Another Low-Key CNY

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Wishing all a Happy & Prosperous (& Safe & Healthy – times have changed, COVID changed EVERYTHING) New Year of the Ox!

Today is Hokkien New Year – or Pai Thni Kong as we call it back in Malaysia. It’s something like a thanksgiving for the Hokkiens (people of Fujian descent who speak the Min Nan dialect in South East Asia). It used to be our grandest festival of the year for our family when I was a kid. I didn’t really know which god we prayed to (and does it matter), only that he’s known as Thni Kong (literally, God of Heaven). There’re no idols in our house, and we prayed only once per year (yeah, no kidding, we weren’t a particularly pious lot) on Pai Thni Kong. That’s the only time in the year, when an altar would be set up facing the outside, with lots of food offerings and joss sticks (incense). And of course, sugarcane on both entrance gate posts of our house, firecrackers and lots of joss paper (spirit money) folded into shapes of gold ingots for offering. Joss paper origami was one my favourite pastimes every New Year (we kids would compete with each other to fold the most ‘gold’).

The last we celebrated was I think 1987. That’s the year granddad passed away, which barred the family from celebrating for the next 3 years. In those 3 years, the majority of our family converted to Christianity (thanks to my dad, he had always been Christian, since before I was born anyway). I only found out that Thni Kong is the Jade Emperor, in my errr… mid-40’s I think, thru Google, what else …

Here’s what we did this New Year in photos (yeah, some current photos for a change). Would never have guessed that this year’s New Year would be quieter than last year, but it is! Here goes!


Cheers! – New Year breakfast at our balcony – Notice the hookah? That’s one of the parts of Arabia we adopted…




Reunion Dinner 2021 – Anu strikes again. ALL THIS for our tiny family of 4?!? Honey, you said you’d cook less? …She can’t help it, it’s festival mah… She loves festivals!




Some photos from the outside – DragonMart CNY 2021

I might as well throw in some CNY photos of last year…


Dubai Festival City, CNY 2020


A ‘Chinese’ dance and acrobatic performance CNY 2020 …Wait! Hmmm… they don’t look Chinese! Only wearing Chinese costumes, must be Russian. The organizers must have been unable to organize any Chinese performers last CNY, as it was at the peak of China’s COVID lockdown last year. That’s just my guess – Town Square Nshama Dubai, CNY 2020




City Walk Dubai, CNY 2020


Anu, CNY 2020, Burjuman


Jayden met his assistant teacher of his old school (Newlands School), Ms Balisado (left) from the Philippines, Burjuman, Dubai


Burjuman 2020 - Gong Xi Fa Cai!

In My Grandfather’s Time

A back lane in Ipoh’s Old Town, Perak, Malaysia


Mural at a car park in Ipoh’s Old Town showing different stages of Kopi-O (black coffee) being consumed in a Malaysian takeaway plastic bag

It's Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai, Happy New Year everyone! Kinda miss home. In the short 1.5 years between my last visit home in mid-2019 and now, I’ve lost 3 dear ones in Ipoh, my hometown. 3 people I used to visit on every trip home to Ipoh, my po-po (maternal grandmother), my ah-mm (aunt, wife of my dad’s eldest brother) and my friend and ex-colleague, Ajit. They’ve all gone on to a better place. God bless their souls.

