Waking up

I wanted to wake up to muffled sounds of the news and commercials on tv and clanging of pots and pans in the kitchen.



I wanted to wake up to the sound of a familiar bird-call whistle, and a hose running in the garden.



I wanted to open my eyes to that fat little giant snoring contentedly in his sleep, and shake and push and tickle him till he wakes up irritably to swat that grin off my face and go back to sleep.



I wanted to say "Happy New Year's Eve" to my daddy, mummy and kid brother first thing I woke up.



But today, like in all the previous 5 New Year's Eves, I woke up in Russia.

Happy New Year's Eve,

Dad, Mum, Kid. I love you everyday.

~ Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas ~

Christmas for Christians is a day filled with joyful spiritual spirit.

Christmas for the rest of us is a wonderful day for friends and family to get together and celebrate our love and friendship.

WAVES didn't attend any happening gala party, but had our warm little celebration in our modest little room, with our humble little tree and funny little conversations.

We all had a Merry little Christmas this year.

" Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!"

Warmest wishest from a-n-9-e-l and Poohfy

We didn't have a sumptuous Christmas dinner, but our tastebuds and tummy were pampered by this amazing stuffed turkey prepared by Wong. Find out how he appeased to our Christmas appetites in his blog!



Pineapple rice! A bit weird for a Christmas dinner, but boy was it good. I must have had 3 helpings at least. Also by Wong. This guy can really make a dinner. :)

Merry Christmas from WAVE! If Qishen looks funny to you, that's because he's wearing a bathrobe as a makeshift Santa Claus costume. We all took turns being our Bathrobe Santa, but I think QiShen REALLY liked it.

We had all prepared a gift each for exchanging presents! It was quite silly now thinking back - we had our names written on pieces of paper, sat in a circle, and picked names. You received your Christmas present from whoever's name you picked :)

With our mysterious gifts before exchanging presents.

Wong picked my name! He got my “食浴” - A towel in the form of a Green Tea Cheese Cake!"

Sim Yee picked Xiao Chiann's "智慧”，a fun puzzle ring toy.

Wong's "新加坡的遗憾”（It's a long story). He bought a pretty little watch. You see, there was 75% chance that a girl would pick his name, and he decided to take that chance.

But no one told him about the Murphy's Law.

So QiShen picked his name.

So now QiShen is stuck with a girly watch which ALL THE GIRLS WANT.

*cough* wanna exchange? *cough*

QiShen's "魔毯" landed in Xiao Chiann's hands! You should see all the kinds of things she did with that scarf. Tie here la, wrap there la.

Quote Wong: Really "Pattern liao-liao"

=.=

My present! My present! I picked Sim Yee's "旧的不去，新的不来” and got the most practical present of the night, but I loved it. Swedish Spa Minerals Exfoliating Body Polish. Wish you had one?

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,

Let your heart be light

From now on,

Our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,

Make the Yule-tide gay,

From now on,

Our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,

Happy golden days of yore.

Faithful friends who are dear to us

Gather near to us once more.

Through the years we all will be together

If the Fates allow

Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.

And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

~ Winter Wonderland ~

Heading out to Nevsky Prospect with friends! Couldn't wait to see what Christmas will bring to this dazzling city this year. -2'C that night.

Frosty the snowman says Merry Christmas!

Snowy the Nevsky Bear is happy. EVERYONE wants to take pictures with him. Who doesn't?

Welcome to the Christmas Bazaar!

Get down from there already, and ride with me to defend the Christmas cheer!

Ah, what is Christmas without a huge, brightly-lit fir tree surrounded by presents and laughter ?

Christmas show. We adored that cozy-looking snowed-down cottage stage.

Skating rink in the middle of the city filled with squealing teens and graceful couples. Oh and clumsy n00bs of course.

You never leave Russia without one of these traditional wooden Russian souvenirs, made cute by this Christmas season.

Snow men welcoming you to share the festive joy.

Gostinyy Dvor. Ever so elegant.

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,

In the lane, snow is glistening

A beautiful sight

We're happy tonight,

Walking in a winter wonderland.

Gone away is the bluebird,
Here to stay is a new bird

He sings a love song,

As we go along,

Walking in a winter wonderland

In the meadow we can build a snowman,
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown

He'll say: Are you married?

We'll say: No man,But you can do the job

When you're in town.

Later on, we'll conspire,

As we dream by the fire

To face unafraid,

The plans that we've made,

Walking in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,

And pretend that he's a circus clown

We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,

Until the other kids knock him down.

When it snows, ain't it thrilling,

Though your nose gets a chilling

We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,

Walking in a winter wonderland.

