Temple Wedding, Anyone?

Yippee. It’s our 11th anniversary. Eleven years since Anu and I got together. Guess where we celebrated it? …In the bushes, camping overnight with the kids!

It’s a long story. At the end of the day, we were exhausted and covered in dust, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. Pictures of this however will have to wait. (What? When have you seen me posting right after a trip? Haven’t even had time to catch up on sleep, let alone download photos from the phone, camera).

Meanwhile, here’re some unexpected temple wedding photos taken during our 2013 trip to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Colombo would’ve been a lot less interesting had we not bumped into these weddings. (Two weddings, in the same day!) See for yourself!




A wedding in progress, Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo, Sri Lanka






No, we don’t know the couple. We’re just gate crashers. Too bad they didn’t give out door gifts. Then we’d have some cool Sri Lankan wedding souvenirs haha!

Gangaramaya Temple (but I could swear that our driver called it simply Gangarama) is a Sri Lankan Buddhist temple filled with odd stuff from all over the Buddhist world, such as Chinese deities like Guan Yin (the Goddess of Mercy) and Guan Yu, and Tibetan Bodhisattvas embraced in sex. (Yeah, you heard right! The Yab-Yum pose showing deities embraced in sex is common in Tibetan temples!) The architecture is a mix of Sri Lankan, Indian, Thai and Chinese (according to Wikipedia), but I see features of Burmese and Indonesian architecture as well (but what do I know?). It reminds me of the Buddhist temples back home in Malaysia! (For example, the Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang!)


Another wedding! In Gangaramaya Park, near the Gangaramaya Temple. Behind the trees, you can see glimpses of a fabulous little Buddhist shrine in the lake called the Seema Malaka. Unfortunately, all our photos of Seema Malaka came out overexposed, …thanks to yours truly, who was fidgeting with the camera settings right before, and forgot to set it back!


A humongous Bodhi tree in the Gangarama Temple – Buddhists are obsessed with Bodhi trees because Lord Buddha gained enlightenment meditating under a Bodhi tree. Now Bodhi tree temples are all over the Buddhist world as in Bodhgaya, India (where Buddha gained enlightenment) and Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka


Copied straight out of the stupas of Borobudur, Indonesia!


This temple is as much a museum as it is a temple, look at the vintage cars! On the right is Guan Yu, a historical Chinese general, who was later (many years after his death), worshipped as a deity till today


3 year old Justin inspecting the “babies” on the temple wall


An elephant and its mahout in the temple compound – how can posts on Sri Lanka not feature elephants?!


The inner sanctum, Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo


And here’s a view of Colombo that’s not in the vicinity of the Gangarama Temple – It’s taken from the road in front of Colombo’s World Trade Centre

Ayubowan!

It’s a Small World After All

Shit! October’s come to an end, and I still haven’t sorted out photos of Jayden’s third birthday to blog on!

And …I’M STILL STUCK IN THIS INCREASINGLY IRRITATING PROJECT WHICH DOESN’T LOOK LIKE IT’LL EVER COMPLETE.

On the home front, Justin’s started Year 3 in his increasingly expensive school. I keep telling myself to check out other schools, but being the procrastinator that I am, …nothing much’s done yet. No, I’ve checked out some interesting schools, but they’re either too far, or the rating (given by the Government) is suspect. And I kinda feel for the kid. He keeps pleading with us not to change schools… What do I do? Umm… let’s wait a little longer and see.

Jayden’s all over the place now, and talking like the characters in Peppa Pig, his favourite cartoon for now. He is George, his koko (brother) is Peppa (who is actually a girl), Anu’s Mommy Pig (Anu’s not too happy about the name, hehe), and I’m Daddy Pig. He’s also into Pocoyo, Wow English TV (Steve & Maggie), Blippi, and PJ Masks, and therefore has become an English speaking kid, like his brother.

Anu? She ain’t very happy, due to the 6 days’ week and faraway site that I work in, meaning that I have to get up at the ungodly hour of 4am (which will usually become 4.30am when I actually wake up – that’s what the ‘snooze’ button is for, right?) and it’ll be 7+pm before I bloody reach home. And all this, with not a single cent extra on my meagre pay, which has stayed the same since I bloody re-joined the company in 2013!

And last week I had an accident at a Petrol Station in Dubai! And of all the people I can have an accident with, it was with a colleague from work!! Just imagine, there’re about 3 million people in Dubai, and I had to clash with this one guy from work. Talk about being in a small world.

