The Prince of Trouble

Finally, I’ve put together the photos for Jayden’s 11th year of existence. He turned 11 last October, so I am… umm… 5 months late. Only. Wink!


Jayden, 2 months after his 11th birthday, at Mawlynnong, aka “Asia’s cleanest village”, Meghalaya, India

What can I say, Jayden? You’re 11 going on 12, and you’ve started secondary school. Why, oh why, do you keep doing the darndest things, that’ll get you (and us) into trouble?!??? I have a long list of those… Shall I let the list fly?? No?? OK, but on one condition… From now on, please THINK, use your BRAIN, before you friggin do, or say something! And grow up already, willya? We love you lots. Hope you’ll grow up into a responsible boy, who’ll know how to take care of the people and the things around you. Hope you’ll be loving and kind, well-mannered and considerate. That you’ll be hardworking, and know how to focus on the important stuff first (rather than waste time on clutter and nonsense). Hope you’ll be organized and self-driven. Hope you’ll be righteous and brave. Hope you’ll never be greedy, or boastful. Hope you’ll be smart and resourceful. Hope that when life throws you its problems, you’ll have the grit to persevere, and never give up. With lots of love, Papa. OK, here goes the recap.


A month plus after his 11th birthday, at the Address Beach Residence Hotel, Dubai, with his koko. Jayden was performing in the school choir for a pre-Christmas function at the hotel


Winter break 2024 – A visit to his mother’s home in India! Jayden with 2 of his cousins, Mahi (left) and Anshu (middle), Fulertal, Assam, India


Back to Dubai, and to school – Here he is with 2 of his school friends, Vivaan (left) from India, and Aryan (middle) from Iran, Metropole School, Dubai, Feb 2025


It’s camping season! Jayden with a blue lizard at our regular camping spot, Wadi Shawka, Ras Al-Khaimah, UAE


What’s Eid without a trip to Oman? (That’s what we’ve been doing for the last few years… including this year!) Jayden with 2 friends he met in the guesthouse that we stayed in, the Alshumukh Guesthouse, Qalhat, Oman, Mar 2025. The kids are Polish, but they reside in Jordan. The older one is Yager (pronounced 'ya-zher' it may not be spelt like that, it’ll probably begin with a ‘J’), and the younger one is Franco… We asked Franco where he’s from and he said he’s from 'ospital' (hospital)… ‘Be nice!’ Franco would say to his older brother…


Jayden dressed up for …what’s it for?? For his prom!??. When did Year 6s start having proms??! Oh, so, it’s the last year of primary school! I see! May 2025


His koko is back from Singapore for the midyear break. Here they are with mommy at Dragonmart 2, Jun 2025


The end of Jayden’s academic year means lots of school functions. He won 4th place for the Arabic Reading Competition (for non-native speakers)! Bravo, keep it up!


It’s the summer break! On the go again. Jayden, at the Great Wall of China (Mutianyu). A stopover at Beijing, China en route to Malaysia, Jul 2025


Here we are again, Malaysia! At the Floating Mosque of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia


With his grandpa and aunt at Empat Sekawan Restaurant, Butterworth, Malaysia – Malaysia’s all about food! Seriously, we’d kill ourselves from overeating if we stayed any longer in Malaysia


Some family visits! With his second cousins (children of his father’s cousins), Ginny and Eugene (I think… I hope I got them right), at Jayden’s father’s old home in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia, Aug 2025


More family! With his favourite uncle now, Jack (they got lost talking about fish and marine life, Jack is an avid diver, among other things…) at a restaurant in Petaling Jaya (Kean Fatt Restaurant), Selangor, Malaysia


More Malaysian holidays – in the old town of Melaka, the place that gave the olden Sultanate of Malacca and the famous Straits of Malacca its name...


And finally, his 11th birthday party at home! Be nice!! Be good! Love you.

The City Stands Tall

Thank you, UAE. Thank you, Dubai. For the excellent job in protecting us from the missiles, and drones for the past weeks. For keeping us safe, and letting us go about our normal life as much as possible. For your sacrifice, restraint and wisdom, despite the destruction around the country, in not getting us dragged further into this ridiculous, unnecessary war, started by outsiders who have no regard at all for the people living here. I stand with you and salute you. I pray that there will be no more deaths, no more injuries, no more destruction and that this war will soon end.