Walking in a winter wonderland,

Walking in a winter wonderland.

~ Silent Night ~

'tis the season to be jolly tralalalala lalalala ~~~~

'tis the ni-ight to eat turkey tralalalala lalalala ~~~

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S ~~

9th International Winter Festival - ARTS SQUARE - (23.12.2008)

Девятый Международный Зимний Фестиваль - ПЛОЩАДЬ ИСКУССТВ

Artistic Director Maestro - Yuri Termikanov

Date: 14.12.2008 - 24.12.2008

Venue: Grand Hall of Philharmonia named after D.D Shostakovich

Performed by : St Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra

------------------------------------------------------------------

23.12.2008

Conductor: Daniele RUSTIONI (Italy)

Soloists: Dinara ALIEVA (soprano)

Olga BALASHOVA (coloratura mezzo-soprano)

Valeriy SOKOLOV (violin)

Sergei KASPROV (piano)

Note: Videos were taken off Youtube and were not recordings of the performance on the 23rd of December, 2008

PART I

ROSSINI (1792-1868) - "Wilhelm Tell" Overture (1829)

LISZT (1811-1886) - "Totentanz" for piano and orchestra, based on Dies Irae Theme (1847-1862) Soloist - S. KAPROV

MASSENET (1842-1912) - Gavotte and Aria of Manon from "Manon" (1884) Soloist - D. ALIEVA

VERDI (1813-1901) - Aria of Violetta from "La Traviata" (1853) Soloist - D. ALIEVA

INTERMISSION

PART II

SAINT-SAENS (1835-1921) - Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso for violin and orchestra (1863) Soloist - V. SOKOLOV

BELLINI (1805-1835) - Aria of Romeo from "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" (1830) Soloist - O. BALASHOVA

ROSSINI - Aria from cantata "Le nozze di Teti e di Peleo" (1816) Soloist - O. BALASHOVA

MASSENET - Aria of Charlotte from "Werter" (1886) Soloist - O. Balashova

VERDI - "La forza del destino" Overture (1861)

Part 2 - Zahada Tips and Hints (from level 35)

This is the 2nd part of Zahada tips and hints. The first part (Levels 1-34) were posted here.


Level 35
1) If "A" equals "26", then what is "Z"?
2) After connecting THE DOTS, you should be able to get a familiar picture. However, the direct answer is probably incorrect
3) Think Da Vinci's code. What's another name for it?

Level 36
1) Do not ignore that unintelligible line. The first 6 words are a pangram.
The last 5 words are the QUESTION - they just used bombastic words so you'd ignore them.

Level 37
1) What's the big number?
2) That big number is contained by what shape?
3) What are those 3 sets of numbers? hint hint: Just give the collective term - they are totally random.
4) Read
5) Read
6) That's "SAND" in that picture
7) read aloud your answers for the 6 tips given above. It should form a question - a mathematical one.

@ PoKey @ reads 净月阁

Is it coincidence? Or did Wong specifically choose 冬至 to open his new blog?

Well it can't be considered "new", really, since he has been secretly blogging for the past two months.

If you're interested in Mandarin blogs, spiritual reconnaissance in the limitless realm of Buddhism, and just plain good reading, then head over to 净月阁 now!

Cheers,

@ PoKey @

This is MADNESS! No, this is.......... ZAHADA

Click on the above picture to play the game

Scroll down for game Tips and Hints for Levels 1-34

Click HERE for Tips and Hints Levels 35 and above


So after a few days of ENT and case history rewriting, I got tired of it all and decided to stimulate my fatigued brain by trying ZAHADA - said to be the most challenging riddles online, and famed to be the most addictive.

Orly.

Ya. RLY.

Zahada is a multi-level game that comprises different types of word riddles and puzzles.

The rules: (Taken straight from level 1 of the game here)


1 - This is a series of challenging puzzles, each with a short answer. Sometimes it is a single word, sometimes a string of letters or numbers. Sometimes it can be more than one word.

2 - Remove any spaces from answers and remove any capitalisation (answers in lowercase only).

3 -It will usually be obvious when you have the right answer so don't spend ages guessing.

4 - If you are stuck on one puzzle for a long time try and think about it in different ways or have a break and come back to it later.

5 - When you have the answer replace the part of the URL before .html with it, like this: http: //www.mcgov.co.uk/riddles/youranswer. html

6 - Most of the clues do not require the use of a search engine to complete. You will be given a hint to use one where it is required.

7 - If you are discussing these riddles in public forums do not give answers directly. Clues and hints are fine.

