Dubai: Desert Safari

Dubai has just too much to offer. There are so many things you can do in Dubai, but for the sake of 2 big fat ticks on my bucket list, I decided to set my foot on the desert. So: Desert, tick; Camel riding, double tick.

I joined the Desert Safari recommended by a friend. I would not say that it’s the best choice as there were many other companies running the same activity out there.    

The driver came pick me up from the Dubai mall upon request, and off we go. The driver who pick me up was nice and funny, and we had an interesting chat about the city and the camp.   

Flydubai

FlyDubai started operating flight directly from Volgograd to Dubai from year 2013. I was planning to try this flight someday later but decided to move the plan forward when I found cheaper air tickets on Skyscanner last month.

Dubai Mall

The Dubai Mall has the reputation of being the World largest shopping mall based on total area. 
Several interesting part to cover:

Winter II: The Snow returns

Yes, snow is very beautiful, but it is meant for winter, not spring....
Queen Elsa, Please go back to Arendelle. Frozen Russia need spring.

As you can see, Its heavily snowing outside my window, and no, you’re not confused and yes, it is currently April! It’s supposed to be a warm winter, but what an irony when I found snow in my room in an april morning (my window had broken due to some unknown reason).

So those who are planning to visit Russia during spring, expecting a whole bunch of flower out there, think again…. Put your calendar and geography knowledge aside and check the weather forecast instead (sometimes not so accurate either, because weather here is quite unpredictable.) 

Woman’s day

Photo courtesy to Chan Jun Win. 

with the roommates and half-roommates. Photo Credit to Amber Liew.

I knew about Woman’s day from 3M报 since I was in standard 2. And I knew that it is celebrated on 8^th march annually but I’ve never celebrated one before in Malaysia or seen any celebration happening. I guess Malaysians are not s keen about celebrating this day. After I came to Russia, this fact took a direct opposite turn as the Woman’s day is a big deal for these Russians. Woman’s day is one of the biggest celebration, only next to Victory day and New Year. 

I feel blessed when the boys work hard to create lovely memories for us girls as the best souvenirs. Thank you to all who put your effort in this event, and happy woman’s day to all the girls out there!

Ordinary day

You totally caught me off guard. A russian wanna see me suddenly at night?! You made me drag our Hostel Leader along.... Haha... And I thought you say Valentine is just another ordinary day? Love your roses, Thank you! Let's beat the distance.

Halloween 13

Halloween celebration here is not as popular as it is in the States. Although there are numerous clubs in the city throwing Halloween party, I still can’t feel the eeriness due to the fact that I don’t do clubbing, and there’s nothing going on anywhere other than in the clubs: There’s no treat o’ trick or pumpkin carving anywhere. So when this boring situation reaches a threshold, an Halloween food treat is the only thing I can think of as an escape pathway out of boredom.   All food below are prepared by me and my roommates.

Smilling cookies by Madeline.

Cyanotic fingers and spider devil eggs by Cecilia. 

Graveyard cake by yours truthfully. 

Photo collage.
*Flower garlic bread by Kim.

Our “costumes”. Pig, dogs and a bird. Photo credit to Alicia

Although I wish to say that we should do this again, but sadly, Cecilia and LynWei are graduating next semester. So, Happy Halloween and I hope this add some colours to your final year in Volgograd. We wish both of you all the best in your future undertakings. J

Musical in New Experimental Theatre, Volgograd

I’ve never been to a musical in Russia before and I am truly glad to have this production “Romeo and Juliet” as my first musical play.

And no, it’s not a classical play by William Shakespeare.  On the contrary, it’s rather sophisticated. Romeo and Juliet, in modern times. Although I am not a good reviewer on musical plays and theatre, the show was great and I really enjoyed it despite of the language barrier. Every plays like this require a lot of hard work on stage and off stage, so a standing ovation is the thing that they deserve.  

Photo before the show. (girls only)

Tickets in russian.

photos during break time.

Information of NET:
Address: 400131, Volgograd. World Street 5 

Phones numbers: 

Advance bookings: 38-08-39 or 8-902-361-90-01 Meleshina Nadezhda 

Cashier: 38-08-45 

operation time 

Mon-Fri: 10.00 - 19.00 

Sat, Sun: 10.00 - 18.00 

website: http://net-volgograd.ru/

Lunchbox with Love

I hate to sound like a housewife, but cooking and making yummy food is one of the greatest way for me to release stress. Japanese bento is one of my favourite food set and Bento is certainly one of my MUST-COOK. Lucky me, there is someone as crazy as I am for Japanese food and a cooking-date is what it eventually leads to.

Saadah is surely a pro in making cute bentos and she taught me how to make these little duckings with sesame seeds, corns, bird eggs and spaghetti. While the Rilakkuma Omurice bento is the cutest thing I learned online from a Japanese food guru “Ochikeron”. I love her tutorials because she explains everything step by step, and the thing that I love the most is her creativity. Click on her tutorial video below to find out more! *Sharing is caring*

There are a lot of tutorials available on her channel. Be sure to check it out sometime: http://www.youtube.com/user/ochikeron. 

Autumn in my heart

In my opinion, autumn is the most beautiful season. Before I came to Russia to pursue further studies, I used to think that perhaps Spring is the most beautiful time of the year. Imagine my disappointment when I first found out that true Spring just last about 2 weeks and all those flowers that make spring “Spring” withers away under the summerish scorching sun. Yes, it’s still spring as shown on the calendar, but unfortunately not in real life.

Autumn is always the perfect time to snap some photos. It’s a must do for students like us studying abroad. I love the weather: not too cold, not too hot. It’s always just right to scroll to the park right after class.

What I’ll always do is, searching for the perfect leaf to be my next bookmark. I’ve always been a nerd. Bonus is, I’ve always been a nerd, with a sense of art. Thank God for that.

Photo session in Chekistov Park after Pharmacology class. Photo credits to Amber Liew.
 

We don’t always have time for all these, it’s always important to create memories.

The Mamaef Kurgan hill never fail us when it comes to Autumn photo shooting. Golden and red leaves perfectly reflect Autumn.  

       And the best thing about outings and photo shooting? I would say it’s the golden time I get to spend with the people who care about me and I care about. The most important necessaries for overseas students is friends. Not just “friend”, but “true” friend. Some discovers them with ease but some only after a storm. Just like the Jewels in a treasure hunt: no pain no gain.   

Love this vintage feel.