A Halloween Post

It's Halloween! I’ve decided to put in a quick picture post for Halloween. The kids love Halloween! They can pretend to be monsters and get candy, what's not to be loved?

Whoever first came up with this idea of Halloween must be a kid, or a kid at heart. Coz which kid hasn’t pretended to be a ghost or a monster when they’re small. And then there’re candies! No wonder our kids love Halloween (never mind that the poor adults have to cough with the money for the candies, the costumes, the decoration, etc, etc, etc – Whoever came up with this idea must also be a very smart businessman).

Our kids only actually started celebrating Halloween after we moved into MotorCity in 2019, because there’re a lot more people celebrating it here in this neighbourhood, although in the malls and shops in Dubai, Halloween has always been very visible! Nuff said, here’re some photos of silly costume fun!




Trick or treating in our neighbourhood, 2020 (yup, during the COVID years, but there was a relaxation in Dubai at that time, hah!) – MotorCity, Dubai, UAE


AHHHHH! Ghost!!! (Cheh... it's only Justin) - MotorCity, 2019 (Our first actual Halloween!)


Just the type of scenario for a horror movie – fog in the park beside our apartment, Dubai MotorCity


Now here’re some Halloween scenes from other localities around town – Nshama Town Square, 2020


City Walk, Dubai – 2017 – See how little Jayden was at that time! (He was 3!)


This has nothing to do with Halloween or the Day of the Dead, it’s just some décor for some luxury designer clothing store! Don’t ask me why it features skulls! City Walk, Dubai


Here’re more costume fun… Anu on the Iron Throne!! Deira City Centre, Dubai, 2017


The kids in Jayden’s old school for his ‘graduation’ from FS2 (Foundation Stage 2 which is equivalent to kindergarten) in 2018. Are these supposed to be the Beauty & the Beast? See how little the kids are! They were 4 and 9 years old at that time! – Newlands School, Al Warqa, Dubai


Little pirates of the Arabian! Dubai Festival City Mall, 2019


And here’s a photo from 2021. No, this is not Halloween but some British …ummm forgot what it’s called, but the kids were supposed to dress up as a British character… Jayden’s Harry Potter and Justin is Guy Fawkes

That’s it mates. Express post done. Enjoy your Halloween!

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On a more solemn note, my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those Halloween revellers in Seoul who perished in the Itaewon crush. I can't imagine how this could happen, how many young and promising lives lost, for no reason. Also deepest condolences to the loved ones of the Morbi bridge collapse victims in Gujarat, India. How could this happen? And last of all, condolences to all the loved ones of the senseless wars and terrorist attacks that are continuing. May your souls rest in peace and may the culprits of the attacks rot in hell.

Battleground Malaysia

So, the fight for Malaysia is on again! Malaysia will hold its next General Election on 19th November! I don’t see much chance of the people routing out the crooks who’re vying for power, but we must never give up hope… Fingers crossed. Take that you filthy, corrupt scumbags! We kicked your asses the last election. Let’s do it again!

I’ve decided to post pictures of the 3D Art Museum of Langkawi which we visited in 2019, just for this occasion. And you’ll see why.


Justin with our ex-Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah (the art version anyway), 3D Art Museum, Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia

Tun Dr Mahathir said he’d contest the election again, from his Langkawi Constituency. He is 97 now. He’d be the oldest friggin person to stand for an election! I think. And he said he wouldn’t mind being Prime Minister again! Really? After what he did to bring down the last elected government, of which he was incidentally the head, I don’t think any of the other politicians would be interested in that idea. But if he did become PM, again, he’d win a friggin Guinness Book Record! Let’s go for it, Malaysia Boleh!

And now for the fun stuff.


Hey, see! We can surf!


Ahh… it’s wonderful underwater… But where’s Jayden?


Oh! He’s a mermaid, …merboy I mean


And mommy’s picnicking with the polar bears that snuck out of that artwork


AARGHHHH!!! Climb quickly, that hippo’s gonna get me!


Ahem, I’m in the mouth of a dinosaur…


And I’m a spy in Russia… I shrunk myself to the size of a Matryoshka doll

The 3D Art Museum is a fun place for the family. I highly recommend it. It even has a 3D show set in Ancient Egypt, with gods and demons.


This place’s a dangerous place. "Hey maam, you’re gonna drop your baby!"


What the heck! Who just tried to kill me?? Hah, you missed!


Let me outta this glass bubble!!!


I am the Migghhhhtt..urgh Thor if only I can lift this friggin hammer!!!


Whew, we “escaped!” Back at the Oriental Village, Langkawi Geopark. This is also the place where Langkawi’s Sky Bridge Cable Car is


No time’s a bad time for ice cream! Oriental Village, Langkawi Geopark


Back in town, before departing Langkawi, see ya again - Dataran Lang, Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia

One quick post done, gotta go. Ciao! Wish us the best of luck to get the best people into government. May the heroes triumph over the crooks!

