A Home Trip with Extras

Longjing Restaurant, Sunway Carnival Mall, Butterworth, Malaysia, Jul 2026. Hazel queued for 3 FRIGGIN HOURS to get a seat here! Malaysians are just bonkers about food. (But it was their grand opening, and they were giving out special offers!!! So, why not?) It serves Zhejiang cuisine (we no longer classify Chinese food, as just Chinese food. Now, it’s on which Chinese province they’re from…) By the way, it’s good. Go, give it a try!

Here it is. Our recent home trip photos… (I went thru 8000+ friggin photos for this, OK? You think this is easy?)

We’re back to our mini adventure mode! This time home to Malaysia, we ‘transited’ …Thailand! Krabi, to be exact. Why? Because, it was cheaper (than flying direct to Malaysia. Besides, there’re currently no direct flights from Dubai to Penang, unlike before the war); and it was with a Dubai-based airlines, FlyDubai (just in case the other airlines cancelled their flights due to that silly war that Donald Trump started).

On our way back, we transited Singapore which is, you guessed it, also cheaper. Yup, flying to and from Singapore back to Dubai is cheaper than via Kuala Lumpur, would you believe it? People just love Malaysia, I guess. That explains why the flights to Malaysia are so friggin expensive. Also, and more importantly, Justin and Jason’s family is there!

Anyway, here’s the recap in pictures.


We’ve reached Krabi! At the Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Seua), Krabi, Thailand, Jul 2026. Our stop in Thailand was for only one night, because we had to get to Penang urgently, for a scholarship interview for Jayden (which, by the way, he PASSED!!! CONGRATULATIONS Jayden!)


The next day, sunrise over Phang Nga Bay, near Phuket, Thailand, from the Samet Nangshe Viewpoint. Phuket is the main aviation hub here in southern Thailand, but for some strange reasons, FlyDubai (which is the low-cost airlines arm of Emirates) flies to Krabi instead of Phuket (or Penang, for that matter). But never mind, we (or more like, I) don’t mind that at all. Let it come, those small, strange airports that nobody’s heard of. We’ll take them on (as long as it’s cheap, haha). Krabi is about 150km from Phuket, where our flight to Penang was from, so it’s another road trip, yoohoo!


We’re home! Fancy some cendol?? At the Kafe Empat Sekawan, Bayan Lepas in Penang, Malaysia


Malaysia’s all about food! Dimsum at our regular dimsum joint with the family at home, Thong Sum Restaurant, Butterworth, Malaysia


What’s a Malaysia visit without a trip to an island on the East Coast?? (Last year we didn’t visit one. So, we have to make up for that, right?) Swimming with the fish, Pulau Redang, Terengganu, Jul 2026


On the way back, we spent a night at a ummm… semi-hill station, Colmar Tropicale, modeled after the French town of the same name (Colmar) but with tropical features (as you can see, from the name, duh.) We actually visited Colmar Tropicale also last year… on a day trip! (OK, OK, I’ll make a post of that soon …er or later, ahem)


We’re in my hometown, Ipoh! Visiting the old folks. Tuapek (dad’s eldest brother), lu ho bo? Tuapek is 91 years old! At the Moonlight Old Folks Home, Canning Garden, Ipoh


Hello Tuakor (dad’s eldest sister), ciak pa boei? Tuakor is even older, 92 years old. This time, only Tuakor, and her grandson (my cousin’s son) were at home… Pasir Pinji, Ipoh


And this is my mother’s side, cousin sister Ah Yi and her family. Ah Yi’s father (second from left) is my mother’s youngest brother. We last met him in 2022. He still stays in his old home in Taman Merdeka (which we call the House of Dogs… The dogs have all died, by the way). The kids are all growing up. Ah Yi’s son, Eugene, (at the back, on the right) is now taller than both his parents! And Ginny (their daughter, middle) is not far behind. At the Kok Thai Restaurant, Tasek, Ipoh


This is the first time we visited Ah Yi’s home! (They usually visit our home in Canning Garden). In Taman Tawas Mewah, Ipoh


