OK, here we go!

Alright, alright, finally, i found the inspiration and spirit to blog. Haha.

Things have been awesome after the first sessional exam. I've been doing a lot of shopping lately for my family (Yes, i'm coming home in less than a month! yeehaa!)

Though, the bad part is, I'm really really excited to go home to the point that I've become reckless and lazy about my studies here. So, please wake up Suraya! Make sure all of your previous effort, all those stay-ups, zombie eyes, acned face worth it. Don't just let it go down the drain!!

Thanks to Joanna, who called me while I was in the auto yesterday, stuck in the, as always, crazy, hectic traffic of India. She reminded me that I still have 1 more month before I can go home so I better get over that post-exam jolliness. Lol.

Anyway, I better start being serious again about my studies, Dr.Harsha wants to ask anatomy viva tomorrow. Huhu..

However, I do like Dr.Harsha or normally I just call him sir. He makes me think out of the box, like dare to go beyond. His method of teaching is based on 'why' questions. Which is exactly caught my interest. Especially when it comes to anatomy, a lot of things that you must memorize. But I'm the kind of person who cannot simply memorize by not knowing what is it exactly and why it is named in such a way. So, Dr.Harsha could really answer my wonders, doubts and curiosity without any hesitation. I really salute him. A very young doctor yet very passionate of what he does and plus, never get tired of explaining the same thing again and again till you understand.

He's indeed, an excellent teacher.

:)

Nway, I wanted to post some pics and write about my eid adha (in which I got to eat beef after three months!) yet I have to go for usrah now! till then, ciao!

Exam Stress

I know I haven't updated my blog since.......AGES AGO!

Well, life as a student in India is really hectic to the point that I somehow, am having an internal identity crisis (whether I'm still human or a robot) and also, being homesick, especially during this exam period.

Next week, I'll be having 4 practicals in a row. Last week was a horrible week of theory papers (Am glad, done and over with it!).

And on Thursday, weehooo! freedom! Though still haven't decided to reward myself a body massage or a retail therapy....huehehuhe.

I'll update more stories later, soon as I've finished my sessional exam. Please pray for me so that I could at least pass all the papers :s

And by the way, Syazwan is still stranded in Solo, Indonesia due to Gunung Merapi eruption in Yogyakarta. He's waiting for the third flight from TUDM to come for the rescue. I hope he will reach Malaysia safe and sound tonight. I know he's been through a lot today and I hope, with that, will make him a stronger person. Amin.. :)

After 3 Weeks In India

Of course it is such a lie if I said my journey in this exotic land went out smoothly and well.

There were times I felt horrible, terrible, depressed, homesick as I continued facing my daily life here. But there were sweet moments as well :).

Parts in India in which I find it depressing would be;

1) The environment.

It’s dusty, dirty, red soil everywhere and if it’s hot, I tell you, it’s really really hot here. Once you’re out under the sun without umbrella, you can definitely feel your skin burning in a fraction of a second. And when it’s about to rain, there are no signs whatsoever to indicate rain is coming, it will just pour down on you suddenly. So, a good Indian umbrella is like a gun here. You carry it everywhere, anywhere you go.

However, as old, dirty, nasty the buildings may look from the outside here, actually, you’ll be amazed on what you’ll see on the inside. It’s pretty and posh actually. Though, there are old, dirty, nasty buildings that memang look like that either on the outside or inside =.=”.

2) Transportation

Here, there’s no such thing like Proton Saga taxi or Waja taxi and no need to mention Perdana taxi la. Here the taxi is called Auto. Auto is actually a motorcycle, modified into a small tiny carriage with a seat at the back that can fit 3 people maximum. No doors, only a hood to cover the passengers and the driver from the hot sun, rain and dust.

So just imagine if I take an Auto from my place to city which is around half an hour journey. The road is badly broken, cracked and unstable. Traffic is a mess. Busses and lorries speeding up and cutting  lines as though they are small cars like Kancil or Kelisa. And it is dusty, smelly and you’re scared shitless because you’re in between two busses in one lane.

