There are 5 "major" exams for us 1st years before the holiday starts namely Biostats, Anatomy SPOT test, Histology slide test, Biophysics and Latin. The only ones left are the later 2, because I've successfully sailed through the earlier ones~ But seriously, I still need to be geared up for the upcoming winter finals in January which will span from 21st Jan to 21st Feb. Hopefully I can settle those early so that I can have a "great" Chinese New Year.

Man, its cold outside! I recalled setting my heater to a 3 and it feels like aircond anyway. Somewhat I'm hoping that it will be snowing on Christmas day but not continuously because I don't want to be rattling my lungs out! White Christmas for my first december abroad seems like an awesome thing, especially when captured on film. I'm still hunting for a perfect camera for the trip tho.

On the downside, a good string of exams kinda shaken our EQ abit. People start to go emo, more sensitive and probably a lil queer. Lols. This is what I did: I ate some good stuff and have a good nap when I feel like it. Then I sit down one day when I'm too lazy, to type out a letter- addressed to myself.

Here goes:

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Dear me,

Are you lost? You keep telling yourself life is too short to even bother about the little things that you might even forget later, but now you’re reflecting so much of yesterday that you have even forgotten to move forward. Time and tide awaits no man, bear that in mind! Don’t ever be too tangled in your strings of confusion because you suppose to be independent off your doings as you’ll be saving lives in future.

So why are you emo-ing? You’re having a hard time but you refuse to admit it anyways. Somewhat, you’re stuck in between being okay and not. Listing down the things that you missed, went sour or made you depressed seems endless now. But can’t you see many people out there would kill to be in your shoes?

People confided you when they are facing a downturn, but who can you confide when you are at that particular moment? You offered so many advices, half of which you yourself can’t even take in. It’s a shame that you can’t grow stronger after all that you’ve heard! Life is too short to commit all sorts of mistakes so learn them from others.

It has been a long journey before you are where you are now. Don’t ever thing about turning back because 18 years is too long of a period to ponder over what you want to be. Well, you might not be thinking of that till you were up to probably 8 years old but 10 years is more than enough! You have decided to be a doctor when you were 13, probably. I recalled you writing down “Pensyarah, Saintis and Arkitek” in your primary school profile card. Lol!

Whatever happens, life goes on. From now on, live life the way you wanted. Try not to compare with others, because their life is no way close to yours. You are you, you decide what you want and what you aim. At the end of the day, aren't we just the puppets of our emotions?

Love,

Estella

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That made me feel better. Try it! ATM, I'm off to settle some powerpoint presentation for Biophysics and to study for microtests.

Vanity has been eating me lately. I have been sitting for too many exams and huge stress got built up in me, making me wanna spoil myself a little. I'm a huge believer of work hard n reward yourself! Well, I've been brought up this way. When I was young, I'd be celebrating my good grades by buying myself good food and entertainment. :P I've been downing lots of good stuff (I guess), buying clothes once in a while (and boots!) and settling my holiday plans. Believe it or not, I'll be going on a short tour with my friends this christmas to 3 places- Venice, Rome and Vienna (and Prague of course). Yes, screw me!!! XD

So since the trip will be costing quite abit, I'll have to "ikat perut" a little in December because JPA might take some time to send us our goodies. I'm of course looking forward to snapping some awesome pics of my first winter abroad not with my SE phone camera (because its a walkman phone, the camera sucks!) but with a proper camera. DSLR cameras are good but bulky...so I'm opting for either one of these:

On the other hand, I'm quite attracted to polaroid cameras too since I found out Czech photo printing is so freaking expensive! Well, I'd love to send some snail mail to my beloved grandma sometime...This model costs at minimum RM450 which is less than half the price of a proper digital camera (includes 100 pieces of film). Of course, I have to consider the fact that I'll have to buy the films once they run out and the clarity of snaps may not be as good as normal cams but this is super fun! On the downside of things, we can't off the flash for this camera so no stalking business for me... =_=

I should leave this be at the moment and study for my upcoming Histo slide test. Do tell me what you think!

There is no trouble finding sports facilities here but the trouble might be communication and the fees. For instance, there are probably 3 bowling places in HK but the nearest would be opposite to the police station and an hour would cost around 290kc or RM50. The aqua centre is another attraction that should not be missed. There's a long pool with artificial waves, some water slides, whirlpoool baths with sauna, steam, solarium and even air jets at the message pools. Cool thing is it opens from morning till around 8pm at night and students may apply for student cards. (Not recommended for 1st year's tho). Next to the aqua centre itself, there is another indoor swimming pool which is purely for fitness purpose. Nearest stop to this place is Museum.

Games such as squash can be played in A-sports, where people usually frequent for a game of bowling and pool. I have no idea of the whereabouts for basketball or football but during the iGames practice, we'd go to Novy Hradec where there's court for rent. Fyi, there is a open court in front of Palachova hostel itself, so sometimes we can have a game of netball or football outside.

