The Passing of a Generation

My step grandma, the mother of my stepmom passed away in Butterworth early this month. She was 88. She had been suffering from cancer, since it relapsed about Feb last year. Now there’s no more suffering, and she can join grandpa again. RIP.

Things can change pretty fast in this world. Just last year on New Year’s Day 2015, we celebrated step grandpa’s birthday with the whole family, in Penang, in one of our cousin’s café. Four generations in the gathering, what a blessing! (See this post for a picture of it). Two months or so later, grandpa suddenly had a heart attack and left us. The saddest thing at that time was that grandma was in Penang for a doctor’s consultation. She had some problems and had to be at the hospital in Penang (it later turned out to be due to the relapse of her cancer). By the time she reached Butterworth, grandpa was already gone, and she wasn’t able to be with him at that crucial time. She was devastated, having spent most of their lives together. Since then, she’s gotten weaker and weaker, and her body was so weak that the doctors couldn’t administer the needed cancer therapy on her. The past few months before she passed away, my parents told me that it’s like she’s lost her will to live.

Now, she needn’t have to suffer or struggle anymore. Bye-bye grandma. Bye-bye grandpa. Although I might not have known you very well, and you wouldn’t have known me well I guess, (I met them for the first time when I was in my late teens. I and my siblings didn’t stay in Butterworth, and would only meet the grandparents when we visited our parents on our holidays from school or work), I am greatly indebted to you for accepting us as your grandchildren, and for helping my dad finance us to further our studies overseas. May God bless your souls. May both of you be at peace now.

Here’re a couple of pictures of our family gathering with the grannies last New Year in Penang, Malaysia




Grandpa’s Birthday / New Year’s Day, 2015

Here’s a link to another picture in an earlier post.

What’s So Great about the Palace?

Since, we’re talking Abu Dhabi, I might as well throw these in – pictures of the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi (the sprawling brown buildings in front). Here's a view of the hotel from the beach.

I don’t think I’ll be visiting this place personally, so what the heck, I’ll just put in some photos of it that were taken during Anu’s visit in 2009 with some of our work colleagues. It’s not like I didn’t try to visit, hell, I tried 3 friggin times!!! And failed, all 3 times! The first try was on our first visit to Abu Dhabi in 2008 – it was a weekend, and we were told that we could only visit on a weekday! Second try was when Kim visited in 2013 – we drove up to the gate, and the guard told us we were dressed too casually! (What? I thought my bermuda shorts were pretty decent, and our flip-flops (Kim and I) weren’t too bad looking). Third try was with Dad, Mom and Hazel on a Saturday in December 2013 – was told again that this was a weekend, …and I thought weekends were Fridays only, shit! I give up! What’s so great about the place anyway? It’s just a hotel like any other hotel right?

OK, OK, OK, call it a case of sour grapes… but I’m still NOT gonna visit, unless… Unless I have to again bring someone for a tour of Abu Dhabi, I think.




The fountain at the Emirates Palace Hotel


The gold coloured interior of the hotel


Anu, at the Emirates Palace Hotel, 2009

One Night in Abu Dhabi

At Al Fanar Restaurant, Abu Dhabi, waiting for food. Al Fanar is a restaurant specializing in Emirati food. Unfortunately for us, the only food still available was some gravy / curry-type dishes and rice dishes. No more friggin grilled stuff (what d’ya expect when you visit at ...err 10.20pm? 10 minutes before closing time?)

Decided to take the easy way out (again) and post photos of a mini family gathering with Kim’s family in Abu Dhabi. This is a follow up to our one night meet up in Munich earlier (see this post). Kim and family had an overnight stopover in Abu Dhabi, on their way back to New Zealand, from their trip to Germany. Somehow or other, our meet ups always end up like one night stands!! Not good, definitely not good, will have to make an effort to meet longer the next time.


Our group photo at Al Fanar – no legs thanks to waiter photographer at the restaurant, and grainy quality thanks to our good ol’ phone cameras


It’s way past Jared’s bedtime according to Kim (but how do you keep a schedule, when you’re flying across err… 10 time zones?!!)


A tree in the restaurant! (It’s fake by the way)


A lock-up cell for the children, while the adults eat. All restaurants should have facilities like this. Kidding, it’s a sitting room for eating on the floor, Arabic-style. We wanted a room like that, but they’re not available as the restaurant’s about to close for the night


Outside the restaurant – try spotting these – two men, two babies, and two goats

Happy New Year, with Homework

Happy New Year 2016!!