Gonna post some photos of Ipoh. Ipoh’s old town to be exact. (By the way, for the non-Malaysians, Ipoh is the capital of the State of Perak, Malaysia). This was where our family started… in the late 1920’s. That was when my grandpa (father’s side) (1906 – 1987) arrived from China to what was then British Malaya. I heard that he came with only the clothes on his back, and a primary school education. He is of Hokkien (Fujian) descent. He met and married my grandma (1917 – 2010), a ‘local’ girl of Chinese descent, circa 1933. My grandma’s family was also of Hokkien descent but had been in Malaya a lot earlier, like at least two generations earlier, and therefore the Hokkien is distinguishingly different, with a lot of Malay loan words. (By the way, the Hokkien dialects in China also differ from county to county. I have no idea which county my grandpa or grandma’s families originate from). My grandmother’s mother (my great-grandma, whom I had the opportunity to meet when I was a toddler), was also Malayan-born, and her mother (my great-great grandmother) was Siamese (Thai). My grandma was born and brought up in a village called Enggor aka Karai, near the banks of the Perak River, and was totally Malaysianized in living style and food. She was what you’d call a Nyonya / Peranakan girl (Malaysianized Chinese), wearing sarong kebaya as her normal attire, with her hair left long and tied up in a bun (‘sanggui’ – after the Malay word ‘sanggul’) secured with a pin. She used to eat with her hands (rather than chopsticks – she only learnt how to use chopsticks after she married) and watched Malay shadow puppet plays (wayang kulit) in her village.

Anyway, to cut the story short, grandpa eventually had a family and built up a business in Ipoh old town selling salted fish and dried seafood, and was at one time, pretty affluent. He was one of the towkays (boss) in town who could own a car (not many could do that in those times). But unfortunately, he didn’t stay rich for very long. He invested in the wrong things you could say, including a second wife and created a rift in the family. The family split up, and eventually grandpa ended up staying alone in a rented room in Ipoh town. In his later years, grandpa moved back in with us, in my dad’s house in Ipoh. Grandma had always stayed with us, but although they were in the same house together, grandpa and grandma never spoke to each other, till the day he died. Tragic. Here’s more of the story in pictures…


The Games Room of the Han Chin Pet Soo (Hanchin Villa), headquarters of a Hakka Tin Miners’ Club, which is now a museum of sorts in Ipoh’s Old Town. Grandpa’s shop was in this part of town


Jayden lifting a bag of tin ore, Han Chin Pet Soo, Ipoh – Ipoh was a town built on tin-mining. Malaya was once the largest producer of tin in the world. During its tin-mining heydays, so many towkays in Ipoh became rich that Ipoh gained the nickname "the City of Millionaires”. Heck, there used to be a huge Mercedes Benz logo on a hill when you approach the city from the south (Kuala Lumpur), and it’s even lighted up at night. I guess this must be because there’re so many Mercedes Benz owners in Ipoh then…


Photos of old tin miners of Hakka descent. So that’s where the Ipoh road names come from Jalan Yau Tet Shin, Foo Yet Kai, Lee Kwee Foh, Lau Pak Khuan, Leong Sin Nam, Chung Thye Phin, etc. How come we never read of them in our Malaysian history books? – Wiki-ing it, I found the history quite interesting. It’s something like America’s Wild West, only that this is the Orient’s Wild South, when Chinese ‘pioneers’ explored the southern seas and opened up new frontiers for their native overlords. In the case of Malaya, it’s for the Malay princes and the British. Heck, the rivalry between the competing teams of tin-miners in the Sultanate of Perak in Malaya became so intense that it culminated in 4 wars in the 1800’s between the two main gangs, the Ghee Hin Society and the Hai San Society, backed by rival Malay princes (the Larut Wars). This eventually led to an intervention by the British and the subsequent British colonization of Perak (same old story all over the world). The old man in the middle of the photo above, the one in mandarin robes, that’s Chung Keng Quee, the leader of the Hai San during the Larut Wars. He looks like someone not to be meddled with, huh? If only someone can make a movie of the Larut Wars…


The main hall of the Han Chin Pet Soo – Pet Soo is the Hakka pronunciation of Villa. While my father’s side of the family are all Hokkien, my mom’s family is Hakka. Too bad I don’t know much about my mom’s side of the family, as she died long ago when I was 15 years old. But I remember we had relatives in Ipoh and Menglembu. Menglembu is predominantly Hakka and so are many villages surrounding Ipoh like Pusing. Ipoh, on the other hand is predominantly Cantonese-speaking


