time throughout my whole trip! It was just a simple day on my arrival day. Had breakfast at Nurul Bebby’s place. She made awesome Nasi Lemak for me with popiah! Then, I went to their sports hall to watch their own sports event, then to Evropa, then back home to cook for the whole house an awesome dinner! Hope they loved it. <3

The second day!

My friend took me to this restaurant to have my brunch! Price was reasonable and the food was just awesome! It’s difficult to find good food at good price in Moscow!

This was mutton soup! Superlicious!

Cheese soup! The taste of cheese was just so rich! I could have it everyday if I am studying in Kursk.

Me and Sarah, the one who allowed me to stay at her house for the whole trip! ))

Ashvinny, Emily and me.

Not only going there for a trip, but I did attended The Road to Gorky Games event! Was there throughout the event! Supported all the way! <3



Then, went to the Kursk State Medical University to take a picture.  

As usual, I am always craving for food although I knew that I will have a heavy dinner within a few hours time! Tried ‘Zhar Pizza’!

Cheap and also YUMMY!

After having some heavy tea time meal, walked along the street and came across with this church. It looks awesome and I love the bell chiming around! Felt so calm!

After that, we went to the Steak House in Kursk to celebrate.

The last day in Kursk, woke up at 7am in the morning to get to Bebby’s place and the temperature actually dropped to –4 degree Celsius at that moment. It was a real bad one as I was only wearing to layers of thin jacket. But anyway, I survived!

This Gogolia Street early in the morning! After resting a while in Bebby’s place, I went out by myself to have a free leisure time in Kursk without anyone bringing me around! Adventure!

The sunrise in Kursk!

The memorial park in Kursk for the soldiers who defended for their state long time ago!

The same church again. And finally, back to the Sarah’s house before leaving back home at night.

This is their kitchen! Enjoyed cooking two dinners for the whole house throughout the whole stay over there! It was so awesome! I really did felt like home and I do miss that place a lot now!

The awesome big toilet!

Last photo with the great people in Kursk! Miss you guys!

P.S. Reached Moscow on Monday at about 5am and came back to my hostel, wash myself up, and straight went for class at 8.30am! It was tiring but the whole trip was just awesome! Thank you, Sarah, Adrian and Emily for providing me an awesome place to stay at during my whole trip over there! A big thanks to all others who were entertaining me, providing me awesome food and so on too back in Kursk!

All the best all Kursk-ian! Shall be back and we shall go to Celebrity! There were more agendas which actually happened back there which I did not write it out here but it shall stay in my heart and mind always!

When The Room Turned to Be So Cozy!

Alright. I am here again to blog. My room is so cozy and comfortable now that I can sleep throughout the whole day after putting up my curtain! My roommates and I are all like in the hibernation mood. Anyway, few days back, I talked to a friend of mine who I flew back to Malaysia with during my summer break! We talked about how crazy we were to take the risk to change our departure date back to Malaysia to the same day we sat for our exam. FYI, if we do fail that exam, we won’t be able to fly back home. Thank God, we managed to go through the exam, not only going through the exam but went through it with an excellent mark!

21st June 2011! That was the craziest day I’ve been through in Moscow! I never slept the whole night before I sat for my exam. The tension limit hit the maximum level as all sorts of questions were going through my mind at that moment. Some of the questions was, 

~ What if I didn’t get through my exam?
~What will go wrong if I miss my flight?
~What will happen to me if I don’t return my books to the library?
~What will happen if there is some other documentations to handle before going back is not done?

Imagining all these sorts of questions going through my mind while I have to prepare for my exam? My dad did told me that, I was taking a big risk but well, thankfully everything went smoothly. Not forgetting the moment where my senior who is already a Doctor now, Dr. Cham, who sent me off on that day! He really solved a lot of my problems in Moscow since the day that I came to Moscow.

Us in Amman, Jordan while waiting for the next flight back to Malaysia!
Just missed that moment a lot right now!

What did I do back in Malaysia?

Going around every places to grab awesome food was the main thing that I do during my summer break! Gained 10kg! Yeah, 10kg it is! Besides, I planned a short trip with my family to Bandung, Indonesia too! Been wanting to go to Bandung to have a look and finally I get to go there! I felt so thankful that I was born in Malaysia! As what my dad who told me when we were at Bandung, ‘It is good to come to these kind of country once a while to make you all awake’. Well, that is seriously true!

My family and I at Ciater Hot Spring, Bandung!

The FAMOUS IKAN GURAME in Bandung!

Next, it’s about the event ‘PROBASIS’ which I’ve attended under KUMOSK! One word to describe this event, AWESOME!

