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My Birthday Dinner

I’m back here for the update! Yesterday we just had red eggs for lunch, because we want to give spaces for our stomach for the dinner in Restaurant.


Red Eggs.

We went to Japanese Restaurant again for the dinner, because the food there most suitable us. Since the outside temperature was -10 something, we decided to go there by cab. The cab brought us all the way from Hostel to the Front door of the Restaurant.

We entered the restaurant and looked for seats. It was quite empty, maybe we came too early. The waitress gave us 2 menu books. We found that they added a lot new stuffs, and most of them are NOT CHEAP! We quickly made our orders, scared that later will be more customers and we got to wait long. Guess what we orders? let’s see later in the post.

While waiting for the food to come, I took the chance to shoot several photo of the environment in the restaurant.


Hot towel was given 1st to clean our fingers and palm, maybe other places too. As you wish.


Chopticks


Limao Tea, it came 1st. The tea was hot!!


The tea cup. It is ceramic


This is their main workstation where sushi and drinks are prepared here. All the orders are made at here too.


Their lighting


Special bowl for soya sauce



Do you notice the differences?



After several minutes of waiting, our 1st food came. A set of sushi.


Less than 15 minutes, we finished them all. What to do? We ate eggs for lunch only…


We also ordered the rice with chicken. It is very nice!


The most important part of the Rice. The Chicken~~!


Don’t know what is this vege called.


Time to eat~!~~


We also ordered there Japanese Duck! Is hard to find and very expensive in Kursk.


The ‘lavash’ for wrapping the meat.




3 types of sauces were given together with this Japanese Duck


This is how I wrapped the duck meat! It taste nice. But I still prefer the Beijing Duck from Li Garden, Kuching!!



Wiped clean! ahaha

Then I called the waitress to give me the bill so that I can make the payment. Do you know, to let them ‘produce’ a bill need about 15 minutes? Russian style.. :) While I was waiting for the bill, I took the oppurnity to shoot some photo again.


This is the computer that they used to print bills.. You see, it is empty…


Some said, this lamp is beautiful and unique. How do you think??

After made the payment, I called for a cab. It is another “waiting” for us. We went out from the building and found this.


Christmas is LOVE! Am I right?

We reached hostel around 10pm. It was almost 2 hours dinner. Today, my friends held a simple party lunch for me. I will update about this tomorrow. Stay TUNED!

 

Posted in Diary, Food, Happy Days, My thought, Photography.

By Johnny
January 6, 2009

1 comment

My 24th Birthday

Today is my 24 birthday! It is also my last birthday in winter in Kursk, Russia~ Should I proud of it? Hehehe.. It was snowing all day long, the accumulated snow was quite thick, about 2-4 inches deep.


Taken through my window.

My facebook for the 1st time, bombarded by birthdays wishes on my walls. Wishes from my friends during secondary school life, university life and so on. But till now, I still haven’t receive any wishes from 2 of my very BEST friends! They are the BEST! Because they wish through their own heart, but too bad, I have no such receptors or decoders to receive and decode it. hehe. =P

This morning, we went out to shopping mall to buy some stuffs for my birthday party tomorrow. Adeline asked me to buy a cake for my own, while she went to find and buy birthday present for me. It is also my 1st time that I bought my own birthday cake! Just like my dad said, he always buy his own birthday cakes!

On the way back home, Adeline said she want to give me another special birthday present. She asked me to follow her to enter the private playground and she will do something. I said that I can’t enter the playground as the holes on the fences for children to enter and out are too small for me. She said there is a hole big enough for me to enter, guess what? She brought me to the playground via the main gate! Of course that is big enough for me to enter. hehe


Oppss.. is she fall down? nope. She is trying to stand up. Guess what she did..


Here it is. An angel! The shape a bit destroyed when she was attempting to stand up.


This is another angel she created in front hostel. Better looking right?


Do you know how thick is the snow? This thick! Enough to cover your whole feet.


Does anyone know how to shoot falling snow? This is my best photo with enough falling snow in my photo. But too bad, the background is very over exposed. =(

When reached hostel, Adeline passed me my birthday present. Guess what she bought for me?