Another recommendation is to buy a bike. Cycling is pretty pleasant here as there are many route for cyclers and its pretty safe too. Parking facilities are found literally everywhere so its easy move around town cycling. HK isn't that big so cycling can be fun, especially during the spring or autumn.

note:

Sports (or P.E.) can be taken as an elective subject as well. We'll be awarded with credits at the end of the semester but every attendance is compulsory.

As you can read from my blog, I've mentioned alot about dining outside. Apparently, eating in HK comes with a hefty price tag if you opt for restaurants. It can be relatively cheaper than that of Prague but if compared to Malaysian eateries, we can go choking at the digits. Every meal in a lavish restaurant would be something like TGI's. Some may find the portion big (well, I do) but others may be craving for desserts even after main course. There are too many varieties to choose from that made me feel sorry for the waiting waitresses. But okay, they are supposed to wait.

In old town, there are options such as Mexican, Italian, Czech, Chinese and even American. Honestly, I find the Chinese food here worth a try but too salty for my liking. Some restaurants do have english translated menus but some don't, so its a bonus to know at least a few Czech words such as smazene which means fried or brambove which is potato... Might as well list some;

-Knedliky- dumplings (is actually bread-like thing, not those Chinese wraps!)

-Tatarska omacka- tartar sauce

-Rybi- fish

-Kureci- chicken

-Veprove- pork

-Syr- cheese

-Ryze- rice

-Medovnik- honey cake (Czech's specialty!)

-Kava- coffee

-Caj- Tea

-Neperliva- normal mineral water (some water are bicarbonated)

I wrote these without reference, so you get the idea of how much we learn in 2 months. Go around Czech noticing words and it'll help in expanding our vocab! But pozor! The words are not pronounced the way I wrote them. Some Czech lessons may explain this. For instance "caj" is read as "cha-iee" not "charge". Most restaurants do have English-speaking waitresses. Mind you, they sometimes ask for tips. I encountered some rude waiter who din bother to return my friend his change during the billing. =_=

Oh, and the KFC or McDonalds here is so much pricier than that in Malaysia. Surprised me :0 A normal set might cost up to 100kc or around RM20. It seems that meaty fast food is often charged ridiculously. Well, maybe its because I'm still not used to the prices here anyway...

Bus, bus, bus! Yep, in HK, we'll use the bus ALOT. I think this site helps to describe. We will have to pay 1200kc for a 10-month bus card, 95 kc for registration and be sure to bring along a passport photo (they'll scan it on only...) to the information office near the train station area. All these will be put under charge of BestEd.

♢BOOKS♢

I think the best is to borrow some books from the library since some books will only be used for a year or two. Total may cost around RM200 if you borrow the whole set but this will help avoid the headache of needing to send the books back to Malaysia after 6 years or sell them. However, there's a catch- we have to pay 10000kc deposit beforehand and get it back by the end of the first year.

Important books can be bought for a relatively cheap price at Kamal bookstore near KLGH. Some recommended ones are Anatomy atlases or Diflore's / Wheater's Histology. Latest edition textbooks for anatomy are nicer if you purchase them in a bundle from amazon or ebay. This is because some stuff may be excluded from the older versions but they are not all important anyway if you know how to get around for infos. Lecture notes and web downloads are really useful so sooner later, many of us bought printers.

Its almost impossible to find the biophysics/ biostats textbook so the only way would be to borrow them from the library or simply photostat them from anyone who has it. Be sure to grasp the opportunity to ask for notes from seniors because these really helps ALOT. Thank goodness Malaysian seniors are really helpful to us. ^^

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I'll try to write as accurately as I can but these info may change in the coming years. =_=

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Moving on, I'd like to say that pharmacists here are really friendly! As to top up to the topic of "things to bring", I shall elaborate on examples of the things that we can actually buy here and their prices.

♢MAKING PURCHASES♢

Everybody in Czech visits Tesco and Albert for groceries. This two giant anchors are found all over the country and offers a wide variety of goods at low prices. Omg...I sound like an online ad. Well, I usually get my stuff at Tesco, which is within walking distance from the hostel. Here are some items and their prices (convert to RM using currency converter or simply divide by 5):

(1) Pastries- Bread here are so hard you can spank some badas$ with it. You have to pre-bake before eating. I usually buy like 10 German milk buns for 38kc or pack of 8 croissants for 50kc. I can say the pastries are pretty cheap as a bundle. Single croissants with stuffing is probably around 4.90kc and above while normal plain or wheat bread loaf is 11.90kc. Note that tesco-brand items are much cheaper than the rest.

(2) Fruits- I love the huge fresh spotless bananas here! They are easily available at around 19.90 per kg. On the other hand, "exotic fruits" like pineapples and avocados may be pricier. Apples and oranges can be bought in bundles as well (somewhat like Giant's). An apple bundle would be around 25kc or so...

