Tales from Old Dubai

Here’s a quick update. It’ll have to be a picture post again, because yours truly have again got himself entangled in some messy work arrangements between the 2.5 projects that he’s involved in. Plus today is the first day of work, after a long weekend for the National Day holidays. I am as blur as a …sotong (OK, that’s Singlish, so what).


Dhow Wharves (dhow – traditional Arab wooden boats) – seen from my temporary office last year at the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Tower in Deira, Dubai

On the home front, we’ve shifted (in Aug). The new house is nice and cosy, with a neighbourhood with lots of green areas that we can walk around. The kids and missus are OK. Dad and Hazel are on a 2 weeks’ visit. We went on a 2 day trip to Musandam (Oman) during the National Days holiday, with Dad and Hazel. I’ve until now not got approval to take the 2 weeks leave that we’ve been planning for during the kids’ winter break in Dec. Justin’s just had his 10th birthday (and of course, I’ve not sorted out the photos for a post). And that’s about it. What is there to post about? How about some photos of old Dubai (yes, again) to coincide with the National Holidays? Yup, that’ll be it.


Deira Clocktower / Roundabout – Used to be called the Dubai Clocktower. Built in 1965, it is one of the earliest landmarks of Dubai


Yaqub Mosque, Deira, Dubai – near where I used to work

Enough of Deira, now we’ll skip to the other side of the Creek, Bur Dubai.


These water taxis carry passengers from Bur Dubai to Deira and vice versa. It’s 1 dirham per trip per passenger. Kids go free. Can’t get a cheaper boat ride than that nowadays! Notice Sweety, the kids and I on the dhow?


The kids at the square in front of the Hindu temple (yes, there are Hindu temples in Dubai!) There are 2 temples in Bur Dubai alone. The temple here (housing a Shiva shrine, a Sai Baba shrine and a mini Gurdwara) is hidden in the maze of passageways behind the shops shown in the photo. The minaret belongs to a mosque just behind the temple


The passageways beside the temple are lined with shops selling Hindu religious paraphernalia – flower garlands, prayer items, Indian sweets, idols, altars, you name it. The kids at the passageways near the temple


Anu at Dubai Creek, in front of the temple square


The area adjoining the temple is the Old Souq (old market) – Justin posing with a closed door


Mommy at the Old Souq


The Old Souk is somewhat of a tourist souk nowadays. For some real discount on traditional Indian clothes, accessories, locals (we consider ourselves locals now, ahem) usually head to Meena Bazaar, the area just south of the Old Souk – This is Al Fahidi Souq at Meena Bazaar, Bur Dubai


Dubai Museum (Al Fahidi Fort) – The kids love forts museums. Not so much Mommy though… But this one is only AED 5 entrance per person


We’ve had mosques and temples. Why not throw in a church? Here’s the church (or should I say, churches) we frequent. This is a complex of churches in the Oud Metha area (near Bur Dubai)– the main church in this complex is the Holy Trinity Church, and the buildings surrounding it are mainly used by Evangelical churches of multiple denominations and languages. There’s Malayalam churches, Hindi / Urdu churches, Korean churches, Tagalog, etc, and you see nationalities from all over the world. Outside this complex are Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches with their own compounds. I call this place the Church District…

Inside the Walled City

Walls of the Inner City (Icheri Sheher), Baku, Azerbaijan




A walk inside Icheri Sheher, Baku

I have nothing to write about. I am full time juggling 2.5 Projects. Family life has taken a hit, partly because of that. I’ve not got an approval for my intended December leave (not yet, anyway). On the contrary, they’ve heaped extra work and extra responsibilities on me, with no pay rise! What a life!

But blogging goes on. It’ll have to be picture posts for the time being. Guess I’ll post more pictures from our Baku trip in 2018. I’ve posted some before, but I’ve not posted the bulk of the photos from inside the old walled city of Baku, Icheriseher (i.e. Inner City). Here goes.


This was near where we stayed in Icheri-Sheher, the Old City Inn


An Azeri dinner at our hotel’s restaurant with Piti (that soup dish) and err… forgot what the other dishes are called. You can find Piti everywhere you go!


At the Gates of the Walled City


Parks and buildings surround the Walled City – exploring them was part of the fun




The Inner City is a mix of cobblestone roads, small cobblestone alleys, tiny cobblestone walkways and staircases


The bust of …umm didn’t bother to find out (let’s zoom in – it sez Aliaga Vahid), near the Museum of Miniature Books and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs


A cobblestone road beside the Shirvanshah’s Palace




Near the Maiden Tower


Hey honey, are you allowed to climb up? Maiden Tower, Icheriseher, Baku, Azerbaijan

That’s all for now folks!

