Gift for Myself

Yesterday I went out to buy a gift for myself. Yes, you read it right. I didn't know why. Perhaps I just made an excuse to waste some money or perhaps I really needed something new. I went to a bookstore and headed to stationery section. I was tempted by a small box of crayons because it was cheap and it did look interesting. However, fortunately I could still think clearly and didn't buy it because I don't draw a lot and if I draw, I mostly use coloured pencils.

My attention was caught by post-it notes. Really, I'm a fan of post-it notes. They're just colourful, small, and cute stuffs and I use them quite often while studying or writing. I took a long time to decide which post-it notes to buy (duh) then I chose a set of folded sticky notes. I can fold the notes so some writing can be hidden. It takes form of cute pink rabbit by the way.

Slytherin and Hufflepuff

I sometimes think why Slytherin and Hufflepuff are two different things. I mean, Slytherin's famous trait is ambition while Hufflepuff's is hard work. Hard work goes well with ambition I think.
Talking about Hufflepuff and Slytherin, I found an article in Tumblr entitled Hufflepuff Vs. Slytherin and I was amused that the two house actually have many things in common (the article only mentions three but in this case, three is many), one of them is misinterpretation. Hufflepuff is often stereotyped as "being the rest", while Slytherin is evil.
What is society without stereotype anyway?

Why Studying Medicine is More Difficult than Learning Language (in My Opinion)

I still figure out the best way to study in medical school and I compare it to my language learning.
I learn language by listening to audio file while reading the text, or simply by watching video. Doing so, I learn almost all things needed while learning language: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. After listening, I try to speak the words thus I learn to speak. While reading a text, I see the letters thus I also learn to write.
I guess later I have to study medicine as a whole thing. Should I? I mean, I should understand some histology and physiology while studying anatomy then I will learn patophysiology while studying physiology and histopathology while studying histology, etc. Well, it won't be so simple as language learning process but I will try.

Visiting Pottermore, Visiting My Younger Self

Recently I signed in Pottermore, after a long time. I signed up to Pottermore when I was 18. I got redwood wand with unicorn hair and was sorted to Hufflepuff.

Mr. Ollivander, the wand maker describe redwood wand, “Wand-quality redwood is in short supply, yet constant demand, due to its reputation for bringing good fortune to its owner. As is usually the case with wandlore, the general populace have the truth back to front: redwood wands are not themselves lucky, but are strongly attracted to witches and wizards who already possess the admirable ability to fall on their feet, to make the right choice, to snatch advantage from catastrophe. The combination of such a witch or wizard with a redwood wand is always intriguing, and I generally expect to hear of exciting exploits when I send this special pairing out from my workshop. “

My 18 year-old self didn’t have a lot of hard time and it means that I didn’t “fall”, I didn’t find difficulty to make choice, and I couldn’t snatch advantage from catastrophe since there wasn’t any catasrophe. As I grow up, I experience some hard time. I even “get lost” and fail more often. That way, I try to “fall on my feet”. I also make a lot of mistakes and from those mistakes I actually learn to make right choice. Later, I will be able to snatch advantage from catastrophe.

I have unicorn hair as wand core and the description is, “Unicorn hair generally produces the most consistent magic, and is least subject to fluctuations and blockages. Wands with unicorn cores are generally the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. They are the most faithful of all wands, and usually remain strongly attached to their first owner, irrespective of whether he or she was an accomplished witch or wizard.

"Minor disadvantages of unicorn hair are that they do not make the most powerful wands (although the wand wood may compensate) and that they are prone to melancholy if seriously mishandled, meaning that the hair may 'die' and need replacing."

I may seem good and nice on the surface but inside I can be dark and conflicted so when I found out that my wand had unicorn hair, which is the most difficult to turn to Dark Arts, I thought, “Am I really that nice?” However, even Draco Malfoy had wand with unicorn hair and he wasn’t considered a nice guy.

I wasn’t surprised when I was sorted into Hufflepuff. In fact, I wanted to be a Hufflepuff. Some Hufflepuff qualities are hardworking, loyal, and just. My 18 year-old self had those qualities, especially hardworking but now I think that I don’t work so hard as I did and suddenly I feel like a “disgrace” to Hufflepuff. Maybe someday I will find out that I am a true Hufflepuff like Harry did Gryffindor after he pulled Gryffindor sword out of the Sorting Hat. 

When You Feel Lost

When you feel lost, listen to Michael Bublé's Lost. I'm not kidding. 
There are some periods in my life when I feel lost and I don't mean "lost in somewhere and don't know how to go home". It was time when I felt trapped in complicated problem and I just didn't know how to get out of it. I could get out anyway, no matter how big, annoying, and complicated the problem was. 
Michael Bublé's Lost is good but if you feel lost and don't like the song, just remember that the problem will be over sooner or later and you will be fine.

Sites I Use While Learning Russian

I learn Russian mostly from internet and when learning language from internet, finding the "right" site is a kind of journey.

I first learned Russian when I was 15 and I only did it casually. I began with Russian alphabet from MasterRussian. At that time, I understand most letters but ы, ь, ъ. I also learned some Russian words and phrases from WaytoRussia. As time went by, I hadn't learned Russian again for a long time until one day, I was struck by inspiration to do it again. I found some lessons in Russian for Free and FunRussian YouTube channel. "Russian for Free" was actually good but for some reasons, I couldn't keep up with it. Finally I found Learn Russian and the lessons in that site reminds me of "Side by Side" book which I use in my English course long time ago. Let's see if I can keep up with the site.

They're Hot, They're Feminine: a German Lesson

In German language, every noun has gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter. I am quite amused to find out there are two hot things with feminine gender: Sonne (sun) and Hölle (hell). However, the hell contains Feuer (fire) which is neuter, and it will be a place for Teufel (devil) which is masculine.