Happy birthday Harry

Today Harry turns three. I hope everyone remembers to phone him and say 'Happy Birthday Harry'.

And Happy Birthday from your Grandpa John too Harry.

Dragon horse

There was another dragon at the temple on the lake. But this one's not just a dragon. It's a horse too. I've never heard of a dragon horse before but here is one just to prove it. If you were here, maybe it could take you for a ride across the lake.

love from your Grandpa John

Dragon in Hanoi

There are dragons here in Hanoi too. This one is guarding a temple built on an island in the middle of a lake. It looks like it has a straw and is drinking the water from the lake. And the fish are trying to not get drunk with the water.

I'll keep looking. I'm sure there are many more dragons here. Wish you were here to help me find them.

love from your Grandpa

No speak English, no speak

Hello, do you know where I am now? No, I'm not in Malaysia anymore. I caught an aeroplane to another country. It is called Vietnam. It is still in South-east Asia but it is a long way from Malaysia. I've never been here before. Izmaillah, do you still have that atlas? You can look up Vietnam in the atlas to see where your Granddad is. Can you find Hanoi? That is where I am.

Most people here don't speak very much English. They speak a language called Vietnamese. When I came here I didn't know any Vietnamese. When I go shopping the Vietnamese people can say 'hello', 'yes', 'no' and things like 'cheap price for you'. So I can buy the things I need.

In one shop I met all the people you see in the picture. I still didn't know any Vietnamese so I tried to talk to them in English. 'Hello' I said.

They didn't answer.

'Hello, my name is John.'

They still didn't answer. They just smiled or kept pulling their funny faces but they didn't say a thing. Perhaps they don't understand English at all. Maybe now I need to learn to speak some Vietnamese.

I have. I've learned to say 'hello' in Vietnamese. It is 'jow'. So now I'm going to go back and say 'hello' to them again but in Vietnamese. I hope they answer me this time.

love from Grandpa

Great-grandma is 94

This is your great-grandmother. You usually call her Grandma. Today is her birthday. Today she is 94 years old. This photo was taken on her birthday two years ago when she was 92 years old.

Maybe your Mum or Dad will allow you to phone her and say 'Happy Birthday Grandma'.

love from your Granddad

Cool dreadlocks

Are dreadlocks cool? Well guys check out this lady. She must be the coolest person in the world. Her dreads go down her back almost to her feet, then they bend and go half way up her back and bend down again.

What do you think, Iz? Will yours ever get this long?

I took this photo at Batu Caves.

BTW, Ben, Zac and David say the little people should be named Fruity, Shorty, Red Nutz, Nut Head, Butterfly, Selfish and Muscle Monkey. What do you think?

What is this?

Hello, could you see the frogs in the leaf picture?

Here is another one for you to look at. What do you see? Look very carefully and you might be able to tell.











Is it a leaf or is it something else?

Here is another picture of it.












Now can you see that it is a butterfly?

When it opens its wings it has beautiful colours. When it thinks a bird might want to eat it, it closes its wings and looks like a leaf. It is called an Indian Leaf Butterfly.

Grandpa's new friends

Once up a time when Grandpa was visiting Batu Caves he met lots of little people. They were friendly but they didn't seem to know how to speak. Well sometimes they made noises but Grandpa couldn't understand them. Grandpa has heard many languages in his travels but this didn't sound like any of them.

Grandpa asked his new friends their names but they didn't answer. Perhaps you can think of names for Grandpa's friends. Your Mum or Dad can help you send an email to Grandpa with the names, then if Grandpa goes back to Batu Caves he can tell his friends what their names are.






What do you think this one is eating?











These little people like big people to give them things like peanuts.











They like to eat all the time.










This lady is pregnant. She is going to have some babies soon. Unfortunately she's not very good at picking up litter.











Oh, here's Grandpa.

No, it's not Grandpa. It just looks a little bit like him.











Someone gave this one an iceblock and it wouldn't share it with anyone.











This one likes to eat wheat. Do you think it makes him look healthy?





That's it. Well there were more but that's all the photos Grandpa has for you. Can you name all these people?

The end

What are these?

If you were walking through the forest and saw this, what would you think it was? Look closely and tell your Mum or Dad what you think it is.

Did you say a pile of old leaves? That's what I thought it was. But look closely. Can you see eyes, maybe legs and bodies? Now what do you think it is?

Do you know the word camouflage? It means a disguise. Some animals have natural disguises so that the animals that might eat them won't see them. These are frogs. (It's true. No story.) If an animal that eats frogs comes along and sees them it thinks, 'No frogs here, just leaves.' And the animal doesn't eat them. Smart frogs, hey.