I’m back! Guess what we did on New Year’s Day. Clean the house (we were away for a week, so the home’s a mess, plus there’re dead cockroaches all over the place, thanks to our homemade cockroach bait that we placed all over the house just before we flew off – it worked!!) Buy groceries (yeah, back to reality, have to stock up for our boring routine lives again). And sit with Justin to make sure he finishes his homework! The homework part took most of the day. Yeah, that’s life nowadays. Your kid’s homework, is also your work now. Don’t ever remember my parents grilling me on homework! So this is new age parenting huh? Being a parent, means responsibilities I guess, if only it could be more interesting…

Anyway, here’re some photos of homework and school. Yeah, I have a whole load of photos of Justin’s school-related stuff. That’s what our lives revolve around nowadays. Don’t even want to imagine the time when Jayden starts schooling!!!


Justin doing his online homework on my laptop. (He’s friggin Standard 1, and has computer homework!) He also has to bring an iPad to school, part of the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Programme that’s being implemented in the international schools here! …Oh, that Malay costume? It’s something his grandparents sent from Malaysia. We let him try it out in preparation for International Day, where all the kids have to wear something to reflect their home country.


Justin at Foundation 2 (FS2) aka Kindergarten


With his FS2 Teacher’s Assistant, Ms Jocelyn. (His class teacher can be seen in this earlier post)


With his classmate Miriam at FS2 (Miriam’s father turned out to be the owner of the apartment we finally chose and bought – and I didn’t know until we were at the land office to sign the transfer papers despite meeting a couple of times. We started chatting while waiting for the land office to prepare the papers and then it dawned on me. We even went to Miriam’s 5th birthday party at Mirdif Park a few months back! Talk about being in a small world!)


An assignment on Italy in FS2. Each class picked a separate country to work on. We had to make something reflecting Italy. He loves Sports Cars, so we ended up making a Lamborghini out of a Nescafe box.


More Italy! At the end of the assignment he (and I) could sing an Italian children’s song!!! – Il Coccodrillo Come Fa. So, it does bring benefits after all.

That’s not all. I’ve had to relearn the Solar System. I know all the planets plus their special characteristics now. (And what the heck, Pluto is no longer a planet!!) I’ve relearnt dinosaurs (I can name most of the common dinosaurs again). I used to know them but it’s been more than 35 friggin years since I was last interested in them. (Do you know that Brontosaurus is no longer a proper dinosaur name now? They should rightly be called Apatosaurus! But personally I prefer Brontosaurus – what sort of name is Apatosaurus??). I’ve also relearnt fairy tales – oh yeah, I know my Cinderella, and Rapunzel, and Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel – you name them! And we’ve been catching up on old Disney cartoons!


Justin’s drawing of flags – this was during a school programme supporting some humanitarian effort in Ghana. The kids were told to wear Ghanaian colours or clothes in support of the school. How on earth in Dubai would you find some Ghanaian clothes??! We finally bought a yellow cap and drew a Ghana flag on it


Waking Justin up in the morning for school is sometimes a challenge


The start of his Year 1 (Standard 1) at Royal Dubai School. The names and nationalities of his classmates are stuck on the wall behind


Justin’s Year 1 classroom


Justin at an introduction to musical instruments, a school related event – no, please not the drums. Pick a piano, or violin or heck, even a trumpet, that’d be ok


We had a family outing to the Dubai Musuem to help him with his 'Dubai in the Past' topic at Year 1 (yeah, we have to have family outings for the kids now, part of parenthood I guess…)


Justin and his science project – testing whether plants grow better with water or soda. Never would’ve guessed it’d be soda!!! His mom had to remind him daily to water them and to write down the observations!

Here’s a link to Justin’s Year 1 Class blog for those who want to see more of what happens at the international schools here in Dubai.

Hope your New Year is as ‘interesting’ as ours…

End of Year Post 2015

Burjuman Mall, Dubai

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la
Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la
Don we now our gay apparel, fa la la la la la la la la
Sing the ancient yuletide carol fa la la la la la la la la

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone!!!


Snowmen & Christmas Trees for Christmas! (…I think it’s from the Mirdif City Centre, …or could it be Dubai Mall?? …Seriously, don’t remember!)

Here’re some photos for the festive season! These are all from the malls of Dubai. That’s where we spend most of our holidays! Roaming the malls, shopping for groceries, and sometimes, do some festive shopping (yeah, our life here is really THAT exciting!!). We’ll stop for a coffee now and then (although Anu’s adopted a new cost-saving strategy lately, making hot coffee at home and carrying in a flask – Do you know that Dubai & Hong Kong have the most expensive coffee in the world according to research??). And eat out once in a while (somehow the food here ain’t really that good, and it’s not cheap either). Movies used to be one of the things that we do (until we realized that Jayden’s at an age that ‘sshhhhhh’ means nothing more than to make more noise, or to cry at the top of his voice)…

Anyway, we’re taking a short 1 week break from roaming the malls. Yippee!!! See you all again in 2016! Till then, have a look at our adventures in the malls (notice that there’s only 1 photo of Jayden? …That’s because they’re mostly old photos hehe, haven’t had time to look through the newer photos yet, as usual). And if that’s still not enough, here’s a post with more malls!


