7th Day of Piggy Year

Shoulder aches, damp moist walks, laughters, giggles, grumbles, chats, silence, and silent smiles, questions, ponders, and decision-making. These are words which would describe the Saturday morning which led up to the house's CNY dinner. Of course, preparations were half done before the day. I really have my friends to thank for..for all that they have helped out. It definitely wasn't easy to cook for a number of people trying to make sure all come out nice and warm at once. Personally, I realised something...that I need to figure out a way to make my cooking more efficient. Tried as hard as I may to multitask, I would have expected the dishes to come out p.e.r.f.e.c.t.l.y given the time and effort that had been put in..especially by a very helpful houzzie who helped and handled everything so well from start to end and never complained! *_*

Well, to kick off the chronicles, we came back from shopping 35 mins walk away from home with kilograms worth of food. Stashed the food away and ate brunch. I was left alone in the kitchen and made cookies. I was drop dead tired that morning. Staying up late the night before and waking up early could have been the culprits. I wanted to take a nap, but less than half an hour later, there was a knock on my door. Housemate asked me when would I want to start. Well, since I was already awake, it was right away. We continued making cornflake cookies and then started slicing up the ingredients for yee sang (it was the 7th day of the new lunar calender). I overlapped some ingredients and after halfway slicing, we started rolling spring rolls. =) It was all fun. hehe. Then, we rested for half an hour thinking that we were early. I guess I overestimated certain things. Haha! Work continued with chinese new year music played from the laptop with the slicing of food, preparing the siew yuk (roast pork) and deboning the chicken, the latter being wonderfully done by beloved housemate. =D I started roasting the pork, fried the spring rolls, prepared the veggies, and then back to ingredients for the sweet and sour chicken. Wah, a bit of a commotion when it was already nearing meal time. Cooking of rice, turning over of the roast pork, preventing some food from getting burnt.. The last thing to prepare were the toppings for the yee sang......The table was cleared, wiped and being gathered around. Photo time ensued while waiting for another friend to arrive. *phewh* all was done in chirpy moods.

Meal time was great. The tossing of yee sang, eating, talking, chatting, joking, teasing, laughing..

Post main-meal was great too. Cookies, mandarins (CNY ma!), and tong yuen! *yummy*!

The results:











I personally enjoyed everything from start to end, making, till cleaning and packing; and, the meal wouldn't have turned out without the wonderful help by my housemate. Thanks wehh..

What a revelation~!

To my fellow medics interested in holding a scapel in future,
and also friends interested in going under the scapel! haha! - READ THIS:

Who makes better surgeons???
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/2/20/worldupdates/2007-02-20T094606Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_-288390-1&sec=Worldupdates

-can't seem to add a hyperlink at the moment

and whatta news!
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/2/20/worldupdates/2007-02-20T115341Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_-288419-1&sec=Worldupdates

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/2/20/worldupdates/2007-02-20T094358Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_-288389-1&sec=Worldupdates

GONG XI FA CAI!!

Happy Chinese New Year to all!! May the year of the boar reap in lots and lots of joyous moments, prosperity and happiness! To the ladies, success in losing weight; as of the guys, errr...virility? haha!

Well, first morning of CNY and I am blogging! The first 'sweetness' which entered my mouth was plain water, followed by Hot Mocha. =D unlike the last CNY I had -which was 2 years back, sweetness was really sweet-it was Toblerone!- Yet, this morning, that was the first thing that I thought of taking. Just plain water. Perhaps I was really dehydrated from last night.

Eve started off with home internet-ing with me. Saw the family over webcam and chatted for a bit. After which, I was just being 'around' the room/house until late evening. I went over to what I would say as my very first family in Cardiff. These bunch of warm people made me melt into place when I first arrived. So it really was absolutely gratifying to have been able to have the reunion dinner with them - alongside with 10++ other people!

We had steamboat. Alan made the Yee Sang which was absolutely terrific! The effort put it was simply...*wow*. Ah, and I never fail to be impressed with his cooking skills. I know he's terribly GOOD, and yet, everytime he cooks, I can still add up to that greatness! The way he slices his way through the ingredients, the ideas on the sauce, the meticulous preparation, boiling down to the very importance (according to him - and I do agree) of presentation. Oh, and let me mention about the Peanut Cookies (which is traditionally present for CNY) that he baked. They were AWESOME!!! When you pop one into your mouth, the first thing that striked me was, is this cookie bought?...Then, I came to realise that this has the 'home-baked' feeling and that's too good to be bought! After savouring the cookie, I asked about the producer - and ironically, surprise, surprise! Not surprisingly, Alan was the masterchef behind them. And I must say, without LeeNa and Caroline, I wonder what would have been! They were preparing food non-stop, cutting, slicing, boiling, washing up....hats-off to them!

The house was full with people, some I know from previous acquaintance, and some whom I just met. I felt that they were all one league above me. Most of them were final year medical students (5 years course wehh!!), or final year in their respective courses, and a few were already working (same age, but 3 year courses people). It was good to talk to them. I really do hold high regards for this group of people. Frankly, I don't really see these people in my 'generation'. But then again, I am quite antisocial - unlike WK! haha. (WK, are you reading this?) But ah, this WK, he rarely introduce any of his friends who come by the house to the rest of the house. Ah well, nvm that- Back to original alignment; it was really really terrific to be able to talk to them and hear them out from a different perspective. Talkative yet casual, easy-going and being smartie-pants, brilliant peeps with a zest for life, and charming too~! People who I'd look up to. It's these kinda of occasion and people I meet which lifts my spirit up again, boosting confidence and having a goal towards life all over again. Like a booster dose in immunization.