Grandpa's fantastic adventure at Batu Caves

Once upon a time Grandpa went to visit Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur. The caves are half way up a big hill. Guess how many steps there are?

Grandpa was going to count all the steps but he didn't have to. Someone had painted numbers on the steps.



These are the top steps. You can see for yourself just how many steps Grandpa had to climb. Do you think you could climb all these steps?

But your Grandpa is much older than you. When he got to the top he was feeling very tired. He decided to take a rest. While he was sitting he closed his eyes. After a while he felt someone rubbing his shoulders and neck. 'Mmmmm,' thought Grandpa. 'That feels very nice. I wonder who is doing this for me.'

Then he heard a lady's voice say, 'Do you like this?'

'Mmmmm yes,' said Grandpa. 'Rub some more.'

'Do you like me?' the voice said.

'Yes,' said Grandpa. 'I especially like the way you rub my shoulders.'

'Would you like me to rub you some more?'

'Mmmmm yes please.'

So the mystery lady rubbed Grandpa's back and arms. Grandpa still had his eyes shut. He felt this lady cuddling him. He felt very relaxed and happy.

'Do you like me?' the voice asked again. The lady seemed to be wrapped right around Grandpa.

'Yes I do,' said Grandpa.

'Then open your eyes and give me a kiss.'

'So Grandpa opened his eyes and gave her a kiss.'

Do you like Grandpa's new friend? Isn't she beautiful? Would you like to give her a kiss too?




The end

Swallowed

Once upon a time Ben said to his Dad, 'Gee, I hope Grandpa goes back to Ayer Keroh he might get some more cool photos of really strange creatures.'

'I don't think he can,' said David. 'He's leaving Melaka soon. He probably won't have time.'

'Oh please Dad, ask him if he will.'

'I'll ask him but I don't think you realize how dangerous it is for Grandpa, going to places like that. He only does it so you can get some stories. I hope he doesn't get eaten. There'll be no more stories for you then.'

So Grandpa did go back even though he was busy. He didn't want to disappoint Ben. And guess what he saw:



'Fantastic,' thought Grandpa. 'Ben will love this one.' He got two good photos before the creature charged making a terrible roar and with saliva dripping from its open mouth.

At first Grandpa wanted to get a photo of the charging creature but he realized it could be his last photo ever. He dropped the camera and ran.

Grandpa ran through the forest as fast as he could. But Grandpa is not as young as he used to be and the creature was gaining on him. Then he saw a cave and decided to hide in it.

It was very dark inside the cave and Grandpa sat down on the soft ground to get his breath back. And then it got darker as the cave door closed. Cave door? Caves don't have doors. But the light had gone out completely.

'Where am I?' thought Grandpa. Fortunately Grandpa had his mobile phone with him. No, he wasn't going to call anyone but his phone has a little torch in it. He shone the light on the soft ground and it looked like...well it didn't look like ground, it looked fleshy, like a huge tongue.

'A tongue!!! Oh no. Where am I?' thought Grandpa.

There was a passage leading back and Grandpa started to walk along it. 'I'll probably never get out of here,' thought Grandpa. 'But if I do, I think the kids will like this story.'

And then the cave started to move. It was moving upwards.

Whatever it was that Grandpa was inside, was going up and Grandpa found himself going down. Yes, he started to slide further down the passage. In fact it became so steep that sometimes Grandpa would roll down the passage. And it was really bumpy, like bony ribs on the walls of the passage.

This was a very long journey but eventually Grandpa reached the end of the passage. Ahead he could see a narrow opening and light. He squeezed through the opening and out into the daylight. He and the creature that he had thought was a cave were now high up a huge tree. And the creature was the biggest... 'No it couldn't be,' thought Grandpa. 'They just don't come this big. It can't be real. I must be dreaming. But in case I'm not, I think I'd better get a photo of this creature otherwise the kids will never swallow this story.'

Grandpa looked around to see if the other creature had gone. There was no sign of it. Cautiously, Grandpa climbed down the tree. The great creature he'd just come out of didn't seem to be aware of him.

On the ground, Grandpa crept back to where he'd dropped the camera and then went back to the tree. He decided against climbing the same tree again. The creature might notice him this time, so Grandpa climbed another tree and he took this photo.


Yes, it's true. Your Grandfather had been swallowed by a huge snake, maybe the biggest in the world, came out the other end and lived to tell the tale.

But Grandpa is not going back to Ayer Keroh Forest again. Never, ever, ever. Well, not unless all the grandchildren come with him too.

The End