The Arabian Wilderness

We just commemorated our 13th Anniversary. Yup, Anu & I have completed 13 years of our union! Time flies, huh? Didn’t really celebrate. Had a drink in our balcony. Last year it was spent at home. Just some private time together. I love you, Honey. I wouldn’t want anything to change.

On the work front, I am super busy, now that I am back at the blasted ITS2020 Project. And I bloody lost my alternate Saturdays off!

I think I’ll post some pictures of our picnics in the Emirati countryside, since 2 years ago (2017), we actually spent our anniversary camping, with the kids, on Jebel Jais, UAE’s highest peak! November is also the start of the picnic season in the Arabian Peninsula, so some picnic pictures coming up!


Forest fire!?! NOOOOO! What forest? It's a desert... Just boiling some water, hehe


Cooking up some instant noodles! Here, we can start our own fires! Unlike NZ and many other western countries… On the E102 Road, in Ras Al-Khaimah territory, just before the turnoff to Hatta Road – Feb 2018 (CNY)


Arabian countryside – on the E102 (Sharjah to Kalba Road), which has incidentally become the main road to Hatta, now that only UAE and Omani residents can use the old direct route from Dubai to Hatta that cuts across Omani territory!




Jayden and his mommy – Sharjah-Kalba Road, UAE – Feb 2018. (Check out these posts for more pictures of Jayden and Justin at this place)


I don’t like this sun!!! Justin, somewhere along the Hatta Road, the connecting road between E102 (Sharjah-Kalba Road) and Hatta, looking for a suitable picnic spot – Nov 2018


Let’s stop here… Picnic at Hatta Road, at an area belonging to the Ajman Exclave of Masfout – Nov 2018


Kids! Stop mucking around with the thorny trees, OK?! It'll friggin prick you!


Now, what did I tell you?!?


Hello Honey, I love you




Hatta Dam (the lesser one), UAE – There’re 2 dams in Hatta. The larger one was jam-packed with people when we visited in Nov 2018, so we skipped over to the smaller one

That’s all for now.

Walkie-Talkie Turns 5

Happy Deepavali! Happy Diwali! OK, it was 2 days back, but better late than never, right?

Anyway, our little kid, Jayden turned 5 this month. Anu calls him our walkie-talkie because he talks all the time (when not on a tab or phone that is…). He definitely talks more than his brother Justin, and he’ll use words he learns from the Youtube videos he watches, whether he fully understands them or not. “Whatever”. Anyway, here’re the photos.


Jayden 4 years 1 month – at Hatta Dam, UAE


November last year, was a month full of flu. Jayden visited the doc almost every week. Here’s Jayden being a Super Kid at his paediatrician’s consultation room at Apple Clinic, International City. This was also when the doc asked us to get a paediatric cardiologist to check out his heart for some irregular sounds (murmurs) heard. We didn’t check it out until we got to Malaysia many months later. He turned out to be super-duper OK!


Our NZ trip last December! Jayden with his cousins Jared and Skye, at Kim’s house, Auckland. This was where we started to get him to eat by himself, thanks to the cousins. He still bargains with us about feeding him though …Papa, I will eat 5 mouths, then you feed me, OK? …NO!


Jayden and Skye doing a Haka (traditional Maori war dance) – after watching a Haka dance at Whakarewarewa Village, Rotorua, New Zealand


Jayden, who’s that friend you’re with? Jayden is pretty fond of girls (he calls ‘em princesses) – 4 years 6 months with a random little girl at Dubai Festival City


With his favourite teacher, his Foundation 2 (FS2) Class Teacher, Ms Leila Borich on International Day, Newlands School, Dubai – Ms Leila is from Bosnia


Whoa! What sorta hairstyle is that?? 4 years 7 months


Why are you so cross? Jayden with his old Lego Ninjago friend – Jayden used to be shorter than his ol’ friend (we have pictures of him with this Lego figure from small till now)


Just kidding, hehe – Mirdif City Centre


His koko is still his best friend though – 4 years 8 months


Jayden graduates …from Kindergarten (yeah, his school has a special graduation party!) – Newlands School – it’s a cheaper school compared to Justin’s, and the services are a li’l slow, but when it comes to parties, this school rocks!


Jayden also can draw! (I’ve put photos of Justin with his drawings, now it’s Jayden’s turn) – 4 years 9 months, England Cluster, International City


Our Malaysia trip! Jayden petting a rabbit at Panorama Langkawi, Pulau Langkawi


Getting Jayden’s heart checked out, because of the murmurs (see second photo above). He’s fine after all, whew… – Penang Adventist Hospital, Penang, Malaysia


New house! New school! – We’ve shifted to Motor City! Starting school at GEMS Metropole School – 4 years 11 months


Jayden is 5! – Dubai Creek, Bur Dubai