HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

Greetings from Munich,Germany!!!!
would like to leave a quick and short post here to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!
may you have a blastfull and exciting year ahead, filled with happiness, laughters and good health!!! :D

Ciao!!!

It was a merry christmas

Thanks everyone for a wonderful 2008 christmas aka the last christmas which I am spending in Ukraine :) !!!
We had a wonderful cocktail party on the eve, thanks to Fariq!!! :D those cocktails were GOOD!!!
On the Christmas day itself (we still have class =.= yesss, Ukraine celebrates her christmas on the 7th of January), after class in the morning, I went for a sweet little christmas dinner with singyee and jackie at this italian restaurant which I had long heard about its good food! Well, it didn't disappoint me!
I had a beef pasta and a squid salad, Jackie had a mixture of chicken and pork with BANANA >.< while singyee had chicken fillet topped with apple flavored sauce (I personally like this very much!). Well, of course the dinner won't be perfect without some liquor, right? :) we had 2 bottles of champagne too!
(In the end, we ordered another seafood pizza after being tempted by the table next to us!hahaha~)
Guess what? We thought there won't be a white christmas this year, but it snowed on the christmas night itself!!! wonderful~ it started snowing when we were on the way to the restaurant and when we walked out of it, the scenery changed into snowy white :) NICE! Christmas won't be perfect without snow, isn't it? :)
At last, of course, you can't miss out the christmas GIFTS!!!


Thank you everyone for all the lovely gifts :) and I just LOVE this skinny tie >.<
Alright, 2008 is coming to an end, would like to wish everyone here a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!
P/S: I am leaving to Germany tonight! :D safe journey to me!!! Have fun guys!!! xoxo

Time to be joyful and grateful

Christmas in 3 more days, and New year in a week time, and here comes 2009!!!
Time really flies, and soon i will be graduating next June, alot more to look forward to after that.
Personally i quite like this festive season or months, from end of December to March: Xmas, then New Year, and followed by Chinese New year, then Valentine, my birthday, mom's birthday etc.
Christmas trees are up!

How are you guys celebrating all these coming festivals? I am fortunate enough to spend my New year in Germany this year, first time in life counting down in a foreign city except Ipoh,Malaysia, Singapore and Simferopol,Ukraine :) excited!!!

Well, as 2008 is coming to an end, it is time for me to list out my 2009 resolutions, to set some goals for me to work towards them, well, but not now :)let me refer back to my 2008's and have some planning in my head first:)

Alright, enjoy and treasure the last few days of 2008, take some time to reflect back on the past 357days, and be thankful to everything we have around us, especially the loved ones.
My family, My friends, My loved ones...THANK YOU for a wonderful 2008! :)

Sweet...very sweet

After my gym on wednesday, I went to do some marketing at the marketplace next to my gym. Meanwhile, i wanted to get some biscuits for my breakfast too as the stock is running dry. (yes, i dont have wantan mee or dimsum as breakfast here :( )
After searching high and low, i cannot find any shops selling biscuits or cookies, only breads. ( I dont want to get bread coz they cant last long, have to consume within 2 days max )
Luckily at last i came upon this little stall at the roadside! :)
Aha~ yes, i should've recalled this stall, it had been here always, just that i have never bought anything from here.
Oooo...there was a LONG queue, nevermind, i am desperate, i need breakfast, just join the line! while Q-ing and waiting, i started to daydream and suddenly there was a lady called out to me:
Young man! are you buying anything too? you are not in the Q, the Q should be here.
(pointing the line behind her)
WTF! I had been standing at the wrong spot immediately next to the stall for 10 mins at least! now i have to Q up again =.=
As the time passed, I realised I am actually the 'young'(depends how u classified young, here the definition is <30 (>.<) )customer in the line! and all are ladies too! hmmm...haha~whatever, a young fit guy like me can buy cookies also! :P
Anyway, I have always been amazed by the women here how sweet they like to eat! Just look at all the biscuits and cookies and snacks selling here! All are heavily sugars coated! and all this women were buying tonnes and varities of them! I wonder they will get it home for their family and kids OR they will hide in the corner and have a feast all by themselves >.< Have a look, if not all, MOST are obesed!
Hmmm...anyway, perhaps it is just the culture here :) there are hardly thin women above 30 here...
OK, after a long wait, i bought myself 'love letter' with milk fillings (tasty!my favourite!) and this cookies with caramel (first time trying, and trust me, it will really give u a sweet tooth!!!)

Things you see in Ukraine

Yup, there are a few common sights or things you can see all over Ukraine, no matter which city you travel to.
Here are some of the examples:)
Trolleybus!!!
How could you miss a trolleybus ride in ukraine? hehe...but to tell you the truth, so far i had only taken trolleybus less than 5 times! it is toooooo slow and not so hygenic :P
FYI, here in the crimean peninsula, we have the longest trolleybus route (from simferopol to yalta) in the world!
Marshrutka!!!
Yes, another very very very very common (even more common than trolleybus nowadays i suppose) kind of transportation - the infamous Marshrutka!
Basically it is just a small van or small bus (getting bigger over the years, and equipped with auto-doors). It can always amaze you by the number of passengers it can carry at one time, never underestimate it! :P more than 30 people can be squeezed inside even though the capacity maybe 20? You can say it is not bad if it is during winter, mass cuddling keep warm :) BUT if it is during summer?!?!?! OMG, u go and imagine yourself (FYI, some smaller type marshrutka comes with very limited windows, perhaps 1 ontop, 2 on the sides?)