8 - The level number is always in the top left corner.


I have been playing this game on and off for three days, turning to it whenever my fried brain needed a respite. It all started with needing a little something to set my mind clear. Now it seems to be the only thing on my mind. Just this evening I was talking with friends when suddenly the solution to one of the levels struck me. Proof of just how preoccupied I have been with the questions.

Ah. But you know. Deciphering words and letters. Just love them.


I have just solved Level 34, much thanks to the G n Y (wink wink nudge nudge. I know SOME of you know what I'm talking about). Here's me being nice and sharing some hints and tips on Levels 1 - 34, to be updated every once in a while.

ZAHADA HINTS AND TIPS
I typed them in white - highlight over selected level to read hint.

Level 1
This one is tricky, yet so easy. Your answer is RIGHT there in the page. Look closely.

Level 2
"Pronounced as one letter" - helps if you recite all the letters in the alphabet
"I'm read from both ends, and the same either way." - Now, which letter can that be? Jay? Kay? Elle?

Level 3
Wiki up Red Herring to find out what it means (other than the obvious). This should help you in deciding on how much brain cells you wanna sacrifice on that picture.
And "LOOK EVERYWHERE" on that page. The QUESTION is somewhere else on the page.

Level 4
What do you need now most of all (to solve the riddle) that rhymes with duck?

Level 5
This is a bit confusing, but fret not.
Read aloud the first and second line
What is the synonym for "Get in Line"?

Level 6
Highlight the page :)
Two letters: empty.

Level 7
"Look VERY closely for the answer."
Don't stick your nose to the monitor, it's unhygienic.
A simpler way would be to save the picture and FINd the answer. (teehee I just came up with my own riddle there)

Level 8
By now you might have realized that a lot of the pictures they put up along with the riddles don't give any clue about the answer, so read the WORDS carefully.
"STATIONARY I rest ..... CUT IT with the best"

Level 9
Mouse over.

Level 10
Use all the methods you used in previous levels to find the HIDDEN hints. The rest is Maths.

Level 11
"Look at me a different way" Hey, you don't need help for that - you managed Level 9, didn't you? :)
I had some trouble with this one, seeing how I'm not a very binary-savvy person.

Level 12
Sigh. I thought I was too dumb to figure that out. Then i realised it was because I don't know what <>< /html > is for. If you do, good for you - you don't need help on this one.
If you don't, then go to View on that bar on top of the page, and click "Source".

Level 13
You should be accustomed to the way they hide things around here by now, and hopefully didn't miss THE QUESTION.
The Google image is there for a reason - maybe for reminding you to use it? (To find the answer, not the question. The question is there on that page)

Level 14
This is anagram (word scramble) play. First find the question. Then find the hint. It should help you unscramble the QUESTION. (The question is the sentence that doesn't make sense)

Level 15
If you think the "OO"s on the word "TOO" look really familiar, it's because you just used it a few levels ago. Use it to help you figure out that sentence.

Level 16
Rargh. My head exploded on this question and I cheated by googling up answers.
My Chemistry teacher was Mr Sheat. I wonder if he'd have any trouble with this question.
1st clue: What level is this? Are you sure you got it right?
2nd clue: The bolded words
3rd clue: I just mentioned Mr Sheat, didn't I?

Level 17
Read the hint.
Then look for the hidden hint. Read it aloud and fast.
Then look at the picture. Can you recognise the writing?

Level 18
If you're using Firefox - the hidden clue is not hard to find
If you're not - You may not see it. Get that firefox if you want to see the clue.

Level 19
This is not Maths. You don't have to add up anything. (This is one of the questions I took longest time figuring out - lemme see if I can try to give you more hints)
How many Z's do you see on the 1st line? Now read the 2nd line. Sound familiar?
How many 1's and how many Z's do you see on the 2nd line? Now read the 3rd.
........ A ha!............

Level 20
In how many different ways can you write "Thirty Two"?

Level 21
Wiki "ditloid" to get a feel on how you're supposed to figure this one out.
"Searching" is a clue to this puzzle
You may disregard the = symbol.
Find the second clue somewhere in the page.

Level 22
Let's hope you don't need hints for this one - "It's not what you see that counts"
What numbers on the die do you NOT see? Sum them up.

Level 23
This one was crazy difficult. I am tempted to just give you the answer, but what fun would that be, right?
I'll give you an obvious hint anyway. "ANSWER"
The numbers are level numbers. :)

Level 24
Get the first letters of each logo.
The 3rd one is Yellow pages, the last is Virgin.
What 7 letters did you get from the "COLOURFUL" logos?