(3) Vegetables- Bad news, no green leafy veges here so far...All they've got are spinach, celery, salad leaves and cabbage. I miss SAWIIII!!!! T_T Well...tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, onions and garlic are easily found meanwhile ginger and chillies are pricier. Chillies of 70g (around 5 pcs) are priced at 40kc if not mistaken.. Potatoes are dirt cheap (1kg= 20kc). Gotta say the capsicums are excellent!

(4) Drinks- get ready to be surprised as many drinks are carbonated! Watch out for the label "neperliva" which is normal mineral water. (6 bottles of 1.5 litres = 50kc) The Czech mineral water might taste slightly different from Malaysian's. We had to buy water filter because the pipe water here is calcium-rich and it's shocking to see white powdery material floating in your drink... Juices are priced the same as in Malaysia but there are so much more choices ranging from blueberry to lemon teas. Some are vitamized so drinking these sweet fluids plants no guilt. Gassy stuff like cola and sprite are more expensive than the rest.

(5) Snacks- Bid Twisties and Jack n' Jill goodbye... You may still find pringles here tho. Bad news is there are mostly potato chips only here and the rest would taste as good as those in Malaysia. Other than Lays, I don't find anything else great (yes, Lays is only about RM4 here!). Peanuts, almonds and hazelnuts...name it, you have it.

(6) Rice- Jeng jeng jeng...moment of truth. When we first arrived, we found Tesco long grain rice at only 15.90kc per kg here (they only sell in packs of 1kg). Unfortunately, these are no longer on the shelves but other options are still available. Lagris' Ryze (rice) are around 28kc per kg but its definitely worth buying here rather than bringing from Malaysia!

(7) Spices- Well, we do have exotic asian corner in Tescos..although they maybe slightly expensive, some are okay...like Light and dark soya sauce, curry paste etc. One piece of advice: bring coconut milk powder because the ones in small packet here costs like 47kc! Its bad craving for tomyum and curry so its wise to bring some unless you can visit Prague's thai shop to grab some, which is also pricey. =_=

(8) Noodles- Fret not, there are instant noodles here too! But surprisingly these are sold as packets rather than the whole lot. Ranges from 5.90-20kc. Opt for pasta instead. Long-term energy supplier.

I don't think I can name all items...it's going to take forever. All I can add is, don't overload yourself with foodstuff that you don't need. Fyi, there is a vietnamese shop which somewhat remind me off the cheap discount stores in Malaysia (lol..) where you can get cheap stuff for your room and also a big place called Behzrad (out of town, accessible by bus) where everything is pretty cheap. Speak no Czech? No problem at all!

♢UNIVERSITY AND SUCH♢

The faculty, Lekarska fakulta, is a grey building located just 5-minutes walk from the station Magistrat Mesta. Staying in the hostel would mean round trips to school everyday. (Yesh, I still call it "school") It isn't lavish or grand so no point giving high expectations. Walking around could be tiring with flight of stairs and a maze in the departments located behind. There is a canteen where we can grab some food during breaks, otherwise we would walk abit to Myam Myam bakery nearby. (Myam myam is like Bread Story or something...you can find it everywhere)

Studying here isn't that bad. In fact, I like it. Although exams may be frequent (like around 4-6 per week) but it's no big deal once we familiarize with this routine. All I could say is, if we do study thoroughly, its not easy to fail =D. The professors are extremely helpful and its advisable to ask questions or answer a couple in lectures or practical. The uni stresses on practicals because its where everything come to picture.

For the first semester, we will have: Anatomy, Histology, Biophysics and Biostats, Latin and Czech language. Timetables might look packed but tolerable. Lectures are not compulsory but attendance is definitely mandatory for practicals!

♢WEATHER♢

As we reach HK, its around 14 degrees so my JPA coat could still provide me warmth. Over the weeks, there have been days where the temperature dropped to 0 degrees and we experienced wet snow! At this moment, it's still ok because I can still open the window for fresh air. There is a heater in the room and every other building so we can wear just our tshirts inside a building. Outside, I usually put on my jacket and another trench coat over whatever I have underneath.

There are raining spells once in awhile so umbrellas or raincoats are pretty handy since we have to sometimes brave the downpour to wait for the bus. The rain here is very drizzly type in contrary with the heavy ones in our home country...

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Nuff said for the moment...got to study. ^_^

Many of my classmates did get in touch with some seniors before we came, so we kinda forwarded emails around but honestly, I'd say the info for the 3 towns varies alot and its not applicable in all 3 sometimes! With all the exams going on here, I don't think anyone would be constantly replying to emails anyway...I've decided to compose this not only for the benefits of future newcomers but also to give a rough idea of what it is or will be like in Hradec Kralove, so enjoy!