Upon arriving home, my housemates were doing a steamboat makan (meal) as well! At past midnight! Apparently, that was their dinner and they had it late because they were waiting for WK, who had an event going on. I thought that they ate little, but it was most probably because of the time. The event that WK had to oversee was Cardiff FOD (Malaysian Night). All in all, it was a good evening. I would have loved it to be stretched longer, but I have an exam on Monday. Hopefully, piggy's luck will pull me through..and pull me high.

And so, the start of CNY - saw good tidings happening, surprised by newly formed relationships, and saw breaking of some, met great people and had good laughs. Oh, and Sarawak people are quite a nice bunch. =). The handfuls that I've met thus far. *chuckles*

KUNG HEI FATT CHOY!
KEONG HEE HUAT CHAI!
GONG XI FA CAI!

...TO EVERYONE!

=) Random Pic...

At the Heath Hospital Cafeteria....


(Clockwise from L, front row: Maha, Lav, KangKang, ZLi, Gaye, Me, Aditi)

Valentine's Day was...bitter.

I guess for me to be so-labelled "single", it would have been just wonderful with love in the air...I love my friends dearly.. I do.

But when there is that someone who reigns in your heart, spending it alone without doing or saying anything special, it was....bitter.

Cardiff Medical Society Event of the Year?? hahaha!

Click on link below:

ANALPHYLAXIS 2007

On Valentine's Day

I got:
- a red cup
- a red heart-shaped balloon (HAPPIE!!!!)
- a couple of heart chocolates (HAPPIE!!!)
- hugs =)


I have not (haha. it's only 345pm now) get:
- a stalk of red rose
- teddy
- kisses
- V-day card (*sob*sob*)
- candlelit dinner


Is this yours-truly passionate? *giggles* That, you've gotta ask that someone..~ =P *bLeK*

ColumNating snow!

Pixxies from last week...

I'm rather tired to blog about last week. I'd say that most of it would evolve around the heavy snowfall on thurs (throughout UK) and friday (wales)..and of my SSC (#$%^&!! - i just don't fancy my SSC thus far) on that thursday!!..with my experience travelling ON FOOT ..AND with the public transport on friday.





















The weekend was wonderful. But sadly, I didn't bring my camera..!!!! and I have yet to receive the few photos taken. I wish I had brought my cam. I would have taken so many photos...there were so many moments and scenes and faces that I'd love to eternalise..*sigh*

and...you know what...i so love to fly...but i am jinxed when it comes to flights..well, for most parts.

~~ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY ~~

-shuly signing off with rather uncomfy back muscles, neck ache-ish and random head throbs-

Y'know how it feels like being scolded by your mom or dad or an elder sibling or a friend....you feel awful, and (sometimes) remorse. it does get to you, but soon after everything is okay again. You no longer dwell on that matter...

But when a voice was raised for the first time just the other day (wasn't voice-r's fault), I was stunned instantaneously by a million paralysing neurones firing through my mind and body. It was worse than awful, more than remorse...it was so much more. And it seems as though the after-effect is going to last for quite some time. The incomprehensible feeling is not going to be easily forgotten...

Let it snow..let it snow..let it snow

Finally!

It is snowing in Cardiff. I have been waiting for today since December, which usually don't snow, but is a good month to anticipate it.

The view, though not spectacular, is absolutely gorgeous from my window.

White specks fluffing around, gently descending from night clouds, swaying to the soft blowning wind. After a few moments, they land amongst themselves perched on fragile twigs where a blooming lush bush will emerge again in the next season. The stoney divider is coated with the marshmalllowy white snow and upon lifting some from my window sil, soft to the touch, senses tingle. The scene is subtly illuminated by the orangey spotlights and streetlights as beauty is encapsulated with an open space, a car lurched there.

It really is ... beautiful. And the first thing that came to mind on this frosty morning just over an hour short of dawn, was wanting to share the moment in the arms of whom you love. On the bed, cuddled up with a cup of hot chocolate rested between my palms, sipping gently at the steamy surface, soft pillows strewn, us partially tucked under the comforting duvet...and a kiss to taste the sweetness of being together, enhanced by the hot chocolate...

(and 'shared' the moment i did. sorry to have awakened you...)

Yeah, it's amazing what the weather can do to you. Mother Nature in all her splendour.
















~ *shuly in dreamy mode* seated overlooking the view taking her own sweet time blogging over the laptop with jim brickman played in a candlelit room~

nothing to blog about lately

just looking forward to the weekend. no expectations, no planning.....just wanna take it light and easy... and enjoy the company. =) thanks..for everything.

to know that there will always be someone there for you, no matter (almost) what, is gratifying.

the unknown...

it's the littlest things that he do.

the care, the concern, and right down to the minute details of every action done.

they paramount.

it's just going to be a passing...i doubt that i will get to know more of the unknown.