The Eighth Year of Jayden

Jayden, at the Germany Pavilion, Expo2020, Dubai – Jan 2022

Finally, after 2 months of Jayden turning 8 years old, here’re photos and a summary of Jayden’s eighth year of existence. He’s bigger, but behaving just as little as before, and still ‘eating our heads’. JAYYYYDENNNN!!!

This was the year of Dubai’s Expo 2020 (it’s one year late due to pesky COVID-19). It took place from Oct 2021 to Mar 2022, and we visited it religiously every time we had some free time. (We had Season Tickets, and besides, there’re more than 200 pavilions to see, and lots of concerts and performances. What’s not to be liked??)


Jayden at Expo2020, Oct 2022, right after his birthday. Expo 2020 opened in Oct 2021. This is the Terra Pavilion, Sustainability’s main pavilion. Dubai’s Expo’s theme was “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future” through sustainability, mobility and opportunity. In line with that, the Expo had three main ‘Districts’ Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity, with each having its primary pavilion.


Hah… a rare break from the Expo, to 'soak up' a bit of the Emirati wilderness – Wadi Shawka, Ras Al Khaimah, Dec 2021. Breakfast, after a night of camping. Yours truly literally 'soaked it up' – Lost my balance while climbing and felt into a friggin rock pool at the Wadi, and was completely wet from head to toe. Screwed up my trusty Redmi 7 phone! Thank God, wasn't hurt!


Merry Christmas 2021!!!


Koung Hey Fatt Choi! Welcoming the Year of the Tiger – Jan 2022


Trying out his skills at being a teacher – explaining to us the working of a volcano – Feb 2022. His ‘koko’ never, ever tried anything like that (explaining to us about anything, I mean)


Jayden at school, at the Year 2 corridor's entrance – No he’s not in Year 2. He’s in Year 4. But 2 of his past class teachers are on the panel behind him, his Year 2 teacher, Ms Rachel White, and his Year 1 teacher, Ms Louise Higgins (who subsequently moved up to Year 2). He's not in uniform because it was a Saturday, and he was there for a rehearsal of his school's musical play!


Right after his School Musical performance, ‘Sunny Side Up’ which he participated in – Mar 2022. (We recorded a song he sang, and sent it for the audition, and he was selected! One of the few Year 3 students who were selected). The girl in the photo, was one of the lead performers of the musical. Her screen name was Cindy, and Jayden kept calling her Cindy. Her real name I think is Melissa. She’s in Year 8 or 9, I think…


Finally, we could travel again! First overseas trip out of the UAE in more than 2 years – a trip home to his mommy’s birthplace, Assam, India. Here he is, with little cousin brother, Anshu, currently the youngest in Anu’s family, and the only cousin younger than Jayden on his mother’s side – Apr 2022


Another trip home, this time to Malaysia, but en route to that, we made a few stops – Here’s Jayden in Kathmandu, Nepal – Jul 2022


And then Dhaka, Bangladesh. That is their ummm… let’s see, their aunt, one of Anu’s cousin’s wife


Finally, in Malaysia, but not home yet. We made a family trip to the Mulu Caves of Sarawak – Here’s Jayden with aunt Hazel at Deer Cave, Mulu, Sarawak, Malaysia


Peace! Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia – Jul 2022


The sound of music, one of mommy’s smart ideas… Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia – Jul 2022


With cousin Stacey at Universal Studios, Singapore


Happy 8th Birthday Jayden! Low-key celebration, just the 4 of us at home. This would be the last birthday that he’d be having with his koko, for quite some time I think, coz Koko’s left to Singapore to continue his studies

Jayden really misses his brother, have cried many times thinking about his brother. His koko was his only friend, I think. Jayden’s a little sticky and sentimental, unlike Justin, who’s quite detached. Jayden needed Justin to sleep with him, and only stopped when we forced him to sleep alone after he turned 7 years old. Now, that his koko is away, maybe he’ll start finding his own friends, and growing up a little. We love you little one.