The Long Way Home - Part 2

Mulu Airport, Sarawak, Malaysia

Here’s a continuation of my last post. To recap, for our home trip to Malaysia in July this year, due to the exorbitant prices of the direct air tickets, we routed our flight plan through 3 stops in 3 different countries to get back home. We succeeded in bringing down the prices by a half, but at the expense of the hassles that we had to go through running around in airports, immigration, health declarations, etc. But it was a helluva adventure, and we got to see a brand-new country, hah!

Finally, we’re in Malaysia - First stop KL. (Where else? There’re very little choices nowadays for international arrivals in other Malaysian airports).


Here’re the kids with cousin Jamie and boyfriend Adam (he’s mix Malay-Chinese descent), at the Fahrenheit Suites, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. This is where we usually end up in KL as dad gets some free stays with his Berjaya club membership.

KL was our meeting point with Dad & Hazel for our next destination – Mulu Caves, Sarawak. When planning our trip, we asked Dad whether he’d want to go on a holiday to Mulu Caves, and he was really enthusiastic, so we gladly arranged it! In my 50+ years as a Malaysian, this was my first time in East Malaysia!! Believe it or not! (I was planning to visit in 2005, but changed it to have a holiday with granny and the family in Bangkok instead. Here's an explanation of why I did that).


The only way you can get to Mulu Caves is by flight, unless you’re Survivor Man, or some local tribes’ men who knows the ways of the jungle. (Or you have loads of time to travel thru rivers on boats, and logging dirt roads). There’re no direct flights from KL. So, here we are, at Miri Airport, Sarawak, on a stopover


Mulu Caves! (Well, one of the many caves anyway). This is the entrance of the Clearwater Caves, Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia – We had a great 3 nights and 4 days holiday in Mulu!


Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, was where we stopped, on our way to Penang. There’re only 3 destinations from Mulu, Miri, Kuching or Kota Kinabalu (KK). Miri has no direct flights to Penang, so it’d have to either be Kuching or KK. We chose Kuching


Back home in Butterworh – Enjoying a hotpot dinner in Haidilao, Sunway Carnival Mall, Butterworth. I dunno the reason for the ongoing fad in Malaysia for Mala (ma-lat in Cantonese) flavoured food?!? I had my first Mala Hotpot experience in 1997, in Guilin, China. That thing just makes my tongue numb, but I remember our Chinese friends were crazy for that stuff, and after 20 years, it’s happening in Malaysia!


I finally managed to meet some ol’ school friends! A first of many home trips! (I don't remember the last time actually). In Penang, Seng Thor Coffee Shop, on Lebuh Carnarvon with Peng Swee (right) and Tat Hin (left)


Meeting our Tuako (big aunt – eldest sister of my dad) and family. Dad lost 2 siblings in October last year, Jipek and Jiko. I hope Dad and his remaining 3 siblings remain strong and healthy for years to come. In the middle are my 2 cousins, Kok Seng and Kok Leong. Kok Leong’s son (in black) is beside his dad – At their house in Pasir Pinji, Ipoh, Malaysia


We also visited the resting places of our loved ones who recently departed – RIP Jiko & Jipek. Jipek’s grave is just a few graves away, in the preceding row – Batu Gajah Christian Cemetery, Perak, Malaysia


Meeting my cousin sister and uncle from my mother’s side at our Ipoh home. Thanks for the visit and for all the fabulous Ipoh biscuits you brought us! My maternal granny (pho-pho) whom we always visited on our previous home trips to Ipoh, also passed away during the 3 years between our last visit and this visit. She was 95. God bless her


Time to get back to work in Dubai… Last night our of trip in Malaysia, before our journey home. This is a Thai restaurant in Bukit Mertajam, near Butterworth, and one of dad and Hazel’s regular favourites. It’s near the columbarium where mom’s ashes are kept (St Anne’s Roman Catholic Cemetery) which we visited before having dinner here


Next stop – Singapore. This is Jewel at Changi Airport. That big ass fountain/ waterfall that you see there is the Rain Vortex – the world’s tallest indoor waterfall!


We came to Singapore to spend some time with Jason and family before heading back to Dubai. This also happens to be our fist visit to Singapore since 2013 – a gap of 9 years. It’s Jayden’s first visit ever! Here, we’ve just finished dinner with Jason and family at a Swiss Restaurant (strange, how we went all the way to the far east just to end up in a European restaurant). This is the Marché Mövenpick, in Vivo City, just after we visited the Universal Studios in Sentosa, Singapore


Almost home. Transiting Mumbai Airport, our last airport before reaching Dubai! And that’s how we ended up going to 11 airports in 7 different countries in a single trip! 1) Dubai, UAE; 2) Kuwait; 3) Kathmandu, Nepal; 4) Dhaka, Bangladesh; 5) Kuala Lumpur; 6) Miri, Sarawak; 7) Mulu, Sarawak; 8) Kuching, Sarawak; 9) Penang; 10) Singapore; 11) Mumbai, India and back to Dubai!

And for those celebrating, Happy Durga Puja! Happy Dussehra!