My first auto ride was a nightmare. Serious. No kidding. Though, each time I think about it again it  makes me laugh. Lol.

Bus here is another thing as well. When I’m in a bus, I feel like in a butcher house where all the meats being hanging next to one another. Yes, it is true. It’s very crowded in the bus. Their principle is, as long people can fit into the bus then voila! Those who are unable to sit, have to stand up and must have a great hand grip and body balance because the drivers here drive like mad people. If they can’t overtake cars on the road, they will go to such extend, drive out of the lane, on the red soil, in order to cut the line. Amazing!

Warning: Never take buses when it’s raining. The aroma inside the bus will make you want to puke. Serious, no kidding.

In the auto

3) Class Management

So crazy! from 8 a.m. till 1 p.m. with an hour break until 2 p.m. and continue to 4 p.m.!! waahhh!!

if those classes are within one building is ok but here at my place, the practical classes are so far!!! and it’s a hilly area some more  and during break time I have to rush to my hostel (which is quite far also) in order to get my Zuhur prayer done. Crazy.

If you come here, you will never have the problem of gaining weight. You will always do cardiovascular training here. Hahahaha.

Though, I’m really thankful that at least on Saturday my class is only until 10.30 am :D.

Parts in India in which I find it heaven;

1) Shopping!!!

Yes! Shopping here is awesome. Things are cheap here. Even though no Forever 21, topshop, MNG or Zara, but I tell you, you can get the same stuff and quality for the price of a pea here in India!!

Mangalore is developing very fast. Now there is City Centre, 7 floors shopping mall which is very awesome. I like to shop at Lifestyle as the clothes there are nice and boho chic :).

 

These two kurthis only cost around rm20-23 :). And I like the leggings here. They come in all sorts of colours to match with kurthis.

This boho top cost around rm30 plus. It’s of a great cotton quality and neat sewing work. Not like those you buy at Sg.Wang for rm25 each.

Even here they sell maxi skirts of many varieties and colours and patterns which I find it very awesome! Levi’s jeans are cheap here. If sale, you buy one, free one :D. Even if it’s not sale, it’s roughly around rm93 only :).

2) Food

Food here is marvellous!! Once you eat the authentic Indian food here, you will never want to go to Mamak again, except maybe, for teh tarik because here don’t have teh tarik. Huhu.

Moreover, food here is cheap! Even when you eat at the hotel, the total cost for everything from drink, main course to dessert, it is roughly just going to be cheapest rm20 and hardly will go more than rm30! Plus, the portion is very big!

Blueberry cheesecake only for 50rps or rm3.70!

Awesome chicken shavarma only for 30rps! that’s like rm2 something.

Lamb chili burger

Shirley temple! :)

 

At Aroma Restaurant, Deepa Hotel

Lays potato chips for rs20! (rm1.50)

A very tasty milk, rs14!!

Omelette yang sangat sedap.

To be continued…

Puasa

Dengan rasmi, puasa di India bermula pada hari Khamis, bukan Rabu ye.

Maka, dengan ini,


RAYA LAMBAT 1 HARI DARI MALAYSIA!!!!




SEDIHNYE!!!!!

India~~ Oh Lala~~

It's been a week already I'm in India.

And my opinion on India would be....

Interesting! and trust me, India has a lot of things to offer, provided that you're an adventurous person and up to any challenges because living in India will definitely give you a whole new different experience which I find it a very good life lesson.

When I reached this place, Deralakatte, Mangalore, I took a public bus to a village of I-Don't-Know-What's-The-Name and it's very rural, remote, hot, dusty, undeveloped and red soil everywhere with goats, cows and dogs.

Trust me, I had a great culture shock. Once I reached back to my hostel, I was crying while cleaning and unpacking. Haha!

