Just a Hole in the Ground?

But not any ordinary hole in the ground. This is a pretty nice hole actually, with clear blue waters that you can swim in, …if only there were less people.


Bimmah Sinkhole, Oman (yup, it’s a sinkhole, but unlike other sinkholes that gobble up houses and roads, and cars, etc, this one's turned into something of a tourist attraction, and made into a park!)

Thought I’ll post some pictures of Oman (again), since I spent the last few months working on Oman related stuff. Actually ended up in Oman a couple of times, for tendering of a project, and to extend Jayden’s visa… (yeah, something happened and we had to lug small Jayden across the border to get the UAE immigration to put an exit stamp in his passport, then enter and exit Oman, and re-enter the UAE with a new stamp, all in one day. What a trip!)

It’s been a friggin hectic time, the last few weeks – big tender in Oman, Malaysia year-end trip, getting Jayden’s UAE residential permit, etc… Looking forward to a lull in workload and hopefully get back some creative writing. Meanwhile here’re some pictures… Tada!


Justin at the sinkhole, located on the road between Muscat and Sur, near the villages of Bimmah (hence the name), and Dibab. The park’s official name is Hawiyat Najm Park (but I doubt people actually remember this name).


Yeah, it's jumpable, ...if you have the balls


See, it's not that high, right?


Justin and mommy at the Bimmah Sinkhole site

Red Son Growing

Jayden 2.5 months old

Finally found some time to update my blog, it’s been so busy since December. My red son, Jayden, is 3 months old now (fast eh?). I call my two sons, my two ‘toes’, Toma-to and Pota-to, hahaha. Jayden’s the Tomato, coz he turns bright red very easily. Justin is Potato, the yellow one.

Here’s a look at Jayden growing up.


Potato impersonating Tomato, at 0.5 month old.


Jayden 1 month old with Papa and Mommy at the Souq Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai


Jayden 1.5 months old, fully awake


Jayden sporting a different hairstyle, not his usual good boy hairstyle


Jayden 2 months old, in formal wear


First trip overseas – visiting the family in Malaysia – with his granny in the Butterworth house


Four generations in a pic – Jayden and Justin with his parents, grandparents (and grandaunt), and great grandparents, in Penang on the occasion of great grandpa’s birthday on New Year’s Day


Jayden, with his other great grandma, in Ipoh






More of the Ipoh side of the family – posing with grand uncles and a grand aunt


Jayden, 3 months old, with Justin

Season's Greetings 2014

Merry Christmas! (Carrefour, Mirdif City Centre, Dubai)

I’m putting a very short post as there is so much work to do before I take a short break for the year end. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!! See you again in 2015!


Christmas 2013, Mall of the Emirates


Mirdif City Centre, Christmas Season 2013


Family Christmas Eve Dinner 2013 at a Chinese restaurant in International City, Dubai


At the amusement park, Dubai Festival City, 2014

Justin Year 5

Yes, that’s right, our monster is 5 years old now. Here’s a quick rerun of his 5th year, in chronological order.


Serving us food (for a change) at his classroom in Uptown School, Dubai


Justin, with ‘good boy’ hair at an Uptown School function


In Malay attire, with his Pre-K teacher, Ms Janet Ayeni on …was it International Day??


At church, …first time he actually volunteered for a photo.


Posing with his Chicken Rice at a highway rest area food court in Malaysia


Caught in the act of accepting a bribe from his chau-ko-poh


With his ji-pek-kong at Jack’s house, Kota Kemuning, Selangor


At the Canning Garden Market, Ipoh


Taking a bath at the Barak River with his mama (uncle), Fulertal, Assam


Posing as a fish, or a plane, no it's a fish, while waiting for his school bus to come


Justin, bald again, for the summer


First day at his new school, GEMS Royal Dubai School for Foundation 2


With his new born little brother, Jayden


Justin and our car, at International City, Dubai


In a suit, at church again – photo specially requested by Justin


Justin’s 5th year birthday – no party, just ourselves

The Submerged Rainforest

Lake Kenyir, Terengganu, Malaysia

A quick picture post again. Busy time at the office. Always seems to be the case here, towards the end of the year, for tendering work anyway. It’s like a punishment for those in Tenders. When everyone’s thinking of Christmas and New Year, you’re holed up in the office, at night, pounding away on the keyboard. Shite!

Still on Malaysia, this is Lake Kenyir, a lake made by damming up the Kenyir River to form a hydroelectric power station. That act effectively flooded 260 square km of rainforests, wiping out scores of trees (and I suspect not a few animals), making it the largest man-made lake in South East Asia. The trees are long gone now, but there was a time when the lake was an eerie maze of dead trees poking out of the lake surface. That was what one fellow visitor told us. I wouldn’t have known since this was our first visit to the lake.


View from the Lake Kenyir Resort


A boat chugging quietly on the lake


A fishing boat / lodge i.e. a house boat where visitors stay to fish, cook and eat – popular with fishing enthusiasts


This was where we stayed – chalets at the Lake Kenyir Resort, but don’t ask me which one


There’re as many as 340 islands in the lake which were once hilltops. Here’s the ‘Waterfall Island’! Dunno the real name, just know that it had a waterfall in it!


Waterfall at Lake Kenyir (see a picture of Justin bathing at the waterfall in my previous post)

Then there’s ‘Herbal’ Island, where you can get tongkat ali, …to boost your male libido! (This’ll be a favourite among some of the friends I know!!)


The Harmony Hut (Pondok Harmoni) (don’t ask me why they name it this) at ‘Herbal’ Island, where the tongkat ali, kacip fatimah, etc brews are prepared for sampling by tourists – bitter to the core, whatd’ya expect? These are …potions, OK?


A shelter on the lake at ‘Herbal’ Island


Another view of Lake Kenyir, with the Lake Kenyir Resort on the left


A view of the Lake Kenyir Resort main building, from the swimming pool, yes there’s a swimming pool there. Dunno why people don’t just swim in the lake. Didn’t see anyone do that, actually, strange!


The road there, from Ipoh – just past Gua Musang, Kelantan. We decided to take the never-before-travelled route to Terengganu this trip, across the spine of Malaya, through hills, forests and plantations. The route will take you from Ipoh, uphill to Cameron Highlands, then downwards to Gua Musang, Kelantan. From Kelantan, we drove across Felda estate roads (government planned palm oil plantations) straggling the boundary of Taman Negara (National Park) into Terengganu and Lake Kenyir.


Just past the Terengganu border, from Kelantan