Into Georgia, the Country

Tbilisi city view, from the Narikala Fortress

And so from Sanahin Armenia, we entered Georgia, a country of friendly people, strange languages and Joseph Stalin, more or less.

Friendly people because that’s where we met the friendliest guesthouse ever in our travels.

Strange languages because Georgian is the main language of the Kartvelian family of languages which is unrelated to any other languages in the world, making it a primary language family. (And it so happens that the other Kartvelian languages are also indigenous to Georgia). Also, since we are at strange languages, the Caucasus is a gold mine of languages. It has two other primary language groups totally unrelated to other language families in the world, i.e. the Northwest Caucasian languages (languages of the Circassian regions of Russia and the breakaway Georgian state of Abkhazia) and the Northeast Caucasian languages (languages of Chechnya, Ingushetia & Dagestan regions of Russia). What is common among all these 3 groups of unrelated language families though, is that they all have some pretty crazy groupings of consonants, and relatively little vowels! You can see that in the name of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi. It’s pronounced exactly like that, Th-B-I-LISI not TIB-LI-SI! Its olden time capital is Mtskheta and is pronounced more or less like how it’s written. Now go figure out how you’d pronounce Shio-mghvime!

Georgia also happens to be the homeland of Joseph Stalin, one of the greatest leaders of the previous Soviet Union (USSR) (which as you may know, encompassed the entire friggin Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus countries, the Baltic states, all the Central Asian ‘Stans’, etc!) Stalin isn’t Russian. No. He’s pure-bred Georgian, son of a Georgian shoemaker and his Georgian wife. Stalin's birth name was Ioseb Jughashvili. Stalin was the one who kicked Hitler’s butt in World War 2 as Soviet leader i.e. the USSR defeated Nazi Germany together with the US and Britain, invaded Berlin, and put an end to the Nazis in Germany. Stalin ruled the USSR (as de facto dictator) for 30 years, turned it into a superpower, and created the Eastern Bloc (comprising communist states opposed to the US-UK backed Western Bloc) which gave rise to the Cold War. Controversial, but no small feat I would say.

Anyway, here’re some assorted photos of Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. Enjoy!


Tbilisi, with the Narikala Fortress on the left and the Mother of Georgia statue on the right (on top of the hill), view from Europe Square


Yes, another Tbilisi photo, this time from the Metekhi Street Church overlooking the Mtkvari River (or if you can’t pronounce it, the Kura River), the main river that flows through Tbilisi


Europe Square, Tbilisi – Despite not being geographically inside Europe (Europe ends north of the Caucasus Mountain range; and Georgia is south of the Caucasus). And why are there EU flags flying?? I don’t think Georgia is part of the EU?


This is Tbilisi’s answer to any threat that comes its way! Mother Georgia, 20m tall, complete with Sword of Power. “Godzilla, Mothra, attack if you dare!” – Kartlis Deda, Tbilisi (Deda means mother in Georgian and Mama means father. Easy, it’s just the opposite of English)


The Bridge of Peace, Tbilisi – stretches over the Mtkvari River, at Rike Park, near Europe Square


Mtkvari River, the main river that flows through the heart of Tbilisi, seen from the Peace Bridge


Liberty Square, Tbilisi


The Georgian Parliament on Shota Rustaveli Avenue – Again, it has European flags flying?


Our hotel ….err just kidding. You think cheapskates like us would stay in a lavish hotel like this? We’re more of the ‘travel like a local’ type traveller, hehe


The café scene in Tbilisi, between the Peace Bridge and Liberty Square – I think it’s Erekle II Street (sez Google Maps)


Churchkhela for sale – Georgian candy made from fruits and nuts… They’re all over the place here (and also in neighbouring Armenia)


Another thing found all over the place, Khachapuri (Georgian bread), in the making. So they’re like nan and tandoori roti, baked in a tandoor


That’s it for now folks. Gotta get back to work. Meanwhile, us, at the Holy Trinity (Sameba) Cathedral, Tbilisi, Georgia

Older Than the Other One

Another scary place coming up…


Sanahin Monastery, Armenia

This is my last post on Armenia (relieved, huh?). This was the last place we visited in Armenia before crossing the border into Georgia by hired car. If you like old churches, and places where horror movies are made of, this is the right place to be - Armenia!