I wish and pray that some wisdom will come to that President who started this stupid war (yes, the same one who covets the Nobel PEACE Prize. He can shove it up his arse now). May he go back to MAGA, and not poke his finger where it doesn’t belong, and cause misery for the thousands affected. May the world have mercy on the poor, normal Americans who suddenly find themselves to be the ‘enemies’ of so many people in the world, just because of some daft act of their MAGA-leaders.

I wish and pray that Iran’s leaders will have a change of heart, and a realization, that they are not going to ‘win’ anything, with those outdated revolutionary ways of the theirs. May they realize that without the support of their populace, no regime can stand in this modern age. May they channel their resources and efforts into enriching their people’s lives to ‘buy’ back their loyalty, instead of putting money and resources into silly weapons and militias that do nothing for their people, or their country. (C’mon be real, how can your ragtag, under sanctions since forever country-machinery compete with 2 of the most technologically-advanced and rich countries in the world in terms of weapons. Look at the world now, the way ahead is intellectual and economic strength, which is where your people are important, and Iranians aren’t stupid).

I wish and pray that Israel will get benevolent leaders of unity and reconciliation (like Mandela or Gandhi), not hate-spewing bigots like Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, Katz, …and who else? Who makes things worse, not better. Or, make these hardliners have a change of heart. Don’t they know that this Mafia mentality of eliminating all your rivals, will only breed a new generation of rivals who will take you down when you are off-guard, and continue this vicious cycle of hate and vengeance? May Israel learn to live in peace and harmony with its neighbours, and help build a separate and independent Palestinian state that is free from terrorists, insurgents and extremists. And may all its neighbours, and detractors across the world accept and embrace Israel, and forgive it for the wrongs that it has done.

I wish and pray that International Law will prevail, to prevent the fiasco that has been going on for the past few years from happening ever again. I don’t want the world to go back to the age of empires, when the powerful could do as they like at the expense of the weaker countries without any fear of retribution (yes, that includes Russia). May the perpetrators of the war and its atrocities be brought to justice, and may there be help and hope for the countless people affected.

I have so many wishes and prayers for this region and the world, for Palestine, for Lebanon, etc, but I can’t put them all down in this post (I have work to do as well, OK?) Ultimately, I pray that the warring parties in this stupid war will find a way to deescalate and return the region back to its peaceful norm, as soon as possible, and let diplomacy take over to make this region a haven of peace and cooperation.

Ending this post with pictures of the resilient city of Dubai, my home, our home. Stand strong, stay strong. Happy Eid Al Fitr everyone! Eid Mubarak. Selamat Hari Raya.


Dubai Business Bay, from the Paramount Midtown Hotel’s infinity pool deck, Aug 2025


That deliberately misshapen building in the middle of this photo is the Opus Building, which was one of the many offices yours truly happened to work in… Sadly, this ‘office-hopping’ routine still hasn’t stopped, sigh…


A street view inside Business Bay – This one features the UBora Tower on the right (yeah, I found that out, now, when doing this post), Feb 2024


The Burj Khalifa on a cloudy night, Jan 2024


An aircraft takes off from Dubai’s International Airport, Jan 2025 – I sure hope normal flight schedules resume – so many people’s travelling plans were disrupted!


Dubai Silicon Oasis. Or what everyone calls, ‘the Pineapple Building’, May 2024


Dubai city’s skyline at dusk, from the Al Jadaf Walk, Jan 2025


Dubai Marina at night, Dec 2024


Dubai Marina in the afternoon, Feb 2025




Dubai Marina (again), Aug 2025… O yeah, it was hot, but what the heck!


Dubai Marina from the Marina Mall – I know Emaar built many of these buildings, but must they name them all 'Emaar'??


The Address Beach Resort, Dec 2024


See you! Take care! Have a blessed and safe Eid celebration!