Another mini-adventure! Welcome to Lake Toba! At Bukit Holbung, Lake Toba, Sumatera, Indonesia, Jul 2026. Since we’ve done most of the stuff that we went home to do, we decided to skip over to Sumatera, Indonesia for a few days! Medan is a short (and affordable) flight away from Penang, and it opens up a whole new world of adventures, and it’s, …how do you say it, budget-friendly, really! Lake Toba brings back fond memories. It was the first ever overseas trip of my life! Dad brought me here in 1986 (40 years ago) when I was a teenager (it was only my dad and I; mom had passed away the year before…)


Back in Penang. Time to say goodbye to the family! Take care Dad. Take care Hazel. Thanks for everything! Penang International Airport


Next stop, Singapore! Hello Justin, Jason, Li Fang and Stacey! At Changi International Airport, Singapore


Jayden will soon be joining his koko, Justin and cousin, Stacey in Singapore! The three of them at Serangoon, Singapore – outside the Better Scoop Ice Cream Shop, Aug 2026. See ya!

Royal Showdown in the State of Nine

Panca Persada, Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Here’s some palace intrigue to bore you…

In Malaysia, there is a state called Negeri Sembilan, which literally translates into the State (Negeri) of Nine (Sembilan). The royal accession system in Negeri Sembilan (or let’s just call it NS) is different from the other Malay Sultanates inside Malaysia. (Oh yes, Malaysia still has multiple kings, nine to be exact, and they rotate among themselves to be the overall king of Malaysia (called the Yang di-Pertuan Agong) every 5 years.) While the other Malay sultanates mostly follow a straightforward succession system whereby the kingdom is passed down from father to son, in NS, the king (or the Yamtuan Besar, in this case) is chosen among the male descendants of the original royal lineage from the Minangkabau Pagaruyung Kingdom of West Sumatra, by 4 territorial chieftains (Undang) in the state. These 4 Undangs (originally, there were 9, hence the name of the state, but it dwindled down to 4 powerful chieftains through time) cannot be the Yamtuan Besar themselves, but they hold considerable power because only they, by consensus among the 4 of them, can decide who, among the princes, can be the king!

The Undangs themselves are chosen from a few selected noble families of the respective 4 territories, and would usually be the son of the eldest sister of the said noble families. (It’s a strange matrilineal system… called the Adat Perpatih – ancestral property is passed down from mother to daughter, but the Undangs and the Yamtuan Besar must be male).

With such a complicated system, I would’ve expected a dispute to have happened a long time ago, but it’s been largely smooth for as far as I can remember. Until now, that is. Recently, the Yamtuan Besar’s Court dismissed one of the Undangs, for allegedly committing some customary offences. In a tit-for-tat move, the 4 Undangs (including the one who was dismissed) grouped together and issued a declaration that the ruling Yamtuan Besar, Tuanku Muhriz has been removed from his position for improper conduct, and proclaiming a new ruler in his place (who is a cousin of the ruling Yamtuan Besar). The Yamtuan Besar fired back, by installing new Undangs in place of 2 of the dissenting Undangs… What a mess, isn’t it? It’s still not resolved. It’s in the Court now, and has caused the state government to collapse, when state politicians took sides of the 2 competing claimants to the throne. Who knows how it’ll end? For the time being, life goes on for the ordinary Malaysians in NS. And here’re some photos of Negeri Sembilan… A little seen state when it comes to tourism! So, there you go!


Istana Seri Menanti (or Seri Menanti Palace), Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, Aug 2025 – Nope, nobody resides here. It’s a museum (or was supposed to be a museum). The official palace and residence of the Yamtuan Besar shifted to a nearby brick palace, back in the 1930’s…


Mommy and Jayden fooling around in Seri Menanti


Panca Persada, the coronation compound of the Negeri Sembilan royalty…


Seri Menanti is the royal town of Negeri Sembilan. Nothing much to see here. If you wanna see a royal town of a Malay Sultanate, try Kuala Kangsar, the royal town of Perak. The old Seri Menanti Istana was supposed to be a museum, but I don’t think it’s opened for some time now, and I don’t see any signs of it being spruced up for reopening…

That’s all for today!

Island of the Hill Myna

Bliss… a peaceful beach at the Berjaya Tioman Resort

I’m in a hurry. I’m going on leave!!!! Yippee! A trip, finally. …On a flight! After seeing the kids fly off and come back (by themselves) in the airport, we, adults finally get a chance to fly ourselves. No thanks to Trump and gang, who totally messed up the situation here. Yes, that stupid Iran war, that Trump and Netanyahu started, got out of hand and nobody knows now, how it’ll end. Damn!