Welcome to the Sanahin Monastery! Sanahin means ‘older than the other one’ presumably in comparison with the Haghpat Monastery which is located on the same plateau, but separated by a few gorges. We did not visit Haghpat (we thought it’d be a monastery too many! Besides, the taxi wanted a lot more money, if we make another stop). Anyway, Sanahin is at least a thousand years old. (Yeah, no kidding, according to Wikipedia). It was built in the 10th century! This place brings up scenes of vampires lurking in its dark interiors, or demonic spirits trapped beneath ancient hidden underground vaults. OK, that’s all my imagination. Anyway, here’re photos of Sanahin. Enjoy!


Wow, what’s this? The mother of all crosses? Errmm… it’s actually the …let’s Google it …Holy Cross monument (just north of the Armenian Alphabet Monument – I didn’t know such a place exists) on the M3 Road heading north, from Yerevan to Sanahin – (It’s about 33km north from Yerevan. We saw it from our cab)


Getting ready for a vampire hunt? – Sanahin Monastery 2018, Armenia


“That’s my stone! Koko!” Everywhere’s a playground for the kids, regardless of vampires, ghosts or werewolves – Sanahin Monastery


Barricaded! Who knows what horrors lie within? Or maybe it’s just the renovation works…


Wait, there’s a way in…




The interiors of the monastery


“Stop it BOYS! You’re stepping on people’s tombstones…” (Actually there’s no way to avoid them tombstones…)


Is that a fallen chandelier or some ritualistic altar of some sort???


A broken cross (khachkar)


Run! Granny’s coming! (‘Granny’ is the killer from the survival horror video game of the same name which the kids play. Granny can hear almost everything and come hunting for you if you make some sound. The objective of the game is to escape Granny’s house). ...Nah, it’s just the lady priest of the monastery…

OK, that’s all folks. Till next time.

On the home front, the kids have started school. Despite the Pandemic! Summer has ended. (UAE has an official summer period where all mid-day work in the open is banned – 15-Jun to 15-Sep). That’s also the day my Project’s work was expected to finish (but we still have a tiny li’l bit of work left). After this, …I really hope my company comes up with some new Projects soon… Fingers crossed.

The Haunted House of My Childhood

It’s the Ghost Month, in the Chinese Calendar. (Actually, it’s been the Ghost Month for the past 20-plus days now). In Malaysia, my granny (when she was still around) and elders would advise us youngsters (then) not to venture out at night, for this is the month where the gates of hell are flung open for the ghosts to roam around freely in the land of the living! Interesting?

In Malaysia, especially in the Chinese areas, you’d see stage performances near Chinese temples, set up for empty seats, food served for no one, lots of burning of incense, joss paper and hell money (no, ghosts aren’t bothered about environmental issues).

So, here’s a short picture post for just this occasion… Our visit to the haunted house of my childhood – Kellie’s Castle.

When I visited this place for the first time during my teenage years in the 80’s, it wasn’t a friggin tourist attraction. It was just a haunted house in the jungle, where us kids knew about from our friends, who knew about it from their friends, and so forth. It was a place we could boast about to the other kids that we ‘survived’! At that time, the ‘castle’ was surrounded by huge trees and jungle, with no visitors (we were very likely trespassing, OK?)

I think the authorities realized its tourism potential eventually, cleared up the jungle (No!), gave it a nice touch up (NO!!), added a tourist office and some flowering shrubs (NO!!!). (You SPOILT it! So, how does that look like a haunted house now?!?) I was so let down by the beautification desecration (you could see the neatly trimmed lawn and fluttering flags from the road when you're driving past - who puts flags on a haunted house?!?) that I never visited the place again, …until last year, with my wife and kids in tow. Sometimes tourism just screws up the experience that a place originally exudes. (Same treatment with the Lata Kinjang Waterfall, which was a gem only a few of us students knew about when we were kids, but became packed with tourists, vendors, and you name it after they completed the North-South Highway, and made it into a tourist attraction!)

Anyway, presenting the beautified Kellie’s Castle. I bet you that whatever ghosts that used to haunt this place, would’ve fled ages ago.


Kellie’s Castle, Batu Gajah, Perak, Malaysia




A secret staircase that leads from an upper room to the outside


A still scary corridor


Ghosts seen thru the windows of the castle (Oh, it’s us!)




These kids aren’t even a little scared! They think it’s a friggin playground!




Mommy’s victory over the haunted house




Smile – Kellie’s Castle, Perak 2019

The ADAC Fellowship

It’s Onam! (…Was Onam, day before yesterday actually. And Malaysian National Day. Today’s actually the Hungry Ghost Festival. OK, I’m diverging. Let’s get back to our topic). Onam is the main festival celebrated by people from the Indian state of Kerala, or people of Malayalee origin. The bulk of the expat population in the UAE so happens to be Malayalees, and therefore there’re no shortage of Onam celebrations here (except this year… this COVID thing has definitely put a damper on celebrations). Sharing some photos of what we did for Onam a few years back in the ADAC Project.