The village was one thing, the bus trip was a hell as well. It's not like Rapid KL or Intrakota (last time) where there are air-conds and the seats are comfortable. NO. The buses here are very old, rusty, crowded with people and you need a good hand-grip and body balance so you won't fall or trip due to a very fast driving on a serious, bumpy, cracked road.

But soon, I realised that my university is actually located in the middle. If I turn right, then, my destination would be that village which resembles almost like Africa or Ethiopia but, if I turn left, I would be heading to the big city of Mangalore where there are 3 big malls and one of them, called City Centre which has 7 floors. However, still can't beat Pavillion in KL. Though, it is sufficient enough for me to recover from my culture shock from that village trip. HAHA.

Food.

Food is great here. For me, who always eat tapau food and seldom eat homemade food, I adapted myself quite well with the food here. Alhamdulillah, so far, no experience of diarrhea yet even though I have already eaten Shavarma (a really tasty kebab) at a very old, not really clean stall, in front of my univ.

Everything is different here. From food, lifestyle, culture, clothing and etc. Of course this is not UK or Europe  where everything is beautiful, picturesque and civilised. This is India, the land of spices and exotic cultures :). Be optimistic and view it from a different perspective, I'm sure it will be an increadible journey ahead of you :D.

Don't worry, I'll write from time to time about my soon-to-be-awesome journey here. About the food, cultures, trends and lots more. :)

P.S. I really do feel like Ian Wright or Anthony Bourdain (from Globe Trekker and Cook's Tour repectively) in here. And so far, I like it! :)

My University, the inside looks exactly like a hospital. Each floor, 1 dental department

Me, in a shock state while on the way back to hostel from that village.

Had A great chicken shavarma at the stall. This stall is really not for those who are neat freaks.

Sending Manipalians and MCOD-ians off

A picture speaks a thousand words. So here are 9 pictures...which are equivalent to 9 thousand words. So, enjoy it! Lol.

A very hyper girl! I'll miss her :/

Next, among the 4 of us, is going to be me pulak. :s

Chilling Out

I had a great time last weekend with my family. Ate all those delicious food before leaving my beloved country. Can't believe I only have two weeks left!

Still haven't packed anything yet but bought almost all the stuff needed. This Wednesday is the day in which both of my best friends are flying off to India ; Lynthia Wong and Zubaydah Abdul Aziz. 

They will be studying at MCODS and Manipal respectively. Though, I am not that worried because these two are not that far from my place in India later :). 

Anyway, here are some pictures during last weekend! I tried out Victoria Station for the first time (And it was awesome. Seriously!) and went to Cameron Highland after ages haven't been there.

I had Sizzling Steak. Wayy better than those at Tony Roma's, Chili's and TGI's.

Aba had black pepper steak.

Mama had Lobster and steak, with sparkling grapejuice :)

These two copycats also had the same thing like mine.

And on the next we had tea at Bharat's Teashop, Cameron Highland! The place was very nice and cold!

The view of the tea farm from the cafe was very beautiful. I had Nasi Lemak, Tuna Sandwich and some scones along with one of the best Teh Tarik I've ever had!

I tried Masala tea also. It has India spices in it. The taste was quite interesting. Interesting in a pleasant way though. You guys should try it when in India!

Sedap betul makan.

Had strawberries at the Strawberry Farm :)

Aba & Mama :)

Well, that's all for the last weekend. I really had a great time! :)

Life Lesson

Having a conflict with your significant other is ugly.

But once you both have dealt with it and realized how stupid the conflict was,

You just can't forget how much you both love each other. And love each other more, now.

So it is true that couple fight somehow, is good. But for me to get through it again? Sorry, no thank you.

I am happy and grateful with the way things are. :)

Today

I went out today :)

Thanks to Joanna Han Yen Ting for picking me up from my house! :D I am nothing without you..*hahaha*

Anyhow, Yasmin and Hanisah came to Melawati today, so, me and Joanna sort of like tourist guides, showed them how Melawati looks like and went to Joanna's place for awhile, playing Uno stacko. 

