City on Seven Hills

Amman, Jordan – view from the Arab Tower Hotel. The mosque in the picture is the Al-Husseiny Mosque

Happy New Year People!

2017 doesn’t seem to have started out very well with yours truly here. Was down with fever on New Year’s Day. Justin too. And the wife cracked her nice Samsung Galaxy S7 (last year’s birthday present) on the tarmac a few days back. Repairs will cost 45% of a brand new S7!!! That blinking piece of Samsung glass will cost the same as my brand new Redmi friggin Note 4?!? WTF! The wife’s not gonna get it fixed. She reckoned it’ll stick well enough with a screen protector on top not to have the pieces of glass fall off! Oh well, that’s her choice!

Anyway, I’m continuing my post on Jordan, since I’m already at it. Amman, the capital of Jordan, was built on 7 hills, like Rome! …Ya, friggin Rome?! (Everything’s about Rome in ancient times, OK?) People like to build cities on 7 hills. There’s just something about 7 hills that makes cities good. Don’t believe me? Just google ‘City on Seven Hills’ and you’ll get a long list of cities, starting with Rome. Try googling ‘City on Eight Hills’, or heck! ‘Ten Hills’, and you’ll probably get zilch for your results.

Amman has since expanded to cover 19 hills (but nobody shouts about that). Nineteen? Not a cool number. Like Rome, Amman has its own Roman theatre, temples and other Roman things! I guess, Rome was the one to follow then. Here’re some photos of Amman and its Roman remains!


One of our first glimpses of Amman when coming from the Airport – wow, nice view …what’s with the trash strewn all over the field? Some sort of art work?


The streets of Amman, Jordan


A view of the Roman Theatre & Hashemite Square (the space around the theatre) from atop the Citadel


A closer view of the Roman Theatre – the ancients didn’t really think of photographers when they built this place. Don't they know that it’ll always be shrouded in shadows if they build it on the northern slope of a hill? How are people gonna get a nice lighted shot of it??




More views of Amman from the Citadel




The Temple of Hercules …or what’s left of it, Amman Citadel, Jordan


I have no idea what this is, …at the Amman Citadel


Anu and a tree, Amman Citadel, Jordan


Jayden at the lobby of our hotel in Amman. Chess must be a favourite hobby here?

A Christmas in Three Countries

Merry Christmas Everyone!


Christmas Season in Madaba, Jordan

We've just got back from a one week vacation in Iran! Had a swell time, but tired like hell. And, as usual, the photos are still in the phones and camera. So here’re some photos from last year instead. I’m friggin working on Christmas this year, OK? Sending this out from the office.

We spent Christmas Day last year in 3 countries! We flew from Dubai to Amman, Jordan on Gulf Air transiting in Bahrain on Christmas Day. Here’re the pics.


Justin, transiting at Bahrain Airport


How often does it rain in Arabia? A whole year of bone-dry weather, and it had to rain on Christmas Day! – Bah ...rain Airport


Amman, Jordan on Christmas Day – A view from our hotel room, Arab Tower Hotel – note the Roman Amphitheatre (in shadows) on the middle right of the picture


A closer view of the Roman Amphitheatre, Amman


Justin having breakfast on Boxing Day, Arab Tower Hotel, Amman


The Basilica of St George, Madaba - a small but well-known church in Jordan for its ancient mosaic map of the Holy Land and Jerusalem (the oldest in existence apparently). Madaba has a number of ancient mosaics and is dubbed Mosaic City by the tourist guides waiting to cash in on this reason alone. "Wouldn't you like to see ...the Mosaic City??" Heck, definitely more intriguing than Madaba


The interior of the Basilica – it’s a Greek Orthodox Church


And there, on the floor, now barricaded up, part of the famous Madaba Map – Not much of a sight, if you’re not a history buff. …Maybe, if they’d barricaded it up earlier… (it dates back to the friggin 6th century AD, OK?).

Anyway, wishing all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May this be a truly joyful season for you and your family. May God’s blessings and protection continue to be with you! Have a Happy & Blessed 2017!!!

Here’re some Christmas flavour from home –




Me’aisem City Centre, Dubai, Dec 2015

Justin Year 7

Hello! – Justin at his school, on the eve of Chinese New Year 2016

TADA! Here’re photos of Justin’s 7th year! What the heck, I just randomly picked some photos for the sake of this post, hehe! Haven’t downloaded all the photos, especially the more recent ones! I’ll put ‘em in another post if I find some nicer ones later! Here goes…


Clambering over salt-encrusted rocks on the Dead Sea, Jordan, roughly a month after his 6th birthday


All red for Chinese New Year! Dragon Mart 2, Dubai – Feb 2016


With Papa, at the newly renovated part of Dubai Festival City Mall – Mar 2016


Taman Ayun, Mengwi, Bali, Indonesia – Mar 2016


More time with Papa, ordering food at a Chinese Restaurant in Nusa Dua, Bali. Nope, he still can't use chopsticks


Is that Plants vs Zombies?!? Sharing a game with cousin sister, Stacey, in Butterworth, Malaysia – Apr 2016 – An easy trick with these new age kids, just give them some gadgets and they’ll be quiet and still. Haha!


Learning to swim, with dad. Yeah, Justin can swim unaided for 10m now! – Mushrif Park, Dubai, May 2016


Finished Year 1, with an award for Best Progress in ...Art! (and I was kinda hoping he’d be more scientific…) – Jun 2016


Karate classes at the dojo downstairs of our apartment block, with teacher Ngawang – Jul 2016, …before they decided to close it down in December, what a let down! Justin loved his karate classes


Climbing a wall, …or more like trying to climb a wall, at Adventure Zone, Galleria Mall, Dubai


With a friend, Malaysian classmate Varshana, at their swanky new villa in Al Barsha South, Dubai – Aug 2016


With another friend, Indian classmate Aria, at Mo’s Restaurant in CityWalk, Dubai – Sep 2016


With his Year 2 teacher Ms Mauchan, and teacher’s assistant Ms …ummm, sorry, gotta ask Justin her name – Nov 2016


Justin with Mommy on his 7th birthday! Went for a movie, Moana, in Mirdif City Centre


And this is his belated birthday present, a day at Kidzania, Dubai Mall. This is what kids call fun??? Working??? In McDonalds??? Or wherever? Wait till he grows up!

Further Exploits of Drama Boy

Justin’s 7 now! We celebrated his birthday last weekend. Nothing grand, just an ice cream cake at home and we watched a movie. But this post is not about Justin. I’ve decided to post more photos of Jayden until I bloody have time to look through the mountain of photos we took of Justin through the year! That’s the problem with parents nowadays. Everyone’s a photographer and the ease of getting hold of gadgets that can snap photos doesn’t bloody make it easier!

So here’s more of Jayden (since I’ve already sorted out the photos). Don’t let him fool you being little and cute, he’s a mini devil in disguise, with a bag full of emotional blackmail tricks! That little rascal.


Jayden at a year old …let’s see what else I can grab and eat…


You, you, you… Jayden, 13 months old


Being lovey-dovey and cute, also 13 months old, but with a new haircut (i.e. bald)


Boo! 15 months old


Fooling around with ko-ko, 17 months


Kissy face, 18 months


His baby impersonation …after meeting another baby (maybe he didn’t realise that the other boy is actually bigger size than he is)


Smart and happy, 19 months


...Come carry me!


Hello everyone! 21 months


Impersonation of a monster, 22 months, at the Crowne Plaza, Deira, Dubai


Happy with a Bentley! (Of course, who wouldn’t be?) 23 months


Shhhh......


Making a wish on his 2nd Birthday! See ya all next time!