A brand new wallet! It is from Wanlima. A world well known leather products maker, and it is also Russian favorite brand for wallets and purse!


From top view, there are 2 compartments for cash notes, with additional zip-secured hidden compartment.


Left side for cards and cardss.


Right side for coins and some cards. It is good because I can store the coins properly, as my old wallet doesn’t have such special compartment for coins


Time to say goodbye for my old wallet? NO, as Andrew said, FOOCHOWs will NEVER waste! I will use my old wallet to store something!


Let’s make friend~ Do you think my new wallet a bit oversized? Adeline said, she bought me a new BIG wallet so that I can store MORE cash!

I Love this wallet a lot! Thanks ADELINE~!

While I was ‘busy’ reviewing my new wallet, lynnwei knocked my door, and she passed me something and said ”Happy birthday”


A paper packet for me with special tag on it!


This is the tag


There are 2 chocolate ice-creams in the bag! 500ml Sneakers Ice Cream and 500ml Kit Kat Ice Cream!




Kit Kat Ice-cream. It is chocolate flavored Ice Cream with kit kat ‘balls’ in it. Very NICE



This is the Snickers Ice Cream. I think it will be snickers nuts and chocolate chips inside? I don’t know yet, because I havent eat it. But I think it will be very NICE too!

THANKS LYNNWEI AND KHIAN LU.

Another one last birthday present I received today! It is from Colley


the Belgian SEASHELLS chocolates


Right bottom corner, there is specially hand-made decor. “QQ” maded by silver wayer and pasted on purple paper. I heard she used lots of time to make this. Thanks 1st~!!


Special glow in dark stickers pasted on the top. Let’s try to shoot it in dark.


Look! They glow! hehe..

THANK A LOT COLLEY!

That’s all my presents received for my 24th birthday, anymore coming? I will update my birthday dinner tomorrow, as I’m SLEEPY! =P

 

Posted in Diary, Food, Happy Days, My thought, Night Photography, Photography.

By Johnny
January 4, 2009

4 comments

AGM ‘09

Just as scheduled, we had our AGM (Annual General Meeting cum Annual Grand ‘Makan’) tonight. The AGM was planned to start at 7pm sharp, but due to some technical problem, we started it at 7.54pm.

Thanks God that our big brother from other hostel able to enter our hostel tonight! Our kind, lovely, innovative, responsible and creative Rector set a Rules that “Students from other hostels cannot enter to other hostel”. This rules was set to ENSURE the FIRE safety of our Hostel! But how come our big brother from other hostel can enter our tonight? Ask GOD! HE did it for us!

Agenda of the AGM
1) Toast
2) EAT
3) Continue to EAT
4) Try to EAT
5) Cleaning

Our AGM started with a TOAST! Kelvin suggested that everyone of us should wish for somethings! Started with

1) E - that we all get posting in Kuching
2) J - That we can go back early this summer
3) W - Everyone is happy
4) N - Earn more MONEY $$$$
5) K - To all our family members in Malaysia, for their health and well being
6) A - Pass 6th year

7) Ti - wish that everyone will get the posting as soon as possible

8) Te - study good good
9) C - be a specialist in future
10) L - Another group dinner next time
11) B - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Did you notice that all our cups are the same? They are all from BILLA Supermarket, latest supermarket in KURSK! We are NOT promoting for Billa, we just to be uniform. =P The cups are given for free to each customers who bought more than 100roubles from their supermarket.

After the toast, our started our dinner! 1st, started by dividing the Fried Rice prepared by FangYao to everyone. Really praise him that he carried all the way for Hostel 4 to our hostel and the “structures and decorations” remain intact!


This is the Fried Rice that Ti brought from far away. Can you see the “Structures” is remain intact?

We ate not only fried rice, but lots more other delicious foods prepared by everyone of us,


Baked fish, prepared by Lynnwei


Mixed vege, prepared by ShiHow


Should be Sweet & Sour pork, prepared by Kelvin


Grilled Chicken, prepared by ShooHao


“Shark fins”soup, prepared by Andrew


Fried Chicken Wing, prepared by Eddy. Actually he prepared another grilled chicken wings too, but he only took out after the Fried Chicken Wing finished, and I put my dSLR in room. Therefore, I don’t have any photo of it, sorry!

