Three Years in International City

England Cluster, International City, Dubai – a view from our window

Today is exactly 3 years since I returned to Dubai in 2013. I’ve made much progress since. I’m 3 years older. I have another son now, and he’s 1.5 years old already. My eyesight is getting better …at blurring out things which are too near my face. (I now have to hold my mobile phone at arm’s length to read what’s written on the friggin screen. …Maybe I’ll get a selfie-stick …to help me see better.) I have maintained the same weight and waistline (happy). I have maintained the same position and salary (unhappy). I still have hair and genuine teeth. I still remember birthdays and forget where I put the friggin pen, towel, phone, car keys, rings, watch, etc #@*#! My wife says I’m too serious now (my ex-boss should see me now, he who complaint that I was too childish before). And I’ve got a car now in Dubai, and paying off the loan on our own apartment!

Which reminds me …last month was our first anniversary of shifting into our own apartment!! So it should be a celebration of sorts eh? Well, here’re some pictures of the area we stay in, International City a.k.a. 龙城 (Lóng Chéng, or Dragon City in Chinese).

The development of International City started with the building of Dragon Mart, a huge mall filled with Chinese shops and goods, the largest China-product mall outside China! (Well, that’s what the developer of the mall claimed in their web-site!) With Dragon Mart came a residential area called China City (which was later renamed China Cluster and the area expanded to become International City, with other country-themed clusters added like England Cluster, Russia Cluster, Persia Cluster, etc. 10 different-themed clusters in total).

This place is now something like a Chinatown of Dubai. This is where most of the Chinese community in Dubai still stays in and is where you’ll find Chinese supermarkets, restaurants, etc. The Chinese still call it Dragon City, 龙城 (Lóng Chéng). (…Chinese somehow aren’t very good with names, especially non-Chinese names, they’d prefer numbers to names anytime!)

International City looks like a friggin Persian rug on the map. (Don’t believe me, check it out on Google Maps!) The town-planner/ designer (whatever you call it) must have just copied his favourite design from his fabric pattern book, and pasted it onto the map. And Voila! International City. It looks really interesting from the air, but it’s even more interesting on the ground. Fancy driving around flowery roundabouts, and getting confusingly lost? Come to International City! (But watch out for the hundreds of crossroads. They’re blind junctions waiting for accidents to happen. I know because I stayed right beside a crossroad for 2 years and the sounds of a screech followed by a bang became so normal, that we didn’t bother checking outside anymore).

And that’s about the long and short of International City, Dubai


Our old apartment block, V23, Russia Cluster, International City




Posing with the flowers outside our old home, at Russia Cluster


Justin, Russia Cluster, near our neighbourhood supermarket, E-City (everyone in the supermarket knows Justin by name. Who wouldn’t? With him running all over the place, and us having to shout at him to behave, or to find where he is)


Justin and his ‘toy shop’, Russia Cluster home – his only customer was his papa


Mommy and the cow kids, Russia Cluster


Doesn't look like Dubai huh? But it is! Justin and his didi (sister) at the car park of our old Russia Cluster apartment block, fully grown with reeds. Anu likes the reeds! Says it adds greenery to the place!?!


Finally, reeds all cleared! Providing a better view of the adjoining England Cluster


Spain (straight ahead) and Italy (on the right) Clusters near our family clinic, the local clinic that we frequent


Italy Cluster, International City




France Cluster, near Lulu Express, one of the larger community supermarkets in the area




Justin at the car park of our England Cluster home, Block Z-03


Family picture, England Cluster, International City, Dubai

Oh, and there’s some exciting family news from the other side of the world! My sister, Kim gave birth to a healthy baby girl last Saturday, 28th May, in Auckland, New Zealand. Yippee! Now, we have a new baby in the family, Sophia Skye (...unless the parents have a change of mind again, that is).