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!

All About Speed

Justin, on his 15th birthday, at the Dubai Autodrome, Motor City (which is walking distance from our house). See, he’d rather spend his birthday watching a race in the autodrome, than doing other birthday things that normal people do, sigh. We didn’t even know there was a race happening, until he told us about it, a Formula 4 race, if I’m not mistaken

Did a recap of Jayden’s 10th year recently, now it’s Justin’s turn. A recap of his 15th year (he turned 15 in December). He’s in Secondary 3 on a scholarship in Singapore. That means a whole lot of pressure on him to do well, …or he’d lose his scholarship, and more. Does that bother him? Not a bit, from what we see! We’re the ones worrying our heads off, while he dreams of racing, and skiing, and mountain-biking, etc… but mainly, racing. Justin, STUDIES COME FIRST! REMEMBER THAT! Oh God, please help.

Here's the recap.


Starting off with Dec 2023, right after we celebrated his 14th birthday, we were off to Central Asia! It’s the first overseas trip we did with Justin, after he started his schooling in Singapore. At the Bibi Khanym Mosque, Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Why do all the minarets have flat tops? Somebody chopped ‘em off? Or they dropped off, or something, bcoz of earthquakes?? Some little domes, or spires on them would be nicer, wouldn’t it? But what do I know?


Next stop, Bukhara, Uzbekistan. That’s the Ark of Bukhara. Friggin frigid cold when we were there, as you can see… (-13C, real feel -21C). Brrrrrr…


Next, Khiva, Uzbekistan. In our guesthouse inside the walled Inner City of Khiva. Hey kids, mind the place, OK? The owner’s a bit of a stickler for orderliness… Boyjon Ota, Itchan Kala, Khiva, Uzbekistan


Crossing borders now, into the closed-off ‘hermit kingdom’ of Central Asia, Turkmenistan. With our tour guide from Owadan Tourism, Ms Aygul who met us at the border. (Everyone, and I mean everyone (from whatever country you’re from), needs an Invitation Letter and a Visa to enter Turkmenistan. Don’t believe me, try going! It’s fun!) At the Bay Town Restaurant, Dashoguz, Turkmenistan. She doled out a lot of friendly and wise advice to young Justin during our lunch there… Which we hope didn’t fall on deaf ears


Back to Uzbekistan. Skiing in Amirsoy Mountain Resort. His first skiing trip. And he loved it. He nailed it on his first try (alright, he couldn’t stop, but he managed to ski all the way down! By the second round, he could already stop!) (Unlike, yours truly, who rolled himself down, literally. I lost count of the number of times I fell, and got back up. And it ain’t easy to get back up, OK? With the stupid, long skis sticking on your feet! Even on a friggin beginner’s slope!) At the end of the day, he was crying on why we didn’t let him go on a more advanced slope! Duh, how would we know that he’d like skiing?!? So, we took only a half-day package!


Time to go, on a train in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, heading to Samarkand, to catch our flight back to the UAE. This was the first trip which we used trains as our main mode of transportation! We tried all the different trains in Uzbekistan, the Afrosiyob (the fast train, the best), the Sharq (slightly slower, older, which is the one in this photo), and the night-trains (for long distance, buy in advance, or you may have to share cabins, or sleep 3rd class, which we did on one of the legs of our journey!)


Back in the UAE. At a sand pyramid in Abu Dhabi’s Fahid Island’s Kite Beach. It was a temporary art installation by US Artist, Jim Denevan, who created hundreds of sand pyramids and cones arranged in a concentric pattern in the barren beach. It was made with natural, available materials and was meant to disappear over time… This was right before, he flew back to Singapore to start Year 8 (Sec 2), Dec 2023


It’s the mid-year break already?? Back to Dubai for a holiday, Jun 2024. A treat at the Dubai Indoor Kartdrome, Motor City, near our house. His second time go-karting (after the time at the RAK Track, in Dec 2023). (He’s been bugging us ever since to let him go again). How you doing, son? Can you please stop thinking about racing for a while, but study hard, and stay focused?


Back to Singapore. Here’s a photo I nicked from his phone. One of his outings with friends in Singapore. I only recognize the friend on the left of Justin in the photo, Garren Tang, a fellow Malaysian scholarship recipient


Another outing in Singapore, this time with family (a photo I got from WhatsApp, hehe). In the middle, is my uncle (in blue, dad’s youngest brother) and Aunt Betsy, his wife (with walking stick). On the left, is Carol, their daughter, my cousin, whom I’ve not met for more than ermm… 20 years, at least. She and her family (white man in the middle, daughter and son) reside in Adelaide, Australia. (I’ve never met them, by the way). They were in Singapore to visit Carol’s parents. Flanking Justin is my brother Jason, and his wife Fang. Jason and Fang’s daughter, Stacey (with glasses) is on the right side of the photo. On the far right, is my cousin June, who was in Singapore for a short visit. Accompanying June, was her son, Mark (behind Stacey) and daughter, Jamie, who works in Singapore


Receiving a visit from his parents, Aug 2024. Here’s Justin with Mommy in front of his hostel, St Andrew’s Hall (the building on the left), beside the Kallang River, Singapore, Aug 2024. “Your exam’s coming up son (in September & October), study hard, we’ll see you back in Dubai soon, OK? Love you.”


