Justin's Eighth Year Rewind

Whew, what a month! Was supposed to post this 3 weeks back, but due to hectic work and another whirlwind trip back home (yeah, again!) for the last 2 weeks, here finally is my post on Justin’s eighth year! Yeah, he is friggin 8 now, and still driving us as crazy as ever. Anybody has any ideas on how to teach an 8 year old to listen and follow instructions?

I’ve decided to put the pictures in reverse chronological order this time, for a change.


Justin celebrating his 8th birthday in Legoland Dubai – A trip to Legoland was his birthday gift. Justin’s birthday is usually a holiday in the UAE due to it falling between UAE’s Commemoration Day (30th November) and UAE’s National Day (2nd December)


I can totally climb this… at Wadi Bih, Ras Al Khaimah, Nov 2017


Diwali (Deepavali) at our Dubai home, Oct 2017 – We (or more correctly, Anu) made a ‘kolam’ with bougainvillea picked from downstairs, what an idea huh?


With some of his best school mates at Antranik’s birthday party, Etihad Mall, Dubai, Oct 2017 – With him are Rayaan (left) from Pakistan and Jiexi (right) from China. Antranik, from Armenia, is at the back posing with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle


Started Year 3. Waiting for the school bus at bloody 6:45am! That’s not really that bad if compared to yours truly who had to bugger off to work in Abu Dhabi at an ungodly 5.50am!


With his ‘Sifu’ at Kung Fu Summer Camp, DragonMart 2, Dubai, Sep 2017 – Kung Fu classes for free throughout summer, compliments of the Mall. Thank you DragonMart, thank you, Kung Fu Institute, whoever you are!


A playdate with school friends, Arya (left) and Meshal (right) at City Walk, Dubai, Aug 2017 – On the far right is Arya’s younger sister, Vivah. Is Justin on the shorter side, or are girls typically taller than boys at this age?


Photo shoot with the Minions at Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, Jul 2017 – Anything for a free gift. Besides, Minions are one of Justin’s favourite characters. The free gifts turned out to be cup cakes which none of the boys like. They ended up as usual in my tummy, and you think why I’m gaining weight!?


Family time at Al Sahra Desert Resort, Dubai, Jul 2017 with his Kong-Kong (grandpa) who’s visiting from Malaysia and his two cousin sisters, Sweety (left) who’s visiting from India and Karishma (middle) who arranged it all (she works in Tour Dubai). Thanks so much for the treat Kari!


A trip back to our Silchar home, Assam, India, Mar-Apr 2017 – sharing an iPad time with his cousin brother, Zeeva


At Anu’s village, Fulertal, Assam, with his other cousins, Kunal (left), Sonia (middle) and Aakash @ Chhandam (right)


A stopover in Doha, Qatar, Mar 2017 – with new found friend Garrett, son of our friend and ex-colleague Andrew, from Mizoram


Dubai Creek, Bur Dubai, with his little brother, Mar 2017


At his school, GEMS Royal Dubai School, Feb 2017


With mommy in Dizin, Alborz Province, Iran, Dec 2016


How do these sunglasses look, Mommy? – At the Bazaar of Kashan, Iran, Dec 2016

And since this will be my last of post of 2017, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018 EVERYONE!!!!!

The Drama Continues…

Jayden, May 2017, Dubai

Awww, what the heck! I might as well post more photos of the drama boy! No point spending all that time looking thru the little fella’s photos and not posting more, right?


“Make happy face Jayden”


“Sad face”


“Kiss”


“Stop moving Jayden”


“Good Jayden”


“Open your eyes!” Dec 2016, Mirdif City Centre


“Angry face”


Donald Trump, and here're more politicians


Pig face, Aug 2017, City Walk, Dubai


Dreamy in the city, Ikea, Dubai


At home in the village, Apr 2017, Fulertal, Assam, India


Wow, it’s your birthday?


Serious, big brother pose


What’s so funny?

There, one quick post done. Haha!

Jayden Is 3!

“Smile! No, not like that…” 3 year old Jayden, with his Transformer car birthday present

Whew, finally did it! I dunno how many lunch breaks I’ve sacrificed to sort through thousands of photos to pick some out for this post, but it’s done. Here goes! A recap of Jayden’s third year.