But before that, we had lunch at Austin Chase, Wangsa Walk. I had bologneise. And it was not as good as I expected it to be *judging through the taste and the price*. I felt like being ripped-off. A bit lah.

But it's okay. The place was quite nice and comfy and got boardgames, so while waiting for food, we played taboo! I didn't know it was such an enjoyable game! I wish Lynthia was there, with us, she would rock the place upside down with her screams and laughters. Haha.

And then, we watched Knight and Day. Despite the fact that I don't like Tom Cruise because he is irritating, annoying, over-confident and short (sorry Tom, no offence..), the movie turned out to be so funny! I couldn't believe that I actually laughed....really loud...during the movie. I didn't know Tom Cruise could be that hilarious. Haha! Paid Rm9 for that movie was totally worth it! *macam lah mahal sangat pon*

After the movie, me and Jo sent Yasmin and Hanisah to LRT. Thanks again Joanna for sending me home even though you're still blur in recognizing my house, even after a dozen of times you  passed my house already. Like just now, when she stopped her car, she said,

"Eh Suraya, I didn't know your myvi is black. I thought it's white"

"Joanna, that's not my house, that's my neighbour's house" 

"OHHHHHH~~~! HAHAHAHA! I thought it's your house!! They all look alike!!" 

C'mon Joanna, seriously? =.="


However, this very special character of yours, is the one that will make me miss you when I'm in India. :P

India, Please treat me well

1st August 2010, i'll be leaving Malaysia and will start a new stage of life in the land of spices and elephants and some say pigs.

Hahaha.

By the way, my flight is at 10.10 pm. Feel free to come send me off! *Though this is compulsory for Joanna and Yasmin*

New Style

People noticed that I always wear black tudung. No matter what style it is; shawl, bawal, syria, pashmina, etc. I would still wear it in black to the point of sick of wearing that color now.

It's not that I don't have any other colored tudungs, it just that I'm lazy to mix and match. Black suits everything. Right?

Though, somehow, I think, I need to add some colors in my life. I'm scared I'll be color-deprived and soon will lead to critical color depression.

And so, I bought some new tudungs online with all different colors except black!

And I'm very proud of myself for that.

I also bought this 1 shawl made of cotton, something like t-shirt kind of material.

I think my face looks super chubby in it.

Do I look normal to you?

I was wondering, where did it go wrong? It is the way I tie it? How come everyone else can pull it off and I can't?

Or is it because I'm lack of confidence on wearing something other than black tudung?

Hmmm....

I am currently into...

1. Maxi dresses

Frankly, I have 2 maxi dresses!

1 is a checkered pattern and another one is floral.

I like it because;

1. It's very stylish and comfortable at the same time.
2. Which means, it would be very great to put on when I feel fat! Haha.
3. Look more feminine but rugged at the same time :)
4. The look can go from bohemian to elegant. So, it's very practical. :)

But the thing is, I don't really have the confident to rock it! I wore it once and I felt overdressed :(.

But then, lately, I've seen quite a number of women out there are wearing it and some even wear it with a cardigan or a denim jacket which make it looks so fabulous!

After seeing all that, now, I'm beginning to have faith in carrying it and probably am going to rock it soon! :)

2. Skinny Jeans

Well, I used to mention it in my older post but what the heck! I still can't get over it!

Though I prefer slim fit rather than skinny because I look like sarung cempedak wearing skinny.

Basically slim fit cut is less skinny at the ankle end, so it's not that tight.

I'm still in love with it because;

1. I don't have to alter it since the ankle ends are small and so all the extra fabrics will accumulate at the ankle ends which look fabulous :).

2. I like to wear loose tops so skinny jeans make the whole look proper and balance and I don't look sloppy or just wake up from bed.