Justin’s finished his year end exams! Back in Dubai, just in time for Diwali! Oct 2024. He nearly missed his flight, because he only remembered about his passport at the last minute! The night before his flight, he was on an overnight school camping trip, and he got back to his hostel after midday on the day of his flight (which was at 9pm that night). When he was about to head to the airport from a restaurant where he was eating with his friends, he suddenly remembered that he had to get his passport from the hostel administrators. It was all a rush from that time on, and we kept praying… and waiting for his updates (what else could we do? Jason was in NZ). But he managed to get back to his hostel, get his passport (after a bit of a wait), and got to the airport’s check-in counter, just before it closed, exactly 1 hour from departure time! Whew, nearly gave us (and himself) a heart attack!


Racing again! First time in the Outdoor Kartdrome, near our home, Nov 2024. He was so much looking forward to this! "It ain’t cheap, OK? Next time, bring back some money!" (he didn’t, because he nearly missed his flight, so he travelled with whatever money he had in his wallet & pockets…)


A bit of tea at home with his little brother, Jayden, Nov 2024. No, it’s not his birthday yet. There’s no big occasion actually. His mom just like to do treats like this, once in a while!


And this was his 15th birthday treat, which he arranged himself! A go-kart race at the Dubai Kartdrome with his Dubai friends, ex-schoolmates Shaun (left) and Matei (middle). He asked us not to get a birthday cake (but we got one, anyhow, hehe. What?? We also wanna have some fun, duh?)

Anyway, we wish you all the best, Justin. Stay focused, study hard, play hard, always be kind, righteous and brave. (And put that racing away for a while!) Love you!

The Kid Who Wouldn’t Grow Up

Jayden, 9.5 years old, at Bilad Sayt, Oman

Jayden’s 10 years old, for a few months now (since October). He’s in friggin Year 6 at school! (That’s the equivalent of Standard 6 in Malaysia). He’s basically a senior in his primary school!?! I just can’t imagine it. (Why? Because, he doesn’t act anything like a Standard 6 kid!) OK, he started school a year younger than Justin, and 2 years younger than I did, but that doesn’t mean that he should behave like a baby. Which he does. Which drives us up the wall. Maybe because he’s the youngest. Sigh, when will he grow up?)

Anyway, here’s my annual recap of the kid’s year. It’s only 3 months late, but what the heck. There’re so many photos to look at. Jayden’s 10th year photos coming up. Enjoy.


Jayden, on Diwali, Nov 2023, just a month after his 9th birthday, with his elder brother who was back from Singapore for his winter break, and Dyuti, daughter of Bhavna and Umesh Agarwal, one of our neighbours, in Motor City, at their apartment


Spending the Christmas season of 2023 in Central Asia! Jayden at a restaurant (Bay Town Restaurant) in Dashoguz, Turkmenistan, the hermit state of Central Asia, where internet does not exist… unless you know which wheels to turn…


Let’s have a snowball fight! At Chimgan, Uzbekistan, Dec 2023


Back to school, back home, to Motor City. Here at the Grid Walk of the 24-hour endurance race in the Dubai Autodrome. Revving up, the race’s starting, Let’s go! Jan 2024


Gong Xi Fa Cai! Happy Chinese New Year! At our company’s CNY function at the Burj Park, Dubai Downtown, to welcome in the Year of the Dragon! Feb 2024


It’s picnic season, and his mother is a camping fanatic! On one of the hill trails at our favourite wadi, Wadi Shawka, Ras Al-Khaimah, UAE, Mar 2024


Spring Break! And Ramadan. How nice! A 3-week Spring Break due to spring break combining with the Eid holidays. Here he is, with Mommy at our hotel in Bilad Sayt, Oman, Apr 2024


Baking bread. Rushing to complete his Junior Duke tasks before the deadline. (Junior Duke is an award that helps children develop confidence and competence in life skills). He’s got from October 2023 to do all the tasks, but no, he has to wait till the last minute! That bread turned out pretty nice though. Well done! Apr 2024


Yippee, he got the Junior Duke award! Here with his Koko, who was back from Singapore for his mid-year holidays! No, I don’t have a photo where the award’s the right side up.


Finally, the end of Year 5 and the start of the summer break. Where shall we head to? First stop, Gujarat, India. Here’s Jayden, inside the tallest statue in the world, the Statue of Unity, Jul 2024


Next stop, Malaysia, to visit his grandpa (partially visible) and renew his passport. Having an ice-cream treat at Haagen-Dasz, Penang, Malaysia, Aug 2024. Heck, Malaysia’s a whole lot cheaper than Dubai! Go ahead, eat! I don’t remember how much this was, but I remembered the Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Butterworth were half of the price of its Dubai equivalent! No wonder we become fat every time we visit Malaysia


Continuing in Malaysia, a strawberry farm! In Cameron Highlands. Strawberries are one of his favourite fruits! Lavender Garden, Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia, Aug 2024


A Singapore stopover to visit his Koko, before going back to Dubai. Jayden and Justin at Changi Airport, Singapore, Aug 2024


Back in Dubai, starting Year 6. Here he is, in the old part of Dubai, Bur Dubai where the Hindu Temple used to be, before they shifted to their premises in Jebel Ali. Look how narrow the alleys are. These used to be jam-packed with people (devotees) during the old days when the temple was here. Sep 2024


Finally, Jayden’s 10 Years Old!!! Happy Birthday. We love you. Even if you grow up. We’ll love you more actually. Guaranteed.