Level 25
Look at your keyboard and try typing out the words. What comes next?

Level 26
Argh. This one takes some time. Each word is represented by a symbol. Wiki up the words to find out what their symbols look like and write them down. That's the answer. Ignore the symbols provided below. Those just serve to distract.

Level 27
This is science.
The logos are harder to decipher though, so here's some help:
Myspace, Vodafone, ebay, Msn, Jetblue, Sony, United, N?????, Pizzahut
MVEMJSUNP
What do the first letters of these NINE words represent?
ONE of these is no longer part of this ..... system.
There, gave you enough hints.

Level 28
Highlight. Google. hint: Ritz is a hotel, Leonardo acted as Romeo, and what's the first thing about Maya Lopez that turns up on google? Take the first letters.
You should get numbers.
But the answer is a word, not a group of numbers.

Level 29
Wiki homophones. They mean words that sound the same and either spell different or similar. This one should be easy. Choose the one in red to be your answer.

Level 30
Google can't help you on this one, so good luck. Decipher them the same way as before. The answer should be the "FIRST LETTER OF EACH ANSWER"
and it's something that "CUT"s.

Level 31
"ADD UP" the pictures. What shape do you get if you put both triangles together?
"THE BRIGHTEST"

Level32
Woah this one. Tough.
"CAPITAL" "START"
Follow the instructions, but in reversed direction. Hence if you are asked to go left, turn right instead
Collect all the letters you passed by
Note: If you did it correctly, the blank box should be part of your answer
Google.

Level 33
1337 in internet language means, (read upside down), LEET- meaning "Elite"
That's all there is in that picture. It's a hint for how your answer should be.
Do the multiplication and read it the way you read 1337

Level 34
This is the point where a lot of people give up on Zahada. Look at the boxes. CAREFULLY. Do you see a word? What does it tell you to do?
Here's what I did - I refused to give up on this one, but didn't have a printer handy so I had to recreate the four patterns.

Next I folded them according to the colours. Every change of colours means that you have to fold it over.
Don't forget to cut along the BOLD LINES.
The answer is a word constructed from all the overlapping letters when the thing is folded.

If you're too lazy to complete this level, highlight the following line for the answer.

"DISGUISE"

I am happy.

I am going on to Level 35 after I finish my study quota for tomorrow.

Health-o-loquy - Sinusitis

Since my ENT (ear, nose and throat) exam in on the 29th and I have been looking for materials for my exam preparations everywhere, I guess Sinusitis is a good topic to start on.

1. Everybody has sinuses.

Yes. Everyone. It's a common misconception to go around complaining of "having sinuses".

Sinus in Latin means a "fold", or a "Pocket". Anatomically, they are air-filled spaces inside the bones .

Paranasal means "Around the nose". We have a few sinuses scattered around the general area of our nose in the skull and face area. They are called, collectively, "Paranasal Sinuses".

The suffix "-itis" in Latin means "Inflammation", therefore if a word ends with "-itis", it means inflammation of that part.

2. Knowing this, now "Sinusitis" makes sense, doesn't it, if I tell you it means "Inflammation of air-filled spaces inside the skull bones" ?

3. Paranasal Sinuses communicate with the nasal cavity. .

When the communication (pathway) between the nose and the sinus is blocked, by your mucus,for example, inflammation can occur, and infections develop easily because bacteria can grow.

4. We have four groups of paranasal sinuses, mainly Frontal, Ethmoidal, Maxillary and Sphenoidal.

5. The Anatomy and Pathology of Paranasal Sinuses

6. What happened to my sinuses? What causes the inflammation?

Anything that causes swelling in your sinuses or keeps the cilia from moving mucus can cause sinusitis.

This can occur because of changes in temperature or air pressure. Allergies can cause sinusitis. Using decongestant nasal sprays too much, smoking, swimming or diving can also increase your risk of getting sinusitis. Some people have growths called polyps that block their sinus passages.

When sinusitis is caused by a bacterial or viral infection, you get a sinus infection. Sinus infections sometimes occur after you’ve had a cold. The cold virus attacks the lining of your sinuses, causing them to swell and become narrow. Your body responds to the virus by producing more mucus, but it gets blocked in your swollen sinuses. This built-up mucus is a good place for bacteria to grow. The bacteria can cause a sinus infection.

6. How long do sinusitis attacks last?

Sinusitis can be acute (<12>

7. How do I know whether I have sinusitis?

Pain or pressure in the forehead, cheeks, nose and between the eyes
Headache , Fever , Nasal congestion with thick and discolored mucous
Reduced sense of smell
An ache in the teeth

are the common complaints of patients with sinusitis.