It was an event where we go to a school, SK Nyalas, Melaka to give them some motivational talks and to keep them preoccupied for 2 nights and at the end of the day, giving free medical check ups to all the residents of that area. We actually went to Hospital Sungai Buloh first to get some basic medical hands-on lessons before heading to Malacca on the first day. So, we left to Malacca in the morning the following day.



The first day of being in the school was just awesome! Well, most of them guessed that I am a Malay during the introduction phase. As usual, it is difficult to get close with all of the kids during the first day so it’s a little awkward during a few moments but it gets better as time passes by.

During this event, I’ve learnt a lot of things from the kids back there! Yeah, I am there to motivate them but at the same time, they, the kids, who are 10 times younger than us motivated me. My eyes were widely opened and my heart was so free to accept every single thing that I’ve experienced back then. We had breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and supper together for the 2 nights stay over there! During meal time, they even greet everyone to have their meals first before starting to eat.

During my last meal with them!

Not to forget the awesome food cooked by Mak Ngah back there!

Next, before they go to bed, they greet good night to you! I really miss the ‘salam-salaman’ part every night when I was back there in their school! I really do feel that specific feeling that I couldn’t get to experience else where.

Every morning, when the bell rings sharp at 5am, all of them will wake up right away! Yes, they really leave their beds within a minute! Less than a minute I could say! Can I do that everyday? I sincerely would say, NO. All of them will just jump of their bed and hit to the toilet to get ready for their morning prayers at the surau. I was shocked when I first saw them waking up that fast on the first morning. Because of this, I woke up at 5am throughout the event! I was amazed by their act. They were just so disciplined.

It’s kind off dark but try looking at the duration of time they took to leave their beds! *hats off*

I slept in their unit for 2 nights! They were the one who made my bed the first night after I woke up! I was seriously shocked and I did my own bed the next day itself.

During the last day, we did the medical check up for the residents there! And finally it’s time to say goodbye to them. I miss them a lot! Would also want to wish them all the best for their future undertakings!



My group during that event!

Till then.

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
Ephesians 4:2

When Life Proceeds To The Second Stage.

I’ve not been an active blogger lately as there are so many things to do instead of blogging these days. Lifestyle had been changing over the past few months. Everything got to change in order to fit to the new world out here. The last I blog was when I went back to Malaysia for my summer break and YEAH, summer break was super awesome. Not forgetting, Doctor Cham sent me off! It isn’t that I hate being in Moscow but, it’s always the best to be in your own country where everything is just there for you. It’s fun to be in Moscow but NOT for a long period.

So, how’s studies? Well, studies has been interesting always but it isn’t easy to go through all those exams which are held almost every single day. There will not be much time to do our revision on the past syllabus which we need to revise for our finals here in our University. Sleeping or hibernating time here is so limited for me. I repeat, for me only. I need time to go online, to cook, to clean my room, to Skype with my beloved one and etc.

During our last summer break, my University just changed it’s name. From Russian State Medical University, it changes into Russian National Research Medical University. The name is easy to read in English but the University name in Russian is like taking a minute or more to read the whole name.

Российский национальный
исследовательский
медицинский университет
имени Н. И. Пирогова

So, the above name is my new University name. Read as ‘ Ra-sis-ki Na-tio-nal-ni Is-sle-da-va-tel-ski Me-di-sin-ski Oo-ni-ver-si-tet e-mi-ni Pi-ra-go-va ‘
Cool huh?



The main entrance to the University.

Moving on to the weather here in Moscow. I really got no idea on how I survived –25 degree Celsius last time. It’s only 3 degrees now but it’s so difficult to adapt to it. It’s only autumn season now, but it seems like the autumn season will be shorter this year and winter is approaching! Winter equals to suffering. Autumn is the best season ever! Love the scenery during autumn season!

This picture was taken last week. Love it!

A few weeks ago, my friend from Kursk came down to Moscow for an event held in my University called The Road to Gorky Games. Met them during the PROBASIS program held back in Malaysia and I really do miss the program back then. The kids back in SK Nyalas, Melaka were just awesome! They are so different from the other kids! They made me wake up by 5am every morning when I was with them. I salute them and I bow upon them. Well disciplined kids! That is the only thing I want to say. Would also like to take this opportunity to wish them all the best in their studies!



This was my group! Miss them a lot!

Sarah, in front and Bebby on the right of the picture! *taken during the event in my University* Miss you guys! Will be going over to Kursk when there are holidays here in Moscow. Take good care!

I shall end here. Will blog more on the next post. Take good care and GBU to all my blog readers!

P.S. I love you and only you. Hope you don’t push me away to someone else. Miss you.