Writing the post is the easy part (especially once you’ve grown less concerned about the quality). Picking out the photos is the tough part (when you have camera trigger-happy parents like us!)


On his little scooter, 2 years, 1 month – At Mushrif Park, Dubai


Wow, what’s this cold stuff?? 2 years, 2 months – Dizin, Alborz Province, Iran


With his church girlfriend, Mikaela (they sure start young huh?) 2 years, 3 months – Dubai


Gong Xi Fa Cai, on Chinese New Year at ummm… Arabian Center, I think


Camping in the wild, 2 years, 4 months – Wadi Bih, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE


Peek-a-boo, 2 years, 5 months – Souq Waqif, Doha, Qatar


With his Chhema (Aunt) Amrita, in Anu’s village, 2 years, 6 months – Fulertal, Assam, India


Looking savvy, with Koko and Mommy, 2 years, 7 months – In front of our Dubai home


Stop moving willya? 2 years, 8 months – Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi


With his Kong-Kong (Grandpa) in Dubai, 2 years, 9 months


Family pic, with his cousin sis, Sweety, at DragonMart 2, Dubai


Monkey see, monkey do, …as if he can read, 2 years, 10 months, Dubai


With his friends, the ‘Guys’, neighbour’s kids Jan (middle) and Yusuf (right), 2 years, 11 months


NOOO! That’s not for blowing, it’s not a birthday! With his cousin sis, Karishma on Durga Puja at our home


Happy Birthday Jayden!

Temple Wedding, Anyone?

Yippee. It’s our 11th anniversary. Eleven years since Anu and I got together. Guess where we celebrated it? …In the bushes, camping overnight with the kids!

It’s a long story. At the end of the day, we were exhausted and covered in dust, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. Pictures of this however will have to wait. (What? When have you seen me posting right after a trip? Haven’t even had time to catch up on sleep, let alone download photos from the phone, camera).

Meanwhile, here’re some unexpected temple wedding photos taken during our 2013 trip to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Colombo would’ve been a lot less interesting had we not bumped into these weddings. (Two weddings, in the same day!) See for yourself!




A wedding in progress, Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo, Sri Lanka






No, we don’t know the couple. We’re just gate crashers. Too bad they didn’t give out door gifts. Then we’d have some cool Sri Lankan wedding souvenirs haha!

Gangaramaya Temple (but I could swear that our driver called it simply Gangarama) is a Sri Lankan Buddhist temple filled with odd stuff from all over the Buddhist world, such as Chinese deities like Guan Yin (the Goddess of Mercy) and Guan Yu, and Tibetan Bodhisattvas embraced in sex. (Yeah, you heard right! The Yab-Yum pose showing deities embraced in sex is common in Tibetan temples!) The architecture is a mix of Sri Lankan, Indian, Thai and Chinese (according to Wikipedia), but I see features of Burmese and Indonesian architecture as well (but what do I know?). It reminds me of the Buddhist temples back home in Malaysia! (For example, the Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang!)


Another wedding! In Gangaramaya Park, near the Gangaramaya Temple. Behind the trees, you can see glimpses of a fabulous little Buddhist shrine in the lake called the Seema Malaka. Unfortunately, all our photos of Seema Malaka came out overexposed, …thanks to yours truly, who was fidgeting with the camera settings right before, and forgot to set it back!


A humongous Bodhi tree in the Gangarama Temple – Buddhists are obsessed with Bodhi trees because Lord Buddha gained enlightenment meditating under a Bodhi tree. Now Bodhi tree temples are all over the Buddhist world as in Bodhgaya, India (where Buddha gained enlightenment) and Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka


Copied straight out of the stupas of Borobudur, Indonesia!


This temple is as much a museum as it is a temple, look at the vintage cars! On the right is Guan Yu, a historical Chinese general, who was later (many years after his death), worshipped as a deity till today


3 year old Justin inspecting the “babies” on the temple wall


An elephant and its mahout in the temple compound – how can posts on Sri Lanka not feature elephants?!


The inner sanctum, Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo


And here’s a view of Colombo that’s not in the vicinity of the Gangarama Temple – It’s taken from the road in front of Colombo’s World Trade Centre

Ayubowan!