ADAC Project Onam Party 2017 – Wide Range Restaurant, Mussafah (ME-10), Abu Dhabi. OK, I’ll try to recall the names – Left-most table, from left: Half-hidden face; Anil Ramachandran (CAD); Mahafil (Admin, Document Controller, Arabic translator and organizer of events); Shihab (I think) (Safety). Front table, from left: Premaraj (Stores); Rasi (Supervisor); Kutty (CAD); Somebody I completely forgot. Back table: Strangers who’re not part of our group

The good thing about the ADAC Project is that the team there has a habit of organizing gatherings and outings! (A skill which I absolutely suck at, unfortunately). Also unfortunately, the ADAC Project is still officially incomplete (we haven’t frigggin got the Taking-Over Certificate yet) even though we had finished everything and completely demobilized team, office & everything, in 2018! Double unfortunately, I am the friggin Project Manager.

(By the way, ADAC means Abu Dhabi Airport Company. It’s the name of our Client. We built the roads and bridges i.e. the Departure and Arrival ramps to the new Midfield Terminal Complex which was under construction. Correction, is under construction, still).

OK, nuff said. Here’s a look back at the gatherings of the ADAC Team. Enjoy!


It’s a multi-racial Onam party! From right: Tang Zhao (Site Engineer); Yours Truly; Shaji (Contracts Manager)


From right: Anoop (Safety); Vinod (Works Superintendent); The Electrician (I think) (But I forgot the name); Somnath (I think) (Office Assistant); Naresh (with head turning towards camera) (QAQC); the rest to the left I’ve forgotten…


The Commercial Team – Hisham (QS) (left) and Anver (Senior QS) (right)


Gang of Four, at our Project. From left: Faseeh Ullah (Site Engineer); Firas Biedas (Deputy PM who had resigned, I was deployed to take over from him); Rana Raza (Construction Manager); Yours truly, ahem… Behind, we’re laying red sand asphalt


The Three Musketeers. From left: Shaji (Contracts Manager); Aruna (QAQC Manager); and John Jose (Engineering Manager) at the Senior Project Manager’s room in the Site Office


Ahmed Reda, Utilities Engineer and his tactile paver mock-up


Awards time: Our Utilities Superintendent, Biju Surendran receiving a certificate of appreciation from ADAC’s Head of Security, Tihomir Grubisa with Security Officer, Jnyana Nayak looking on


12 million man-hours worked without an LTI (loss-time injury)! A safety record! From left: Nishad Chengot (Safety Manager); Alex George (Our Company’s Corporate Safety Director); Emad Yacoub (Senior Project Manager, my boss); Yours truly; Zhu Jianchao (Our Company’s Chief Engineer and Vice President in charge of QHSE); Tarek Emara (Our Company’s Corporate Quality Director); Mark Wei (General Manager & Head of our Civil & Infrastructure Division); Thomas Daniel (Our Divisional Safety Manager)


An outing to a farm! Chicken coops, turkey coops, etc, at a farm in Al Rahba, Abu Dhabi – Here’s (from right) Ahmed Elkadi (Site Engineer), Tang Zhao and Rahul Sasi (QS). Here’s a link to a photo of our lunch at the farm


Fresh farm produce for sale! From left: Mahafil (Admin / Doc Control …but doesn’t he look a little like the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia?); Rajesh Lakshmanan (Machinery Coordinator); Jithin Jose (Document Controller); Rajesh Nadar (Planning Manager); and Rasi


Hey Rajesh! What are you trying to steal!!! – Farm at Al Rahba


Finally, here’s a function where our Company brought the Mayor of the City of Kinshasa (DRC) for a visit to the Midfield Terminal Complex Project of the Abu Dhabi Airport. (Another Division of our Company was the contractor for the steel structures of the complex). In the middle, with the chequered shirt is Dong Wei, my boss at that time, VP and head of the Civil & Infrastructure Division. Beside him I think is the Mayor. The only woman in the group is the Chinese-French translator for the Mayor. Left-most seated is Fu Chunlei, Head of Tender & Cost Control Dept of our Division. Second from left standing is Zhang Yutian, Admin Manager – Nov 2017

That’s all for now folks!