A circus in a mall! Burjuman Centre, Dubai


Anu at the Burjuman Centre (I’m posting more pictures of Burjuman as I don’t think I’ve ever posted any Burjuman photos before)


Dubai Festival City, …this is the nth time that I’ve snapped similar views of this place, dunno whether I’ve posted any before… Aww, who cares? I’ll just post them again, what the heck!


Mall of the Emirates, used to be our favourite mall in 2009 – 2010, when we were staying in Al Barsha, and IMPZ – Check out this post


Mirdif City Centre, our current favourite, coz it’s only a ten minute drive (10+km) from our house! No, I dunno what Justin is doing, ...maybe a taiji master in the making?!?


Yours truly at Mirdif


Justin, engaged in some serious colouring work at Mirdif City Centre …all for the sake of a free yoyo and a wrist band, compliments of the Cartoon Network! Good thing Justin doesn’t shy away from things like this, …unlike his old man!


Dragon Mart, even nearer, only 2km from our house! Everything Chinese under one roof, and it’s huge, 1 km in length! And now there’s even a Dragon Mart 2 next to it! (I’ll post pictures of this next time, OK? It just opened, and we’ve been there only once!)


Justin looking at the Golden Dragon Globe, for inspiration on becoming a taiji master (just kidding, …it's actually a friggin fountain in front of Dragon Mart)


And finally, this is where we usually do our weekly grocery shopping – the Union Co-op Hypermarket, next to the Fruit & Vegetable Market, Dubai, exciting huh?!?

Signing off for now. Meanwhile, have a joyous Christmas and a fantastic New Year!!!

Justin Year 6

Justin is 6!

Finally, …found some time to sort out some photos of Justin. Yeah, Justin’s 6 years old!!! Time sure flies. Felt like just the other day that Justin was talking his baby talk and messing things up, and now he’s 6. (And he’s still messing things up…)

Anyway, here’s a recap of his antics in the past year.


Justin, papa and grandpa in Butterworth, Malaysia last Christmas


In Silchar, Assam in Feb 2015, with his mommy and Chema (aunt) Amrita (who has, for some reason or other, started to grow pretty big …she said it’s all because she works in the US and must somehow be this size, to blend in with all the Americans!?! Amazing logic huh?) Wanna know how she looks like before – here’re some photos of Amrita just some 3+ years back – the miracle of being in the US!


Justin and Papa at a swimming pool in Hatta Hill Park. For some unknown reason, the pool is opened only for residents, and Arabic-speaking people, …and occasionally, when there’re no other people around, to the odd Malaysian and his vocal wife (who started bugging the hell out of the poor guard on this strange policy)… (Aww, come on, how often do you come across a Malaysian in Hatta??)


The Karate Kid in Arabia – the Hajar Mountains, Fujairah, UAE, Mar 2015


Rollerboy, in Dragon Mart, Dubai, May 2015


Completed Foundation 2 (i.e. Kindergarten Year 2), with his class teacher, Ms Pascal Cumberbatch, at the Royal Dubai School, Jun 2015


Fooling around, …as usual, at the start of his summer school holidays, Jun 2015 – Yup, that's what we (or more like his mommy) have to bear with for 2 months before he starts schooling again!


The sign says it all! In Switzerland, posing with the Matterhorn (that pointed mountain - the one in the Toblerone chocolate bars), Aug 2015


Justin on Lego-camel at The Lego Shop, Mirdif City Centre, Sep 2015 – Lego (or any building block for that matter) is his favourite toy


At our living room in International City, holding one of his Lego creations – a set we bought in Slovenia. Lego is about half the price in Europe, compared to Dubai.


Having a go at the drums – it’s all for show (thank goodness – just imagine the din, …it’ll be good if it’s the piano or violin) Justin doesn’t play anything much, …besides Lego


Scene from The Grudge 4, …just kidding – Justin on Halloween, in our scary apartment corridor


With his little brother, at the car park downstairs, Nov 2015 – all grown up huh?


Justin at Little Explorers, Mirdif City Centre, Dubai – his 6th birthday present from us (i.e. one day at Little Explorers, a kiddie play centre). He totally enjoyed it!


Justin, with UAE face tattoo for the UAE National Day celebration – National Day (Dec 2nd) is celebrated with full fanfare in the UAE. School kids wear UAE colours on the last day of school before the holidays (yup, we’d end up buying UAE stuff every year – UAE’s really good at making poor consumers spend money!). There’ll be houses flying huge flags of the UAE, cars adorned with UAE stuff, malls with UAE decorations all over the place, people dressed in UAE scarves, shirts, underwear (nope, I made that up), etc. If only Malaysia learns something out of this…