Over the weekends

It is end of the weekends again, and tomorrow is another new week! Let's hope it will be another great week awaiting ahead :D for all of us!
Meanwhile, let's flash back how was my weekends spent :)
(not every details of course, but some of it...*wink*)

On saturday, me, Jackie and singyee went to Metro (again!*gasp*) coz Jackie wanted to get a new camera (which i fully support since this will mean we will have a good camera for our coming europe trip! yeah!)
After browsing through the choices, she decided to get this, SLR semi-pro FujiS5800 which cost less than RM500! (very good deal i think!)

We didn't actually buy it right there BUT we came back later that night after 12pm since there is 10% discount for electronic goods from 0000-0600... =.= yessss, it was kinda psychotic...( n i got a hand mixer too! not because i am so enthusiastic in baking all of a sudden, it is just because I spoiled the mixer on my 2nd attempt in baking brownies...yea yea yea...i know, that's me =.=)

Of course, besides this, we also did some window shopping on the chocolates, and they look really NICE!



Well, on saturday also there was an exhibition on women's health in the hostel, I didn't get the chance to visit all the booths but one:


I find it very catchy and very informative too, on anorexia and bulimia, but I am not going to elaborate on them here :)
All in all, well done girls!!!

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*
It's sunday! I decided to go for a hair cut 2 weeks prior my trip. I asked jackie along since she wanted to look for rechargable batteries for her new PET - the camera.
Well, we didn't manage to buy any batteries with a good price, perhaps we have to go back to METRO...=.=

The saloon i went to was packed during my first visit, while waiting, we decided to drop by this cafe nearby. The cafe turned out to be a pleasant surprise, we never know the ambience inside is such comfortable and cosy :) and it has been there for more than a year just few steps aways from our hostel! Now we know where to hang out during our next chill out session :D




I ordered tea and chicken salad with green peas while jackie had a glass of wine and ceasar salad.




Guess what, dining with us was another family celebrating birthday of the Dad (i supposed), and they started dancing on the floor when th DJ played the musics :)
I would say it was a very pleasant evening.

Finally, I came back for a haircut!!!
I told the hairstylist(barber?) that i want the side,the back and the top to be short,whereas the front part...I havent decided, let's see how it goes :)


Well, in the end, i decided not to cut the fringe too short and keep some length.
Before...

After...


A half day out in Simferopol with a new camera turned out to be a very fun and joyful experience!!! :D

十句很有意思的话 Ten meaningful phrases

A friend of mine forwarded this mail to me, and i usually don't 'entertain' such forwarded mail, but this mail content really suits my mood, so here i am to share it :)

第一句
沒有一百分的另一半　只有五十分的兩個人
There is no other half of 100%, only two people of 50%

第二句
付出真心　才會得到真心　卻也可能傷得徹底
保持距離　就能保護自己　卻也註定永遠寂寞
You can only get true heart by giving one, but may get hurt deeply in return
Keep a distance, you will be able to protect ownself, but also means forever lonely

第三句
通常願意留下來跟你爭吵的人　才是真正愛你的人
Usually those who are willing to stay and quarrel with you, are those who really love you

第四句
有時候　不是對方不在乎你　而是你把對方看得太重
Sometimes, it is not he/she doesn't care about you, it is just that this person is too important to you.

第五句
冷漠　有時候並不是無情　只是一種避免被傷害的工具
Being cold, sometimes does not mean heartless, it is just a way to avoid getting hurt

第六句
如果我們之間有 1000 步的距離　你只要跨出第1步
我就會朝你的方向走其餘的 999 步
If there are 1000 steps of distance between us, you just need to step out the 1st one, and I will walk the remaining 999 steps towards you

第七句
為你的難過而快樂的　是敵人
為你的快樂而快樂的　是朋友
為你的難過而難過的　就是那些　該放進心裡的人
Those who are happy over your sorrow, are enemy
Those who are happy for your happiness, are friends
Those who are sad over your sorrow, are people whom you should put into heart

第八句
就算是 believe　中間也藏了一個 lie
even in the word 'believe', the word 'lie' is hidden within

第九句
真正的好朋友　並不是在一起就有聊不完的話題
而是在一起　就算不說話　也不會感到尷尬
True friends, are not those who can have endless conversation with you,
they are those even without talking, won't feel awkward when together

第十句
朋友就是被你看透了　還能喜歡你的人
Friends are those whom you had seen through thoroughly, but will still like you.

Boots fetish?