We were going home on a Friday, after a day out with the kids. I drove into a petrol station and saw a little queue of about 3 cars on the right. There was a gap on the left just nice for a car to go thru, with a few empty petrol pumps right ahead. So there I went, overtaking the cars. Just when I was passing the second car, he suddenly swerved out and CRASH! Now, what kind of stupid people swerve out without looking at the back first? My, fat friend, Am… let’s call him Carrom (since he's round and cute, like the carrom disks), not really good to put in his real name, init?!

So there we were, arguing about who’s right and who’s wrong, with our spouses and kids in support (we’d win by the numbers, because both of us had the wife and 2 kids, but our family had additional support in the form of our niece, Karishma!) We finally went to the Police Station (all cases have to be reported to the police if you wanna repair your car, especially if you wanna claim insurance). Just because he’s Arabic speaking (he’s Egyptian Christian), and fat (can't help but sympathize with fat people, init?), the police said he’s right!
"Huh? He drove into me, and he’s right? What justice is this??"
"It’s a one-lane street, so you shouldn’t be overtaking."
"It’s a lane that can fit 4 friggin cars side-by-side!!" (And I proceeded to show the policeman a photo of the accident location, which Anu wisely snapped before we left for the police station).
"Still, it’s a one-lane street, …there aren’t any dividing lines and there’s only one arrow."
"OK, then, why was he swerving out? To overtake the car in front of him, right?"
"If you don’t agree, we’ can go to the scene of the accident, and if you are wrong, you have to pay 1,200 dirhams. If you agree now, it’ll just be a 400 dirham fine, with no point deduction or other penalty. Your decision."

Guess what I did?

You think I’m dumb? I took the pink slip and left. (The police’s summon book is in triplicate: White – retained by Police, Pink –WRONG, Green – RIGHT).

Strangely, this is not the first time that coincidences like this happened in Dubai for us! We bought our 1 bedroom apartment in 2015 after looking at about err 20 apartments maybe. There're a million apartments in Dubai, and the one we finally bought was from the dad of one of Justin’s classmates, and I didn't know about it until we went to the Land Office (where the seller and the buyer have to be present) to sign the transfer papers of the property! Just imagine the chances of that happening!!!

So, here’re some pictures of a small world, a kid’s world actually, for this post – KidZania! KidZania is a theme park (it’s actually a chain of theme parks, it has branches all over the world) that’s built to imitate a real city but with a kid’s version of everything. It allows kids to work like adults in various professions and places and earn money to spend. Enjoy!




KidZania Town Square, Dubai Mall, Dubai


The kids’ Declaration of Independence Monument, KidZania, Dubai


One of the more popular jobs, a pilot for Fly Dubai!


Hey, how did that baby get into the cockpit?!


Justin, the fireman …umm, fireboy I mean




Putting out a fire in Hotel Flamingo, which is very prone to fires, like once every hour!


McDonald’s – How is working in a fast food joint fun? I don’t understand kids. Here’s another photo of Justin at McDonald’s


A juice factory! Now that’ll be more fun, I think!


Trying his hand, and nose, at being a perfumer


This one’s tough, auditioning to be a reporter for Al Jazeera


One of the less popular jobs, a government servant at the National Archives. There’s a lot more, but you think I’m really that free, taking photos of his every task?

I think a streak of bad luck is crossing my path. Friggin desk phone in my office broke down (the only phone with a problem in the whole friggin office), meaning I have to call from my mobile (meaning eating into my available credit). The friggin car air-con compressor broke down, and it’ll cost a whopping 7,200 dirhams to friggin replace! WTF! I ain’t changing it. What’s a little sweat and stuffiness do to anyone?! Besides, it’s gonna be winter soon.

Anyway Happy Halloween! And leave me alone, to sulk for the time being, OK?

Temples of the Sea

Pura Tanah Lot (Tanah Lot Temple), Bali, Indonesia

It’s Diwali / Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights! Happy Diwali / Deepavali everyone!

It's also our little son’s third birthday yesterday! But I don’t have time to write. Project work sucks, sigh…

So here’s another temple picture post, like what I did last Diwali! Bear with me, OK? More Balinese Hindu temples, here goes!


Island temple, Tanah Lot, Bali


The lovely gardens around the temples


Tanah Lot coastline


The approach to Tanah Lot temple


A temple beside the approach to Tanah Lot


The seashore altar facing Tanah Lot




Pura Batu Bolong, another temple in the Tanah Lot area – Yep, there sure are a lot of temples!