Reliving the past, Han Chin Pet Soo, Ipoh


Our Jiko (meaning dad’s second eldest sister) in Concubine Lane, Old Town, Ipoh – This small lane in the heart of old town is nicknamed Concubine Lane, 二奶巷 (yee-lai-hong in Cantonese) because many towkays in the past had more than one wife, and this lane was where many of the mistresses stayed. Some towkays had like 7 wives – Don’t believe me? Check out Chung Thye Phin. Maybe that’s why my grandpa also tried having more than one wife, but it proved to be his undoing unfortunately… My Jiko in her youth used to be a socialite and hung out with the other socialites of Ipoh in those days, like the mum of Michelle Yeoh (actress and ex Miss Malaysia) who hailed from Ipoh. Interesting huh?


This street art is on a lane just beside Concubine Lane


Here’re the kids at our old house in Canning Garden, Ipoh. This was where I grew up and where my mom, grandpa and grandma lived their last days… It used to be filled with noise and people, because we lived as an extended family. It’s an empty house now, as we’ve all grown up and moved out. Jipek who used to live here even after Granny passed away, is now in an old folk’s home…


The kids and their Jiko-po, Canning Garden house, Ipoh

OK, here’s something totally unrelated. This was a place in old town we stumbled into – a silly upside down house. Some optical illusions won’t harm anyone, right?






Defying gravity, at the Upside Down House, Ipoh

Before I go, GONG XI FA CAI everyone! Here’s to wishing you all a Happy, Prosperous, Peaceful, Safe and Healthy Chinese New Year. Changing the slogan to match the times. And peaceful is the only way it’s gonna be, with all the movement restrictions in place because of COVID-19…

Once upon a Park

A park in Dubai… (Scroll down to the next photo for its name)

No ideas yet of what to post. So, here’s a little update. Nothing’s changed here except that COVID cases are going through the roof (like the rest of the world, from looking at the statistics). Work-wise, there's no new Projects yet, but I’m still pretty loaded, with the closeout of 4 Projects under yours truly, thankfully, ahem. On the world front, Trump is finally gone, so that’s one less distraction from work, at least, hehe.

I took the first dose of the COVID Sinopharm vaccine 2 weeks back (immediately, after I received a letter from the Client of one of the Projects I’m in charge of, that access to that site from Feb onwards would only be given to those who have taken the vaccine!) I’m taking the second dose next week. And it’s free! For us residents of the UAE. (Gonna take the wife along for her first dose when I take the second dose). My company probably took a hint from the Client’s letter because a couple of days after that, they issued a similar instruction to all staff to vaccinate ourselves, or submit COVID test results every 14 days, AT OUR COSTS! So that’s it. Vaccinate or lose.

The office I’m at (which is actually an office of our subcontractor / JV partner), is half empty (umm… more than half actually), due to COVID cases or direct contacts with COVID cases. Heck, come to think of it now, the majority of the subcontractor’s executive level staff have had COVID at one time or another!

School’s continuing as usual, with Justin at 50% online learning (alternate days at school) and Jayden full time at school (but with social distancing, meaning they just spaced the desks further apart). Our main entertainment in the weekends now is checking out the countryside of the UAE (except Abu Dhabi where we can enter only if we show a negative COVID test result, bummer). The countryside is safer than the malls, we reckon, and it’s winter now, perfect for picnics, camping and barbecue! And at home, we’ve bought a PIANO! Finally, after years of looking, and it’s a Yamaha (of course, it’s a used one, d’ya think we could afford a brand new one??)

I’ve decided to post some old park photos of Dubai. Might as well clear some backlog, since I’m expecting a huge influx of UAE photos when I download all the photos of 2020!!! (Coz that’s the only place we’ve been, for the whole damn entire year!) We used to be big fans of the parks here, but then we realized the countryside’s just as nice, if not nicer, and it’s free and less crowded. In winter, the parks can get so crowded with barbecuing crowds, that you’d come out smelling like smoked chicken. But after a few recent trips into the countryside, I’m starting to think that everybody else in the UAE has the same idea. (Just try driving to Jebel Jais or Love Lake in the weekends and you’ll know what I mean. Imagine, traffic jams and villages of tents, in the hills!?!?!)