Haha, don't get me wrong... I just want to get a pair of boots for myself for the last winter in Ukraine.
Well, economically, it is not wise to get a pair now since I'll be going back to M'sia for good next June, I should have got one 5 years back, and worn it for 5 winters and only then it is called worthwhile, right? :P

However, I just can't get it off my mind recently and I can't explain why the urge is there keep haunting me...grrr~~ especially after I met 'him' in a new hypermarket in my small little 'city' last evening.

Ok, first of all, I was called along by Shyam and Jackie to visit this new hypermarket called 'Metro'. I have heard of it some time back but it needs a membership card to enter, remind me of Makro back in M'sia. They got a card from local friend and hence there we go!

Hey, you can even see 2 russian national cars here, the LADA!!! >.<

Fine, I may sound like a fool, but it was such delightful to be able to step into a HYPERMARKET again after so long :) as I have mentioned, the 'city' I live in used to be a small little pathetic place, fortunately it improves since the day I was here.
I feel 'civilized' again in Metro! LoL~

Yes, back to the main point, this is HIM!!!



He fits a few of my criteria I am looking for in buying a pair of boots:-
1.He is simple yet stylish, to me :)
2.He is light!!!
3.He has no wool or fur inside, which mean I can still wear it in hot climate!
4.He has heels... means a taller me...LoL (ok, this is quite irrelevant)

However, 3 remaining factors made me hesitated in getting him home...:(
1.The price!!! approximately 180RM!!! :(((
2.My friend commented that it is not made of leather, but PVC (which I don't really mind)
3.My friend also suggested to get one in Germany during our trip there which may cost less but of better quality.

Therefore, I think I should hold the breathe and wait! :)
and maybe my thirst for it will go off??? (or my mom will read this and quench my thirst! hehehe)

Side note:
I went for a massage today, my 2nd time in Ukraine. I went after my gym since my lumbosacral joint felt painful upon palpation (aka pressing) and my back's stiffness is killing me. It had been like this for weeks.
It was a back+ butt massage...>.<
I am serious, the masseur herself told me that when I asked her to tell me the pricing for different types of massage...hahaha~ butt needs massage??? :P ( alright, undeniably it was quite comfy)
Well, she suggested me to come for few more rounds of massage therapies as my muscles are really stiff!

Till then,ciao!

Let's make brownies

First of all, would like to thank you Mr. Al.M (hahaha,funny abbreviation) for sharing his 'secret recipe' and experience in making this 'event' a successful one! :)
Alright, let's get started!!!
The ingredients needed are surprisingly simple, at least to a person like me whom have never baked anything in his life!
Here are the ingredients:
1 ½ cup flour
¾ cup coco powder
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
half a teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup vegetable oil (we used half cup of melted butter with half cup of vegetable oil, BEWARE! cool down the hot melted butter first before adding it in.)

We are supposed to use standard baking measuring cup, but I can't find it, so we just used a normal drinking cup, like this :P


Don't worry, it still works! As long as the proportions are correct :)

Here are the steps:
1.Get ready a baking mold, cover it with baking paper, and spread some oil onto the paper evenly.

2.Prepare a comfortably large container where you can throw in all the ingredients and mix them up with a hand mixer.
3.Break the eggs into a small bowl and stir them up evenly (manually or with a hand mixer)
4.Now, measure the amount of ingredients and pour them into the container accordingly, first flour, then coco powder, then sugar, followed by eggs and oil and lastly the salt and vanilla essence.
5.Mix them well with a hand mixer, for around 3-5 minutes, it should turn out like melted chocolate :P (make sure it is mixed thoroughly, no sight of any flour or powder)

6.Now transfer the well mixed ingredients into the mold.
7.Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 degree celcius.
8.Place the mold into the oven, it takes 30mins to bake.
9.After 30mins (we took 40mins), leave the mold in the oven for 5-10mins to prevent the brownies from collapsing.
10.And now the brownies are ready!!! :D

Well, isn't it simple? :)

Some other tips, for some amateurs like ME, if you can't find vanilla essence in liquid form, you can replace it with the powder form too!

And we added in small pieces of cashew nuts too into the ingredients to spice it up! :D maybe you can experience with some other extra ingredients too, like some other kinds of nuts.

Ok, bon appetite!!!

First time making sushi

Finally made the first step out and tried making sushi!!!
Hereby expressing my gratitude to the 'sushi master' Jackie!!! Arigatou~~~ >.<
Forgot to take the pictures of the final products, so here are the pictures of 'The Making of sushi' ...hehe

Since sushi is from Japan, so we must show our enthusiasm by wearing a T-shirt saying I Love Nippon...LoL...lame~~ (that was not me in the picture if it was not obvious enough :P)

we also tried making 'vege and prawn tempura', although they didn't turn out to be very successful and 'healthy looking', they are DELICIOUS!!!

and i tried making 'teriyaki pork' too!!! muahahaha, and again it didn't turn out exactly teriyaki-ish but it was YUMMY!!! I am serious!!! >.<


alright, as Jackie said, maybe next time we should invest more and add in salmon to our sushi (these are the budget sushi with crabstick,cucumber and egg inside) :)
and we can try making Yoshinoya porkrice too!!! LoL
Oyasuminasai~~~