Mommy doing some shopping around Tanah Lot Temple – Whaddya think? Temples doubling up as shopping places aren't new, OK? They're places of congregation for worshippers (...and tourists, ahem)


Justin at the gateway to Tanah Lot

Bye, till I get time again!

South of the Equator

Pura Luhur Uluwatu (Uluwatu Temple), Bali, Indonesia – the temple is the small pagoda-like building on top of the cliff on the right

Happy Durga Puja! It is Anu’s biggest festival today. And I am working! On what’s supposed to be my alternative Saturday off! What’s new?! >: (

Still at the Abu Dhabi Project, which looks more and more like it’ll never end. Summer’s officially come to an end (yeah, there’s an official period for summer in the UAE, June 15 to September 15, where no works in the open are allowed between 12.30pm and 3pm!) The sun’s gone south of the equator now (since Sep 23, the autumn equinox), and the days are getting shorter, meaning that I’ll typically reach home after sunset, which unsurprisingly annoys the dear wife (what, I leave before sunrise and return after sunset, who’ll not be annoyed?)

Anyway, here’re some photos of Bali for a change. Hindu temples, south of the equator. Although the Balinese Hindus follow their own strange calendar and celebrate none of the normal Hindu festivals that the Indians or Malaysians are familiar with.




Views from the cliff-side Uluwatu Temple, Bali, Indonesia

Uluwatu Temple is where people come to watch the traditional Kecak Dance, a dance depicting parts of the Hindu epic Ramayana. The Kecak Dance is performed with continuous chants of ‘cak’ from the male dancers, with no musical instrument accompaniment.(As in Malay, Kecak is pronounced as 'Ke-chak', with unaspirated ‘k’ and ‘ch’).


The stadium-like arena at the left, on top of the cliff is the Kecak Dance arena


To watch the Kecak Dance, we have to wear some traditional clothes, i.e. amber sashes for the kids and sarongs for the adults.

We also have to pay about 30 bucks (ringgit / dirhams) per adult… (I forgot whether they charged anything for the kids). And we have to get to the arena early to ensure we get some nice seats, so said our trusty driver. What he didn’t tell us was that there was no shade whatsoever from the burning sun in that arena, nor were there any fans. The ‘silk-like’ sarongs worn over our shorts, felt comfortable for about 5 minutes until you start to sweat (silk’s not very good at bloody soaking up sweat!) Add 2 irritated kids and an entire arena filled with sweating adults, and you’d know why Anu said she’s never going to another dance again, …if it ain’t air-conditioned!


Anu, Justin and an arena filled with enthusiastic sweating people – Yo Anu, you aren’t supposed to use your sarong as a sunshade!!


Before the start of the dance – the priest praying at an altar beside the arena, while the dancers (with flowers tucked behind their ears) wait


With fires lighted on the central pedestal by the priest, and the sun setting, the Kecak Dance begins


Kecak Dance, Uluwatu Temple, Bali


Kecak Dance depicting the forces of Ravana trying to burn the monkey god, Hanuman in Lanka, and the subsequent burning of Lanka by Hanuman. Take that you puny demons!

That’s all the time I have to write. Enjoy your Puja. See you again!

A Country Called Liechtenstein

Vaduz, capital of the Principality of Liechtenstein

Next stop on our 2015 Europe Trip after Luzern, was Liechtenstein. The Principality of Liechtenstein is a tiny independent country ruled by a Prince, wedged between Switzerland and Austria. I have no time to write about this interesting little principality, so just Google it willya?

There’s not much in Liechtenstein in terms of landmarks, (unless you have time to do a little hiking – it’s in the Alps after all, where hill trails and castles are common!) But how could we give it a miss when we were already so close! So, here we are!


Vaduz Cathedral, Liechtenstein

Here’re a couple of Liechtensteiner castles: -


Schloss Vaduz (Vaduz Castle), which gave Liechtenstein’s capital its name – it’s still the private residence of the Ruler (Prince) of Liechtenstein, and is not open for tourists


Gutenberg Castle, Balzers, Liechtenstein

We entered Liechtenstein from Balzers in the south, drove northwards to Vaduz the capital, spent some time there and exited through Schaan, the largest town in Liechtenstein, north of Vaduz. And that’s it, our tour of Liechtenstein in an hour! And another country off my bucket list to visit, hehe!




More views of Vaduz, Liechtenstein






Us in Liechtenstein - the building on top of the hill on the left hand corner, is Vaduz Castle


Justin, as a prince! Jayden was a prince too, click here