That’s all for our dinner? How can that be if without desserts and drinks right?


Papadam, prepared by LynnWei


Fruit salad, prepared by Bryan


Agar-agar, prepared by ME


Lohan drinks, prepared by IkHui


Peanut Cake, brought by FangYao


Chocolate cake, prepared by Niny

During the AGM, we also discussed about the tactics for our intergroup futsal competition tomorrow. Some of us said, opppss.. cannot reveal 1st. Besides that, we also pre-plan our Annual BBQ on 9th of May 2009. Last year was postponed, hopefully this time it will be on schedule.

Our AGM ended at 10.15pm. Everyone was tired, so there was no group photography after AGM!

 

Posted in Diary, Food, Happy Days, My thought, Photography.

By Johnny
January 3, 2009

4 comments

Good Morning 2009

2009 had just arrived! We will have 8 days holidays starting from today until 8th of January! Such a long holiday, it is a great time for rest, to plan the projects for one whole year, and lots more.

Today I woke up at 11am here, because I was too tired after coming back from count down. Only stay at hostel, didn’t go out to anywhere, the weather was cold.

My New Year resolutions for 2009 are
1) Lose more weight!!
2) Be prepared for upcoming exams
3) Earn more from my blogs
4) And of course produce more quality posts

My New Year wish lists!!
For my work
1) I hope I get my posting at the place I want.

My Dreams
1) A new Intel Core i7 processors desktop together with high end graphic card.
2) A new lens, Canon EF 70-200mm F4 L IS
3) Canon Speedlite 580EX II
4) Air tickets!!
Ahaha.. These are just dreams, need money to accomplish these tasks!

Tomorrow we are going to have AGM for our group. AGM = Annual General meeting or Annual General Makan? I also not so sure~ =P

Posted in Diary, My thought.

By Johnny
January 1, 2009

1 comment

Count Down at Red Square

This is my last New Year celebration in Kursk~! I had passed through 5 New Years at here, and I never went to Red Square for count down! So I decided that I must go this time, to see how it looks like. And of course I want to see firework in near distance!

Around 11.30pm, all the students who wish to go had gathered at hostel lobby! And we started our journey to Red Square at around 11.40pm


The street was so silent~!


This is the beginning of Lenin Street, the street which head to Red Square. Now it is blocked for all traffics, except cabs.


Christmas Tree in front the Zhar Pizza (fast food restaurant)


The Lenin Street is silent too~


Other people who went together with me


Pushkin Shopping Mall night view. It is located in the middle of Lenin Street.


Christmas tree and Snowman in front the Shopping Mall.


Opppsss… It is already 12am! And we were still in the middle of journey to Red Square! We missed the count down.


When we reached Red Square, there were already many people. And people were coming from all directions


Old russian couple were playing fireworks. Romantic right?


They were surrounding this big Christmas Tree.


Some of the them were busying shooting photo, and some of them were busying dancing


This is the stage at the Red Square.


Stage zoom in~~~


The MC came down from stage and dance together with audiences


The mouse~!! hehehe..


We were preparing to go back home. The fireworks show will be only start at 2am! Wrong timing~!! Most of them can’t wait for it.


People who headed to Red Square were getting more and more!


Some Russians they fired up their owns fireworks~ I’m not prepare to shoot it. :(


When we walked until Pushkin Shopping Mall, we sudddenly heard the Fireworks sound! And it was came from the Red Square direction. Most of us were lazy to go back to Red Square again, so we just watch at there. The view was limited…


The fireworks were so nice!


With red colours


Another one~


Some of us said, if we walked back to Red Square, maybe we still can see the fireworks.


Taken somewhere near pushkin.


Do you know what is this?

After that, I went back hostel straight and reached around 2am. Pretty late right? Here I would like to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009 again~!

 

 

Posted in Diary, Happy Days, My thought, Night Photography, Photography.

