I don't know how many times I've apologized for the lack of updates on this blog so I'm not going to do it now because I can't promise to be consistent in writing with all the things currently going on in my life. But if you are reading this, thank you for still being here. … Continue reading Why we left Dubai
expat
10 Reasons why we love living in the UAE
Photo credit In celebration of the UAE's 45th National Day, here's recalling reasons why we love living here. I was 30 when we moved here and now that I just turned 40, it meant we've been in this country for a DECADE. Please give me a moment to digest that. OMG, a decade. I lived … Continue reading 10 Reasons why we love living in the UAE
Staying home for Eid Al Adha 2016
Hello. Do you have friends in the UAE on Facebook posting their out of town trips lately? I'm seeing a lot of people on my timeline either in Barcelona, somewhere in Europe, New York or Maldives. Or even to the mountains of Hatta and the beaches of Jumeirah. There's no traffic on the roads which means … Continue reading Staying home for Eid Al Adha 2016
The most common question expats get
Another year is about to start so we get the most generic of questions from family and friends back home, "You're still there?" We're about to welcome another year in Dubai. Didn't we come here and intend to stay for a few years? You know, just to test the waters? (As of this writing, it's our … Continue reading The most common question expats get
Beach time during Ramadan in Dubai
Ramadan, the holy month in the Islamic calendar, started last June 6 and with it, the world's 1.6 billion Muslims fast from dawn to dusk for the next 30 days. During this period of fasting and prayer, followers of Islam will abstain from eating and drinking until they break their fast each evening after the … Continue reading Beach time during Ramadan in Dubai
Update on Benjamin’s school
So we went for the 2nd assessment for Benjamin. We were greeted at the school entrance by a lady at the registration office who called him by his name. She knows his name! I was surprised by this. Then they asked us to wait for a few minutes. A middle aged man came holding a … Continue reading Update on Benjamin’s school
It’s time we rethink about “kindergarten readiness”
The boy in red shirt is Benjamin. He is my 4 year old son. Does he look normal to you? Yes, he looks normal because YES, he is normal. Except for lingering longer during the breastfeeding period, not knowing how to use the bottle and difficulty in potty training, I see nothing wrong with him. … Continue reading It’s time we rethink about “kindergarten readiness”
We’re nine years in Dubai
The above photo was taken exactly NINE years ago, today. It was the morning after we landed in Dubai from a long flight from Japan (my camera even still showed Japan time). Our daughter Pristine had just turned 3 years old and I just started working at my current company. We moved to Dubai without any … Continue reading We’re nine years in Dubai
Warm winter this year in Dubai
Something's wrong with this year's "winter". Well, before I begin - I know the thought of "winter" in the Middle East might have you all laughing. But as a matter of fact, there IS winter in desert land, even if people living outside of the Middle East would like to prefer to it still as summer. I … Continue reading Warm winter this year in Dubai
Start of my life as an expat
It's Thursday again! I was drafting a little personal #ThrowbackThursday story that was meant to be published in my blog's Facebook page but then it got longer and longer that I thought, what the heck, I'll make this into a blog post instead! As you may have noticed in my previous posts and in my … Continue reading Start of my life as an expat
Finding Backroads 