3. It looks great with any shoes, be it flipflops, flats, heels, boots, anything!

4. Anyone can wear it; skinny, not so skinny, curvaceous, etc. (But must find the right cutting)

5. I can run great miles in it.

6. Because I feel great wearing it. Lol.

3. Short dresses and pair it with leggings

Ahh, currently I am soooo into this style because it is very comfortable!

It's comfortable because;

1. Leggings are stretchable, thin and rubber waisted. It's tight so it can tuck in your tummy which makes your tummy looks flat (Even after you eat lots of ribs at Tony Roma's). Haha. So you look slim in anything! hehe.

2. Short dresses are very easy to find. And this whole style requires only a small budget. Leggings you can get as low as rm15 at sg.wang or times square, even at Cotton On it's rm59 for two pairs if I'm not mistaken and those dresses, it's up to you whether you want it expensive and branded or you can just blogshop or go to sg.wang/times square which have fabulous dresses at only rm25!

3. It's economical yet stylish at the same time :) 

4. For us muslims, we can pair it up with loose cardigans, wear inners or jackets as long as the dress is not too short (at least cover you knees).

4. Maxi skirts

Ok, the difference between maxi skirts and maxi dresses is that maxi skirts are only the bottom without the top. It's basically an A-cut long skirt.

It can be made out of chiffon, lycra, cotton and so on.

I like it to be worn with a fitted t-shirt top, tucked in and put a belt across it to enhance the whole look and of course, your body figure :).

This look can go casual or for any occasion, depending on the skirt material and the pattern :).

You can even wear it with a white shirt (tuck in) and put a nice belt across your upper waist. You will look very elegant. :)

Well, that's all so far. I have tonnes of other styles which I really like but I am quite lazy already to write it all out. Till then, toodles~ :)

You know, another dream of mine other than being a great dentist and having a cupcake shop, is to have my own boutique! Travelling around the world to find unique and nice stuff will be so fun!

Pesta Makan

Yesterday;

Breakfast : Half roti canai and half nasi lemak

Lunch : Chinese chicken dry noodle

Teatime: Chocolate marble pancakes with bits and pieces from Ika's mac and cheese and roasted chicken!

Dinner: Roti canai with sardine

Today;

Breakfast: Maggi curry and a slice of cheese bread

Lunch: Spicy McChicken Deluxe

Dinner: NASI MINYAK!


Oh God, please let my senses come back to me!!

Hence, have to jog 3 rounds in the neighborhood as a punishment tonight!

1 Malaysia :D

And very happy with it :)

Went out with ex-housemates (excluding Lynthia because she's in Sarawak. Sorry leng lui..huhu) yesterday.

As usual, we did what we do best; SHOPPING. Hahahaha. Me and Yasmin bought flats at Cotton On and Jo bought a blouse from Forever 21.

Yasmin, trying out hats at Forever 21.

And Lynthia, don't you worry, your absence was truly felt by three of us :(. We even saved a seat for you at the Pancake International House;

See?? You were supposed to sit next to the Bollywood Queen if you were there yesterday!

We tried that restaurant for the first time yesterday. And phew, turns out, the food was great! 

I had those with mushroom soup, mini pancakes and Iced lemon tea for only rm17!!

Meanwhile my other two girl-friends had roasted chicken, taco, mac and cheese, mini pancakes and the same drink at the same price too!

3 mini pancakes for each of us! Yum!

Took some pics while waiting for food. 

I tried to hug Jo like how I hugged Yasmin but it seems like Jo is not that good at hugging and the picture didn't turn out quite right and so, not going to post it here. 

Apparently, few days ago, there was a balloon festival at Pavi and they still had some of the pieces there yesterday. It's so cool!

This is just okay, so-so...

But this one....

Oh yeah baby! Now we're talking! Broomm broomm!

On the way home, we stopped by at the KLCC and had some drink (ice-cream in my case)

They had root-beer floats.

Wild berry yogurt gelato~~ superb!

You see, the 1 Malaysia concept is not that hard to practice. Just be confident and don't be afraid :)

Credits to Joanna for her awesome pictures! :)