Gotta find an easy post… with pictures, and less writing. Let’s see, since we’re going home to Malaysia, I’ll post something from Malaysia, which I’ve not posted before – Tioman! The island of the Hill Myna!


We’re here! The Berjaya Resort, in Tioman Island, Pahang, Malaysia, Aug 2024

Thanks to sis, Hazel, who gave us 2 nights in this resort from her Berjaya Vacation Club quota






There’s nothing much to do, but chill out at the beach…


Or in the swimming pools


Or we could go snorkelling! At the sea in front of the Tioman Marine Park


Look at the fish around us!


The Tioman Marine Park building…


At the raised footpath that connects Kampung Tekek to Kampung ABC (which is the nickname for Air Batang, …don’t ask me what the ‘C’ stands for). This ABC Village brings back fond memories of the first and only time I visited Pulau Tioman before this, in umm… the early 90’s, 1990 probably, or was it 1991?

At that time, I was a student in a college, in Kuala Lumpur (KL). And I had 2 close friends from our secondary school who were then studying in two other different universities, in different parts of Malaysia. There was a national holiday, Hari Raya Haji, and we happened to meet up in KL, and there, on the spot, decided to make a trip to Pulau Tioman (yup, those were the times, when we could just get up and go! Fuck the planning, haha!) So, we went straight to Puduraya, the main bus station in KL then, and found out that half of the KL population was there, trying to get bus tickets to go back to wherever their hometowns and villages were, because of the Hari Raya Haji (Eid Al Adha) holidays. There were no more buses to Mersing, the departure port for ferries to Tioman. So, we bought tickets to Kuantan as advised by some helpful people in the bus station.

When we reached Kuantan, we went straight to the bus station, and found a bus going to Johor Bahru (JB) at night, with a stop in Mersing. Voila! We grabbed the tickets, but that still left us an entire half-day in Kuantan, with nothing much to do. And so, we headed to the beach in Kuantan (Teluk Cempedak, if I’m not mistaken), and swam and chilled till the time for the bus journey came. I don’t remember how we cleaned ourselves up after the swim in the sea, but we were somewhat sticky with the salt water on our bodies, and finally we made it to Mersing in the wee hours of the day, which was just right, as ferries then, left at daybreak, like at 6am, not like nowadays…

We stayed in Kampung ABC, if I remembered correctly, in a little wooden chalet overlooking the beautiful, blue sea, in a small village, with a path, wide enough only for bikes. On the third day of our visit, on the day which we were to leave, we were having breakfast at the chalet, and asked the landlady about when the ferry would leave Tioman for Mersing. She pointed to the boat chugging away from the nearest jetty, and said that we’d missed it! What a day that was. We waited in the jetty, under the hot, unrelenting, island sun, until we got a boat in the afternoon. Managed to make it back to Mersing in the evening, but not early enough to catch any public buses going off from Mersing. Finally, we ‘bribed’ some members of a tourist bus from Singapore (yup, Singaporeans could be bribed, haha), to allow us to get on their bus, which was heading back to Singapore, to bring us till JB (a big city, which we would be able to get onward bus tickets to wherever we needed to get to). JB was jam-packed with Singapore-bound traffic (as that was the only land crossing to Singapore then). (The next day was back to work, and back to school, and that’s why we HAD to get back that day). To cut the story short, I managed to make it back to KL in umm… the wee hours of the next day, and my architect friend who was at that time working as an intern in Ipoh, had to take a day off!

Oops, looks like I’ve written a lot more than I planned to. Back to the post…




The seas around the Tioman Marine Park along the footpath. By the way, Tioman got its name from a bird, the Hill Myna, or in Malay, ‘Burung Tiong’. Of course, there’s a legend on that… and you can Google it for all you want… (I’m sure it’ll be in the internet, I’ve already written too much as it is…)


The Maori Dive Academy, where there’re toilets that we could use (for changing and other stuff), and food! (after snorkelling)


Time to leave, and get back to everyday life! At the Tekek Ferry Terminal, our arrival and departure point, Tioman Island, Pahang, Malaysia


We’re back on the mainland! Mersing – The Mersing Harbour Centre, Johor, Malaysia

That’s all. See you after our break!