By Johnny
January 1, 2009

4 comments

Goodnight 2008

2008 for me is just going to end in several hours. As for New Year Eve, we had a simple dinner for tonight, we had Steam Boat. It was 8 months ago that we had steam boat.


These are the ingredients we had. We had pork, chicken, ’sotong’, mushroom, carrot, rice noodle, sausage and cabbage. The ingredients we can get here are limited, unlike in Malaysia where we can get lots of other stuffs. For example the steam boat I had after my confirmation.


This is the sauce made by Adeline. Her favorite too. It is made by chilli, soya sauce, and black vinegar. It got a nickname so called Foochow Sauce


This is the drink we had for dinner. It is Luo Han Guo.


Last shoot before we start to eat~!


The boat is ready to carry some raw materials..


Now we are ready to eat~!~~~~~


Oppss… Before we start, I used plastic bag to cover these 2 little thingy in room, we scared the smoke will activate the alarm. Who wanna go out of hostel during this time?? Especially cold winter…


Night view from the window. Most of the roofs are covered by snow.

That’s all for tonight activities. Below are my summaries for my life happening in 2008
04.01.08 Celebrated my birthday at Italian Cafe.
30.01.08 Started my 3 days 2 night trip to Moscow.
31.01.08 1st time visit Zoo. And it was at Moscow.
01.02.08 Lost my N80 in Moscow, pretty sad~! Lost all the photo taken during trip.
06.03.08 Launched http://myjoyfuldays.com after failed to resuscitate http://johnnykiu.com.
16.03.08 Celebrated Adeline’s Birthday
11.04.08 5th Anniversary at Russia.
23.06.08 Started my 8 days 7 nights tour in London, full travel reports can be found in June and July archive
27.07.08 PR update, myjoyfuldays.com ranked PR 2
05.08.08 Got my new phone, Nokia N95 8gb, fully sponsored by myjoyfuldays.com
11.08.08 Did my confirmation in Church
13.08.08 Got my 1st dSLR, Canon EOS 450D, fully sponsored by myjoyfuldays.com
12.10.o8 1st Group Photography. Autumn session
19.10.08 4th Anniversary
19.11.08 1st Snow in Kursk
25.11.08 myjoyfuldays.com goes mobile
01.12.08 Started my Christmas month for myjoyfulday.com
31.12.08 myjoyfuldays.com PR dropped to 1.. What a pity.. :(

My new year resolutions and wishlists will be announced tomorrow.

Happy New Year to all my readers and friends. May God bless you~!

 

 

 

Posted in Diary, Food, Happy Days, My thought, Night Photography, Photography.

By Johnny
December 31, 2008

2 comments

Early in the Morning

As I said from previous post, my Internal Medicine part 2 was started this week. Yesterday, my class was started at 9am, it was the earliest class we had since the ‘holidays’. As the hospital is far, we got to take bus at 8am. That is extremely early. Winter time, means sunrise is later. When we got out, the sky still a bit dark, which is ideal condition for sleep.


Can you see the sky? it is still dark


Even though it was still early, the street already crowded with people, the stalls were opened up.


Another shoot.

Today, we are having the last class of the year, tomorrow we are having holiday, so no classes for us. hehe. Tomorrow will be New Year Eve for everyone. There will be a celebration and count down at Red Square, fireworks of course. I think I will go out for a look, if the conditions allow. And it will be a great chance for firework photography. hoho..

Posted in Diary, Happy Days, My thought.

By Johnny
December 31, 2008

No comments

Last Sunday of 2008

Today is the last Sunday of the year, time is running fast. Today also remark the end of my ‘holidays’ (Free rotation finished), and tomorrow will start our Internal Medicine Part 2 at Regional Hospital. There is snowing all these days, the temperature is low, plus the wind, it will make you feel numbness over all your extremities.


Can you see the flying snow? This is the “luxurious” flat/apartment behind our hostel.


The multi-purpose ‘field’ now covered by snow. Maybe it is good for skating? just pour the water, can you’re ready to skate


Watch your steps.. Dont’ step into hole,  feces or slippery ice..