A Foodful Trip Back Home

Ahhhhh…. Scrumptious Malaysian fusion food, at Kafe Empat Sekawan, Butterworth, Malaysia – Jul 2024

Did it! Here’re all the valuable family photos of our recent trip back home!

It looks like it’s all about food, but it’s more than that. (Although, I admit that we’ve been heaping up on the cholesterol… ahem. Can’t help it. There’s just so much variety, everywhere, and for a fraction of the cost of what you’ll have to pay in friggin Dubai). (No wonder, Malaysia’s the most obese country in South East Asia!!! Sez some report. Not something to be proud of unfortunately). Amazing, how dad and his siblings remained so thin…


First breakfast of our Malaysia trip …Dim Sum at Thong Sum Restaurant, Butterworth. Eat up dad! Match our size, haha!


We, at Gurney Bay, Penang, a new park built on reclaimed land along Gurney Drive. Right after our medical check-ups in the Penang Adventist Hospital. We, typically do a full body check-up, when we visit Malaysia. Dad, Anu and I did it. Hazel was supposed to do it, but opted out due to her period. The results were OK, luckily. (It would’ve been worse, if we did it a week later, looking at all the food that we gorged down in the week ahead, ahem). I prefer the old Gurney Drive promenade to this reclaimed, ‘sanitized’ version. The old promenade was cooler, ermmm… more natural.


More food!! At the famous Teksen Restaurant, Penang …where you’d have to queue up to get a place, even at 5-ish pm. Don’t believe me? Go visit yourself. Heck, even the tourists queued up (it must have featured in some tourist guide). Right behind us in the queue, was a Dutch couple on holiday.


Visiting the Ipoh family. Meet Tuapek, dad’s eldest brother, at the Moonlight Care Centre Old Folks Home. Tuapek is the ‘delinquent’ of the home, well-known for his exploits of trying to escape. Don’t blame him. What’s an old man gotta do to get some freedom? His children visit, but they stay overseas, unfortunately. He’s got a little ‘behavioural dementia’ according to the home. We saw a little of that on the first time we met him, but on the second and third, he was lucidly clear. Just didn’t like the lack of freedom in the home, he said… Pity him, I hope he gets a better deal soon


And this is Tuakor, dad’s eldest sister, 90 years old this year (a year older than tuapek), with son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. Still strong, but thin as a reed. Sure hope they’ll eat more. If only I could give them some of my excess fat…


Ah Yee, my cousin sister from mom’s side, with husband and son, at our Canning Garden old house. Thanks for pandering to my last-minute plea for meeting up!!!


Looking for food in Ipoh. Dad’s a stickler for the tried and tested. But all his favourite food shops were closed! Maybe because it’s a week day. We ended up in Concubine Lane (near where dad grew up in Ipoh), and tried a new restaurant, at our prompting, The One Café, that specializes in Chee Cheong Fun, with multiple flavours that you could choose from. Not bad! “Get out of the way, Jayden!” The photo-bomber of the family strikes again.


Back in Butterworth… another new restaurant, again at my prompting, hehe - King Kong Ramen. See, it ain’t bad, right?


Cheers! First time, in a long time that we had a drink in a pub! The Beer Factory, Butterworth, P Pinang, Malaysia


Time to go! So quick. – Penang Airport. Sure wish we had more time. Hope to visit again soon! Stay strong, stay happy!


We’re in Singapore! Hello Justin! We miss you! The Jewel, Changi Airport, Singapore – Aug 2024


Time to tuck in, again. With Jason, at Tai Er Restaurant, a mainland Chinese restaurant which specializes in… wait for it. …Chinese Sauerkraut Fish! Sauerkraut?!? What’s sauerkraut doing in a Chinese restaurant? Sauerkraut’s a friggin German thing! Wait, ooh, it’s only ‘suancai’ or what we called ‘kiam-chai’ in Hokkien (salted vegetable). Kiam-chai therng (salted vegetable soup) was a pretty common dish we had at home, growing up. But who’d have thought of pairing it up with fish! But it obviously worked, or it wouldn’t have grown into this big a restaurant chain, with branches all over! This is their Singapore Jewel Branch. Thanks, Jason, for the treat!


Another meal. This time a Korean barbecue. So that the kids could serve us for a change, haha. They loved the cooking! Seorae Korean BBQ, Compass One, Singapore


Hey guys, family photo time! At Compass One (near Jason’s flat), Singapore, before we fly back to Dubai!

That’s it for our short trip, with lots of errands, but we managed to squeeze in a road trip to Tioman Island, hehe. More on that next time. See ya!