Nuff said, here’re the rest of the park photos…








Last Exit (one of the many Last Exits in Dubai), Al Khawaneej, Dubai – It has something like a post-apocalyptic, Wild West theme, with old rusting cars, etc. That’s Jayden in 2018, 3 years ago. Wow, time moves fast, huh?


The park opposite the Last Exit, Al Khawaneej 2018 – Now known as Quranic Park (that might have been its name even then, but we were totally unaware of it)


Mushrif Park, one of our favourites, when we were in International City


There’s a cycling track all around the park (Mushrif Park). And that’s Jayden in 2016! He’s just turned 2 years old then!


Mushrif Park was where I taught Justin to finally swim… He’d been doing swimming at school since he started going to school in 2013, but till 2016, he was still scared of water – This is Justin in 2017, and he could at least swim a lap non-stop by then, Mushrif Park Swimming Pool


Safa Park, Dubai, the park which was nearly ‘destroyed’ by the Dubai Canal… The new Dubai Canal cut through Safa Park, taking up maybe half of its original area. It was at the heart of a colossal challenge my boss gave me at the end of Sep 2016. “This is going to be a car park (the car park in front of Safa Park, below our newly constructed Al Wasl bridge). We have clean up this pile of mess, complete it and open this car park to the public in 1.5 months’ time, whatever it takes”. (The area in front of Safa Park was occupied by our machinery, storage yard and stockpiles, and a major part of the eventual car park was the ONLY friggin access used by the entire horde of contractors involved with the construction of the Dubai Canal, and all were in a hurry because it is a do or die situation. When the King of Dubai sez he’s opening something on a date, he means it, OK?) When I took over, underground utilities (which were huge) had just started, the ground was in a mess, diversions were all over the place and even some design (retaining wall, etc) wasn’t completed. But we did it, after 45 days of non-stop working and a loss of 4kg (way better than a friggin diet). Anyway, here’re the kids in Nov 2016, when our Dubai Canal works were just about completed. I brought them to see papa's work place, hehe


This isn’t actually a park, it’s the grounds of the Address Montgomerie, a hotel with a golf course in Emirates Hills, Dubai. And NO, I don’t play golf, nor can I afford a stay at this place. I was just here for a seminar in 2018, ahem…


Ending this post with a picture of the lake at Marriott Courtyard, Green Community, near my old office in Dubai Investment Park… And the theme for this area …Venice!

Castles of Black Sand

Black Sand Temple, Piha, New Zealand … This sand castle we found, left by some other people, looks awesome doesn’t it? Looks more like a mysterious temple in ruins…

I’m running out of ideas to post. Might as well continue with posts on New Year beaches, since I’ve got another one saved up for some time now. This is Piha Beach, New Zealand. It’s one of the many black sand beaches near Auckland which my sister and her husband Daniel had been talking about bringing us to see, during our NZ family trip at the end of 2018.

We finally went to one, on the day after New Year 2019. That’s a day (or was it 2) before we were due to depart NZ for our long journey back home to Dubai. How we wished the holidays were longer… Anyway, here’re the photos.


Another view of the ‘sand temple’


We tried to build our own… but didn’t really manage to match that of the abandoned one we found…


Piha, North Island, New Zealand, from the road above – the rocky hill in the middle of the beach is called the Lion Rock


Lion Rock, Piha, New Zealand


Brrrr… It’s chilly. On a summers’ day!


“Daniel, meet Daniel”. Of all the names in the world, Kim had to end up with a guy having the same name as her dad… Well, it’s a small world… By the way, the sisters Kim and Hazel decided to bring little baby Skye to a beach nearer to home. So it’s the just the boys here… and Anu, ahem




Piha’s “Black Sand Beach”, New Zealand

There, another short photo post done in record time! That’s all for now. See ya soon!

