Dubai Reflections 1980s

Tonferns Handicrafts - Tractor Trailer

Just Plain Nostalgia of Monte

  

JUST PLAIN NOSTALGIA - Remembering the good old school days at Monte.

Late in the fifties, an orphanage was added to the school, with separate accommodation for about 15 to 20 pupils down on the west side of the hill, consisting of a small building that was located adjacent to the old well and pump-house near the football grounds. I believe it was later moved up to another place near the monastery on the top of the hill and the old structure abandoned.

During our final days at Monte, my classmates and I stood by and watched the new huge 3-floored building gradually rise on the northern side of the chapel, supervised by the Principal, Fr. Pacificus. Other general improvements were made too during this time. In the late 1950's there was a sudden rise in the number of boarders due to the school's popularity and good standard. There was an increase in the numbers of boarders, especially whose parents worked in East Africa and the Arabian Gulf. The class-rooms were almost bursting at the seams, each class with nearly 4 divisions, and each division having nearly 30 to 35 students. So a remarkable and ambitious temporary project was launched in order to accommodate this sudden rise while the new concrete building was getting ready. It was the construction of a giant thatched hall with wooden uprights and large bamboo poles - with over 8 classrooms on the eastern side of the main building. It had wooden partitions and a long common passage to enter the class rooms. I remember the roof leaked a little bit in several places during heavy rains, but that was taken in stride! I studied my Std.III and Std.IV there before moving to the original main building. Today a beautiful and modern structure stands in its place as seen in the photograph here. Also is a picture of the orphanage in ruins, the ground level water storage tank, the pump engine moorings and the well taken in the year 2012.

Lightning in Dubai

Lightning in Dubai 

Captured on Kodak Film

Series of time exposures

Setting on 'T'

Technique: Open shutter

Lens cap: 'On' and 'Off' momentarily and at intervals

during a lightning storm.

Pictures taken from "Tax Free Centre" Bldg. where we lived.

Far in the distance: the majestic Dubai World Trade Centre.

Left: the Indian High School & India Club.

Right: Al Nasr Club.

Foreground: Vacant lot used as parking space & old go-kart race track

35mm film, Nikon FM2 SLR Camera.

Goa, Going, Gone

Waltzing with the Cars

'Waltzing with the Cars' Dubai - U.A.E.

A series of time exposures by Tony Fernandes - Yuletide 1996 - Cars leaving the improvised parking lot after the mid-night Mass at St. Mary's Church, near which we lived at the time.

Far in the distance: the majestic Dubai World Trade Centre.
Left: the Indian High School & India Club.
Right: Al Nasr Club.
Foreground: Vacant lot used as parking space & old go-kart race track
35mm film, Nikon FM2 SLR Camera.

Chapels of Goa, India

Nossa Senhora de Candelaria
(Our Lady of Candles)

Porvorim, Bardez, Goa. India.

(Near Dr. Pinto do Rosario Maternity Clinic)
Feast Day : 2nd February

Life in the Emirates

During my early days in this region, seven Sheikdoms formed what was then known as the Trucial States of Oman – a British protectorate until 1971. After that a beautiful nation known as the United Arab Emirates was born. Pic 1: Ruler's Palace, Abu Dhabi, 1969. Pic.2: Left: Sheikha Latifa Bldg, on Bani Yas Street, Deira, 1969. Dubai Petroleum Co. had its offices in this bldg. Right: Hassani Supermarket bldg. Background: Jashanmal & Sons. Pic 3. Deira Corniche 1969. Music Centre: Sole agents for the famous B&O (Bang & Olufsen of Denmark) next to Riviera Restaurant. Background: Carlton Hotel.

Vinyl Record from a Music Shop in Byculla, Mumbai, India. 1978

Nostalgic Memorabilia. Spinning on a JVC turntable in this video is a 33 1⁄3 rpm, 12" Long-play Warner Bros Vinyl Record, purchased in 1978 from a music shop in Byculla, Bombay (now Mumbai) of Canadian Singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot singing 'Daylight Katy'. Manufactured and distributed by the Gramophone Co.of India. Calcutta (now Kolkata) India.

TonFerns Daylight Saving Time Dial

'TonFerns' Creations

Sony Radio CRF-160

Sony Radio CRF-160
13-Band Transistor Radio LW/MW/FM/SW


Purchased and used in Dubai 1970, still in working condition. The inside of the front cover of this radio features a world map and time zone conversion wheel. Received crystal clear radio reception of programs broadcasts by Radio Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) Short Wave 19 metre and 31 metre bands. So was FM reception from ARAMCO, Dhahran.

The Sony CRF-160 is a double conversion, analog display 13 band receiver that covers long wave (150-400 kHz), medium wave and ten shortwave bands. It also receives the FM band. The shortwave bands include:  1.6-4.5, 4.7-5.3, 5.8-6.4, 7-7.6, 9.5-10.1, 11.6-12.2, 15-15.6, 17.5-18.1, 21.4-22 and 25.5-26.1 MHz. The 3 x 6 inch speaker delivers full sound. It features separate Bass, Treble controls, dial lamp, Signal meter, and wide-narrow selectivity. It comes with a removable protective front cover that features a world map and time zone conversion wheel.

Operates from AC, six D cells or external 9 VDC. Jacks include:  earphone and record output

Citroen CV12

CITROEN

Model CV12a

Automotive marvel of Yesteryear

 Hand-crafted from 1/8" thick plywood.

 Scale: 1:16

by Tony Fernandes

Ball's Falls - The Old Water-powered Flour Mill

Ball's Falls Thanksgiving Festival

Ball's Falls Thanksgiving Festival

Ball's Falls Jordan, Ontario

Ball's Falls Thanksgiving Festival 2018