8. How does the doctor confirm that I have sinusitis?


9. What are the treatments for Sinusitis?

The goals of treatment are to:
Improve drainage of mucus and reduce swelling in the sinuses.
Relieve pain and pressure.
Clear up any infection.
Prevent the formation of scar tissue, and avoid permanent damage to the tissues lining the nose and sinuses.

- Antibiotics , such as amoxicillin, which kill bacteria.
- Decongestants , such as pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, which reduce the swelling of the mucous membranes in the nose.
- Analgesics , such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen, to relieve pain.
- Mucolytics, such as guaifenesin, which thin the mucus.
- Corticosteroids, such as beclomethasone dipropionate or prednisone, which reduce inflammation in the nasal passages. These medications may also be used as an inhaled nasal spray.

10. How is endoscopic surgery for sinusitis performed?

Disclaimer: This site is not designed to and does not provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this site and linkages to other sites, a-n-9-e-l.blogspot.com provides general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through linkages to other sites, is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call consultation or the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider. a-n-9-e-l.blogspot.com is not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or product you obtain through this site.

Health-o-loquy

While searching online for upcoming exam materials, I came upon some useful videos and information about general medical knowledge that I think the public should be aware of.

As my blog reader base grows, I realised that quite a number of my visitors came to my blog for the health-related blog posts.

Our society is growing more health-conscious each day, but the staggering amount of information available to us from the internet means the more we receive, the more we forget. At the end of the day, we end up filled to the brim with unfathomable medical jargon but none-the-wiser regarding the answer we had set out for in the beginning.

Hence, this new section of my blog ..... "Health-o-loquy".

I will be posting a different common disease in every Health-o-loquy post, each of which consists of information gathered from all over - textbooks, the internet, and youtube - compiled into easy-to-understand information for your convenient reference.

Do leave me comments on topics you would like to know more about, and I will do my best to compile and compress information on that particular disease.

It's a Rich Man's World

As Abba tells us -

"Money, money, money

Must be funny

In the rich mans world

Money, money, money

Always sunny

In the rich mans world

All the things I could do

If I had a little money

Its a rich mans world"

the value of money is and can never be an understatement.

A friend once asked me whether I came into Medicine aiming, in the near future, to drive home to my penthouse in a luxurious BMW. I was young and naive - the future was bright and sunny, and parents' credit cards meant I got whatever I wanted, as long as someone put their signatures on that little dotted line. So I said NO. Money is not everything. I want to be a doctor and help people, even if that means having to pay for it from my own pocket.

Now I smile remembering that childlike answer and finally understand that scoff my friend gave me upon hearing this answer. Money still isn't everything, but some wheels will never move without a push by the rustling sound of greenbacks.

I remember discussing about Nouveau Riche with friends. We had debated, rather hotly, whether Money was the root of all evil. Names popped up - famous people born into families of lower socioeconomic status and rose to fame and fortune. Famous faces that smiled as us from covers of magazines and with a grand gesture of their arms said "I did it. You can too."

Stories of rags-to-riches give the poor hope that they can rise to fame and wealth. They are most popular in societies such as the United States, where confidence in the ability to move between social classes is an important part of the national identity .

Who wouldn't want to be featured in articles like these about the Nouveau Riche? They are the ones whose biography we read avidly in search of inspiration to success, whose pictures we look at in envy and sigh "If I even had 1% of that fortune, I'd be literally rolling in gold."

And we remain where we are. Watching, admiring them in their gilded thrones. Reading the article, shaking our heads at their ingenuity for having the guts and steel to go through with their many innovative entrepeneur ideas.

Yet don't we all have our own ideas for achieving that pot of gold? Those grand plans drawn on napkins that disappeared forever into the washing machine, that flawless project we had playing on our minds but never put into action?

There is, after all, no difference between the rich and the poor - other than the fact that some of us, the very majority of us, decided to forego the prospect of achieving great things for fear of trouble and more work. That one factor - the lack of motivation that keeps us out of Fortune magazine.

That being said, I'm still happy being where I am, going where I'm headed. Glitter and gold are not what I'm heading for.

It doesn't really matter whether that pot of gold appears at the end of my rainbow, but if one day you find yourself scribbling on your dinner napkin, do keep it somewhere safe. Ingenious prospective money-making ideas really should not end up an unrecognisable mess in the washing machine.

More information about Nouveau Riche here.

Mariah Carey's BEST song ever - Ken Lee