Merry Christmas from Dubai

Atlantis, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

Merry Christmas everyone! Today is a working day here in Dubai. Everything is business as usual, construction work is at full swing, the traffic out side is as crazy as ever, we’ve not bought any Christmas gifts for anyone despite the countless Christians here in the office (and we’ve not received any either – must be the economic recession). The only difference today I noticed is that some of the Christians (i.e. the Filipinos) look a little on the drunk side. We’ve decided to keep our Christmas a quiet affair this year. Anu’s still recovering from the unexpected attack of jaundice / hepatitis. Dunno how she got it, she’s something of a cleanliness freak compared to yours truly.

Anyway, here’s to a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. May you triumph over the darn economic mess that Bush left behind; May you ride over the fears created by terrorists and friggin cheats and thugs; May corrupt and inept governments fall to be replaced by good ones, without creating too much of a difficult time; May we continue to have hope, love and peace if difficult times hit us; May our health always be good; May our surroundings always be filled with joy, laughter and harmony; May our prayers be answered; And may God always bless us, protect us and lead us on the right path.


Door to Atlantis


The alien-like coral tree in the main lobby of Atlantis


Main Lobby of Atlantis

Dubai Update: Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak! Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha! The UAE, being a Muslim country, will naturally have a long festive period (and ahem, …holidays) to coincide with this occasion. China State Construction’s holidays for the Middle East head office starts last Friday and ends today (Tuesday) – 5 long wonderful days. China State Emirates Road Project’s holiday is officially 3 days (Sunday to Tuesday). Unofficially, our gracious boss has agreed to give us TWO peaceful days – Monday, yesterday, and Sunday OR Tuesday, depending on our choice (we picked Sunday). That’s the reason why I’m in the office today, and logging in this entry, since nothing much’s happening out at site today. For the past 2 days of holidays, we decided to explore the Musandam Peninsula, the finger of land poking out into the Arabian Gulf towards Iran, like a gateway to the Gulf. Dry and sparsely populated, Musandam, a part of the Sultanate of Oman is all sea creeks flanked by crumbling barren mountains, with a fort here and a fishing village there.

Here’s a sample picture, will post more once we’ve downloaded the lot into the computer.


Khor Ash-Sham, Musandam, Oman

From Our Bombay Picture Gallery

A picture of the Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghats (open-air laundries), Mumbai, compliments of Eio, our Leighton ex-colleague


Kim pretending to be a construction worker, without much success I’d say


Dad & Kim at an ancient cave temple on Elephanta Island


Dad, Kim & mini train on Elephanta Island




At the Haji Ali shrine – It’s on a small sandbar island connected to the coast of Mumbai by a causeway. It’s supposedly the site where the body of a local pious Muslim, Haji Ali, floated back in a casket and landed after he died while on a pilgrimage to Mecca.


Worshippers at the ISCKON (Hare Krishna) Temple in Mumbai


Gary & Anu at the ISKCON Temple


Anu sulking at the Banganga Tank, Malabar Hill, Mumbai


The interior of the Church of North India, somewhere in Bandra


Anu & Manipuri friend at Bandra Land’s End, Mumbai


The Malaysian trio (Ching, yours truly and Choong) at Bandra Land’s End

Mumbai in Peace Times

The Taj Mahal Hotel, and the Gateway of India, Mumbai

A showcase of Mumbai in calmer times. Just a small dedication to the city of Mumbai, and to the so many innocent lives lost recently in a most heinous terrorist attack… Why do people do what they do? Why the unnecessary carnage?


Dad & Anu near the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Hotel


Kim at the entrance of the Taj Mahal Hotel

The Taj Mahal Hotel was opened in 1903, built by a patriarch of the Tata family, a prominent Indian Parsi family. One of the main reasons why he built this hotel was because he was stopped from entering another hotel on the account that he wasn’t white. So he decided to just screw the British, and build a grander one himself.


Chowpatty Beach


Along Marine Drive (also called the Queen’s Necklace for the string of lights seen from afar at night), Mumbai


Gary & Anu at the Hanging Gardens (Feroz Shah Mehta Garden)


Inside the Knesseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, Mumbai


The Victoria Terminus railway station (aka Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus)


The Gateway of India at dusk