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Mode of transportation is of course, by flight, a midnight flight. Most likely Malaysian Airlines, so take-off will be at KLIA. Midnight flights are cheaper and less packed, plus we can adapt better by sleeping through it because it is a loooonnnggg journey. There is no direct flight to Czech Republic and therefore, transits are inevitable. During my time, I had to transit for 6 grueling hours in Frankfurt, Germany. Trust me, unless you've got euros, there will be no good stuff going on besides wondering around with trolleys. From Germany, we flew to Prague Ruzyne airport by Lufthansa airways (which took only about an hour). There, we were welcomed by Mdm. Carmen of BestEd and made our way to the van-bus after changing some currency at the airport. Had a good 2-hour ride before setting foot in Palachova hostel and it was probably 8pm by the time we reached our rooms. I hit the bed right away.

Malaysia-Germany: 12 hours Germany-Prague: 1 hour Prague-HK: 2 hours Total: 15 hours

First up, we had to pay 6000kc right at the airport for health visas and applications etcetera etcetera...Then, we had to buy things like pots and pans, laundry bag, pails and not to mention lots of groceries! This would probably cost 1000kc if you're an easy-goer and have a room mate who is OK with sharing but to play save, keep 2000kc warm in your pockets. If you plan not to buy any winter coats in Malaysia, congratulations. Bring that cash and buy them here instead. Its probably only summer when newcomers fly over anyways...it can only get as cold as 14 degrees, which is Malaysian aircond temperature. A jacket will do.

Money given by JPA (Traveller's Cheque- around 2-3K euros) will be able to sustain you here for quite awhile..in fact, I survived 2 months with the cash. Since you might want to consider travelling and shopping later on, convert some ringgits to euros. Did that and it was less tedious since TCs require some bank work.

I don't know if this will be the same next time, but I had a whale of good time before classes started. I discovered every corner of the streets of Hradec Kralove on foot and did some shopping around town. There were some crazy experience regarding buses but all was fine considering the efficient and simple bus system here. There were many activites being planned out by seniors and BestEd of course, and for us, we went visiting the Old Town, climbed the Clock Tower, got on a sponsored trip to Castolovice's castle, ate at many senior's place (since it was Hari Raya) and went exploring in the parks by the river. It wasn't that cold so I pulled on just a thin long jacket and survived! Walking around in my flats was proven a bad idea...

Enjoy the first week to the fullest! You won't wanna regret it later.

This, I believe, was the most important part of this whole thing! I'd actually prefer to put this at the end but I can definitely understand the nerve-wrecking anticipation of seeing "the list". For starters, I'd like to burst some bubbles. 20kg is all you're allowed to bring. Strictly speaking, JPA will warn you that thats the limit but if you go beyond by 1 or 2 kgs, they'll just pass. But don't take this for granted! I had a fren who claimed that he was asked to leave a bag behind because of overweight baggage. Like seriously.

Anyway, you don't need pens and Milo as much as you need coconut milk and chillies (that is if you cook typical Malay dishes). A senior from Prague once told us that pens were like RM10 each but hell no, we can get some cheap ones as long as we are not choosey. Milo are for addicts. Bring it if you're already a helpless case but bear in mind, hot chocolates here are whala! Clothes here could be pretty expensive but when its time for sales, you can practically swim in the mall cause everything just seem so cheap & tempting!

Bring your-

(1) Stationaries like files, mechanical pencils, colour pencils (for Histology!)

(2) Notebooks are MUSTS. There aren't much choice here and the nicest and cheapest I could get is about RM7.

(3) T-shirts & blouses! Although tees here are awesome, they come with hefty price tags and you don't wanna wear the same for every lesson you attend in uni. (Yes, its legal to wear casual in uni ;D)

(4) Good pair of sport shoes and other shoes necessary...maybe heels for important events or just your flight court shoes (Yes, you need to wear court shoes, acc to JPA regulations)

(5) Winter spells LONG PANTS. A couple of jeans would be good.

(6) Travel adapters. 2 would be fine if you don't bring many 3-pin electricals.

(7) Cup, spoon, fork, chopstick? Yes. Plate? No.

(8) Best way to bring your spices, store them in containers. Containers are useful as well.

(9) Spices: curry, rendang, tomyam? Bring them if you need them. I did not bring much, to be honest...20kg is too little...

(10) Medications like panadol, cough syrup, strepsils...(some are expensive and communication may be bad at the beginning)

(11) Scarves (optional)- these can be pretty cheap in Malaysia, if you know where to find them

(12) Toiletries- everything may be slightly more expensive here...if you don't mind spending abit more, a 100ml of eveything would be fine. Custom-cleared too!

(13) Books --talk about this later

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More concise list on what cannot be found here in Hradec up next!

p/s Sorry for typos. All information accurate at time of press..