Desperately Needed: Leaders of Unity

Continuing closely from where I just left off in the last post, I wish for a world filled with leaders of unity, and peace. In recent times, our world seems to have ended up with warmongers, hate-mongers, and extremists as leaders. What happened to all the peace-makers? Leaders of unity, reconciliation and tolerance? (One who was showing the way, quit her Prime Minister job, and moved to Australia… shucks.You know who I’m talking about?) Now, we have imperialists (yup, that’s you, Putin, and Trump… Greenland?!? What were you even thinking of? You land-grabbing bully); stubborn, religious zealots (you know who you are); right-wing, hate spewing extremists; warlords bent on staying in power, whatever the costs…; and so on, and so forth…

If only we have the likes of Gandhi, and Mandela, leading us again. I just hope that we’ll get out of this hostile situation soon, here in the Middle East. May all the countries here (yes, including Israel, and Palestine), live in peace and harmony with one another. May there be tolerance and understanding among people of different believes and cultures. May there be everlasting peace and friendship in this region, and the world.


Ending this post with some photos of a past leader of unity… Mahatma Gandhi, may he rest in peace.


Here’re pictures of our visit to the Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India in July 2024.


Om shanti… a memorial of Gandhiji


At the Hridaya Kunj, Gandhi and his wife’s residence from 1918 to 1930, when he was not travelling, or detained (which happened quite often, thanks to the British, being the imperialists that they were…)


A small hut near Gandhi’s residence, where 2 of his followers stayed (at different times…)


A small temple in the Sabarmati Ashram compound


A replica of the Salt March, the first act of civil disobedience in British India against India’s colonial masters, which eventually led to independence…


Enjoying the view by the Sabarmati River, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Jul 2024 - not much of a view though, with gloomy skies (it's in the middle of the monsoon season!)


This monkey had the same idea as us… And so did a crow, and it friggin poop-bombed me!! Why?!?? What did I do??!?? (Now, you know how Iran felt like?)


OK, let’s go. Autorickshaw, anyone?

And Happy Holi to all those celebrating out there!

The Age of the Bullies

Bravo! You meddling dumbfucks! Look what a mess you’ve done here in the Middle East. We’re living peacefully, and some shithead (one of who, by the way, covets the Nobel Peace Prize) comes and upends all that joy and camaraderie… with this war to put that ‘evil’ Iran regime to rest once and for all. Well, you did it. That old man’s friggin dead, and all hell’s broken lose. And you said Iran is a threat?! I can’t imagine for the world, how a country, who, like a sitting duck, was bombed to near oblivion 8 months ago, and who has been sanctioned since time immemorial, can take on the might and the power of two of the richest and most technologically-advanced countries in the world?!?? C’mon… do you really believe yourself?

Well, the old man you killed, in addition to being the Supreme Leader of Iran, (and being responsible for the deaths of many helpless people in Iran while at it), happened to be the Imam of the entire Shia world (well, …a significant part of it anyway). He’s like the Pope of the Shias, who has millions of followers around the world, and you killed their ‘Pope’!?! Just imagine the amount of hatred you’ve created for the poor, normal American people from that one act alone. (Doesn’t make a difference for the Israelis, because they’re already hated before that). You could’ve just sat tight, and sooner or later (and I don’t think it’ll take that much time), that ‘evil’ regime will collapse from within (because in this current age of information, leaders who do not adapt to cater to the needs of their people, will ultimately fail and fall, and that ‘evil’ regime doesn’t seem to be able to understand any of that. Their mindset is still set in the 80’s with their stubborn, outdated revolutionary stance). You would’ve thought that after that disastrous 12-day war of last year, the Iranians would’ve woken up, and changed tactics. Maybe, start improving their economy, by ditching that silly, decades-old, weapon-building agenda, and start channelling action into improving the livelihoods of their people, because how else could its enemy penetrate so deeply into Iran’s network, that it took out all its air defence systems from within the country before bombarding the hell out of it, if it wasn’t for the hate that its people harboured for the regime?!? But no, they went the other extreme, arrested, imprisoned and executed anyone whom they suspected to be infiltrators…

Aww, well. Too late for that now. We’ll just have to wait it out, and hope for the best.

I still wish you peace, Mr President (because you are the most powerful person on earth now, and only YOU can make the world a better place). May you have the wisdom, to be a better leader, one of unity, not of division… (and if you can’t, may you go away as soon as possible). But I can’t say much for your collaborator, Mr Bibi (is he the one who prompted you to take this stupid action, in the first place?) Don’t you think Mr Bibi is beyond redemption? Blood of a million lives in his hands?!? I can just imagine him with his evil smirk, and devil’s horns, holding a trident. Evil incarnate…