Opps… the car covered by snow too.. They need to wipe off the snow before they can drive.


The Church.


Behind my hostel. The black black things are the big rubbish bin


In front my hostel. Got to be extremely careful when step on staircase. Any careless may end with FRACTURES!


In front my Hostel, 1st attempt for Panoramic view


See my glove?

After I back from church today, we went to train station to buy the train tickets for our winter trips. When we reached there, there was only 1 counter working and the queue was long. Actually there was another counter open, but one ticket will be charged additional 150roubles as commisions.


These are the tickets we bought, you know how much they cost total? Actually we had another 3 tickets to buy, but we had insufficient funds… So postpone lo..

Okay.. Time to sleep.~!

Posted in Diary, Happy Days, My thought, Photography.

By Johnny
December 29, 2008

4 comments

Christmas Charity Concert

Last night we had Christmas Charity Concert for orphans in Kursk. It is organized by Catholic Fellowships. Last year the concert was held at the orphanage itself, but this time it was held in the hall of our University to accommodate more people.

The concert started at 3pm. I’m the photographer for the event, so I went there 45 minutes earlier to do some survey~. For this event, I used my dSLR with my kit lens EF-S 18-55 F3.5-5.6 IS (no more to buy L lens yet..) and EF 50mm F1.8 mk II. I chose to shoot at RAW format, so that I can do some adjustments in my computer.


Arrival of the Children


Still many people come yet. But the Hall was FULL slight after the concert start.

 
Invited Guests for the concert. Russians are very punctual! 3pm means 15 minutes before, unlike Malaysian 3pm means 3.30pm. Am I right?


The concert started with opening speech by Pro-rector of my university! to be honest, this is my 1st time see him after been here for 6 years!


Followed by Dean of International Department


After the speeches, the 9-Dragon, Kursk perform their “orchestra”.


Still the same, this one with slow shutter speed. You can see how much the ’shake’ during 2 seconds. They really put themselves into music.


After the orchestra, there is dance! I don’t know what is it called. Should be something like “Egyptian Pharaoh and Isis Dance”


You see how synchronized they are.


Last shot.


Instrumental Performance by Brazilian and Malaysian


Nigerian dance


Martial Arts. Children’s favorites. They were invited to stage to learn/play some “art”


Then followed by real Martial Art Performance


Indian Dance. The fire never go off even he was jumping, shaking all the time.


Then followed by American Dance.


After the performane, the stage was given to the Orphans. They also had some performances for all.


A wonderful song by this little girl.


Duet


Some extraordinary performance by them


Another song~!


Games time. I think most of them are having great fun over there


Santa Clause and Snegaruchka


Present Giving~


Are you Happy?


Ending song together with Children.

It is great to celebrate together with them!

For more photos, you can visit the following link.
My facebook
Kelvin facebook 1 and 2

 

Posted in Diary, Happy Days, My thought, Photography.

By Johnny
December 27, 2008

2 comments

White Christmas Night

Christmas 2008 is overed!

We had some simple Christmas Dinner with Grilled Turkey, Soup and soft drink. Adeline said she never eat turkey before and don’t know how it taste and how it looks like. So this early morning, I went out to the market (nearer oner) hoping there is turkey for sale! Or else I got to go to somewhere Central in Kursk for Turkey. Thanks God, I’m pretty lucky that I found Turkey in nearer market. I chose the smaller one, and asked the seller how to cook it. She told me to stuff the Turkey with apples. So I bought apples too.


This is the after grilled Turkey~! Forgot to snap the before grilled


This is the opening for the abdominal cavity, before I grill it, I stitch the opening with thread. hehehe


Coca-Cola.. I think this is the nicest one. =P

After the dinner, the carol team members came and invite us to watch their ‘performance’. This time, the carolling is by the cell groups in 5th hostel.


Here they are~

Tomorrow we will have Christmas Concert for the orphanges in Kursk! So. more pics coming up~!!

 

Posted in Diary, Food, Happy Days, My thought, Photography.

By Johnny
December 26, 2008

6 comments