Justin's COVID Year

Justin is 11 years old! (As of early last month.) Alas! Only one more year of childhood to go (in terms of airline tickets and hotel bookings). Aww what the heck, they’ve gotta grow up sooner or later – Here’s he, at the cycle track in front of Dubai Solar Park (or officially the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, Dubai’s solar power plant), a couple o’ days after his 11th birthday – Dec 2020

Finally, finished sorting out the photos of Justin’s 11th year for my annual posts of the kids. It’s only 1.5 months late, not too bad, looking at my past record, hehe.

Here goes.


Dec 2019 – Our last overseas trip before the coming of COVID – At Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia – Falcons, shoved onto our hands and heads, compliments of a troupe of bird trainers trying to get some extra money. Demanded quite a big amount, but we paid a small token sum (I forgot, 10 dirhams, or was it 20) and got away as fast as we could. This was the only time we encountered touts in Tunisia…


Is this the Colosseum? Yeah, the Colosseum of Africa, if there’s such a thing – El Jem, Tunisia, Dec 2019


Yay! It’s 2020! Heard about the coronavirus in China, but that’s far away, nothing to worry about… (if only we had known…) – City Walk Dubai, Jan 2020 (the red circular building at the back is the Coca-Cola Arena)


Koung Hey Faat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year 2020! …But very little CNY celebrations around in the UAE compared to last year (2019). Must be the coronavirus in China. Even the Annual Chinese Gala which Justin’s Chinese teacher had informed us about, was cancelled. But there’re still no news of the any coronavirus cases in the UAE?!? – Our home, Jan 2020


Shutdown!!! The coronavirus disease has a new name, COVID-19, and cases are spiking all over the world including the UAE. All schools closed and lessons moved online, but mommy can still make things happening – smiley face mashed potatoes with yellow tulips to match – Mar 2020


Online classes extended till the end of the academic year. “Going CRAZZZYYYY!!!!” – May 2020


Nice time to hone your computing skills, that is if you like programming… Computer Genius e-Award?!? – Jun 2020


Whew, lockdown relaxation, the kids can go out again! Here with his Ama (aunt), Anu’s eldest sister, who was stranded in Dubai because of the pandemic – Basement car park of our apartment, Jul 2020


Monkeying around one of our neighbourhood playgrounds – MotorCity, Dubai, Aug 2020


Time to freshen up with a haircut… for going back to school… Justin posing for mommy for a guitar playing video shoot (I forgot which song he played, mommy posted it on Youtube) – Aug 2020


Back to school, with masks (compulsory) and shields (extra precaution we took)… – Sep 2020


The morning after our first night not spent in our house since the beginning of 2020. We went camping on Jayden’s birthday, drove on the new Khor Fakkan highway and around the Wadi Shees area looking for a suitable place to camp, but there was none. Ended up ‘freedom camping’ (meaning camping at an unofficial site as what the Kiwis call it) off a dirt road between Wadi Shees and Nahwa Village. We were the only ones, for miles I think. Just us under the stars. Scary, but nice! Google Maps puts the location somewhere within the boundaries of the Omani exclave of Madha! – Oct 2020


Another guitar stint, this time at Papa’s prodding (yup, he has pretty demanding parents, hehe, but he’s a nice kid who’d usually do what we want him to do, if we prod him enough). Playing Havana from memory, at Wadi Shees (part of the Emirate of Sharjah), UAE


Diwali! At our home – Nov 2020


Finally, Justin’s 11th birthday party, a joint birthday party shared with 2 other ex-classmates of his, with 3 cakes. The cake in this photo is a gobsmacking Bespoke Cake from Melange, and costs a hefty 600+ bucks, compliments of Mashel’s (above) mom. We had a little accident with said bespoke cake, and it toppled! Had to continuously prop it up, till we sang the birthday songs and the kids blew out the candles. Ours was a humble honey cake, ahem and Arya’s parents brought a gold-coated chocolate cake!

That's it, for now. And today happens to be Makar Sankranti, an Indian festival related to the sun. For those celebrating, Happy Sankranti! Happy Pongal!