15 Going on 16

Express post coming up. Up to my neck with work, with the upcoming Eid holidays starting tomorrow, and a deadline to meet right after the long holidays. But I want to post this out before the end of the month. It’s a recap of Justin’s 16th year, and it’s way past when I usually post it (around January… His birthday’s in December! 5 months late) So, without further ado, here it is!


Justin, right after turning 15, in Dec 2024, at the Address Beach Residence Hotel, Dubai. We were all there to see his little brother, Jayden performing with the school choir at a pre-Christmas event at the hotel


Can I go cycling before I leave Dubai? OK. Here you go! (That’s Justin, speed junkie…) At Mushrif Park, Dubai, Dec 2024


It’s the schools’ winter break. Let’s head out. First stop, Kazakhstan! And his dream come true! At the Shymbulak Ski Resort, near Almaty, Kazakhstan. First time he skied down a mountain! This was his second skiing trip (after Uzbekistan in Dec 2023, where we took only a half-day pass, bcoz, who knows whether we’d like skiing or not?! He loved it, by the way, but we only had enough time for the beginner’s slope. He nailed it on his first try! Unlike yours truly, who rolled and fell himself down, the friggin beginners’ slope, twice, and then gave up. But at least I tried it twice!) This time, only the kids went skiing (ahem, I hurt my wrist, OK?!? Fell off the friggin snow the day before, OK? And that’s a valid excuse reason…)


Next stop, Meghalaya in North Eastern India, en route to his mother’s home village, in Assam, India. This was the first time he visited India, after starting school in Singapore. With a kacang puteh (that’s the Malay word for this, I don’t know what it’s called in India) street-vendor, at the Elephant Falls near Shillong, Meghalaya


Continuing on our road-trip in Meghalaya (might as well make the best out of our journey home), at the living root bridge of Riwai Village, near Mawlynnong, the so-called “Asia’s Cleanest Village”, with his cousin, Sonia (beside him), and aunt, Rekha (far right)


Finally, in Assam - Silchar city to be precise, where we call home now, with another of his cousin, Sweety, sharing a …ummm snack (I dunno what they’re having, but it looks like they’re enjoying it…)


On another road trip, this time with his granny and another cousin, Mahi, Rekha’s daughter at the Unakoti Rock Carvings, a UNESCO Heritage Site, in the neighbouring state of Tripura, India. We did this all in our little yellow car. Bravo Tata Nano! You still work despite years of lack of maintenance


Back home in Fulertal, Assam… Trying some paan (betel leaf and areca nut) – his first time. When in Assam, do as the Assamese do! Dec 2024


Time to go back to school in Singapore… tough going, but as people say, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going… I hope he takes it in that spirit. Got this from WhatsApp. That Justin fella just isn’t very keen with photos… Those must be his floorball mates, SJI, Singapore


It’s June 2025, his school’s midyear break. We allowed him to visit Malaysia and stay with his aunt, June in Kuala Lumpur so that he could indulge a little bit in his hobby, racing, which is a lot cheaper there, than in Dubai, and also gel with his Malaysian side of the family, his granddad, aunt, etc. Here he is at ummm… I don’t really know which go-kart track this is. Somewhere in Selangor, Malaysia. On hindsight, we shouldn’t have let him do this, he’d be better off with us here in Dubai, studying… so that his results would be better. There’re little photos of him because his phone which was his mommy’s repaired Samsung S20+ phone, self-disassembled during the trip…


Finally, back with us in Dubai, June 2025, at DragonMart 2, Dubai


With his Dubai friends at our home… Moaz (left) and Yiro (right)… Look at how big the Dubai kids became?!? Is it the food?


Back to Singapore! Some sort of graduation party at his hostel (I think), St Andrew’s Hall, Singapore


An international school trip! To Shanghai, China, Nov 2025. That’s one of the only photos I found that had a decent view of him!


Back home with us in Dubai. Let’s all watch a family movie! Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, UAE


What do you want for your 16th birthday? Not racing again… Yes, racing, again… At a pre-race briefing, Dubai Kartdrome, Dubai, UAE.

Justin, I hope you stay focused and be diligent in your studies. Your efforts will pay off, and it’s only a few more months to go, for the O-Levels. All the best my son. Love you.

That’s all folks. To those celebrating, Eid Al-Adha Mubarak! Selamat Hari Raya Haji!