-----------------------

This blogspot is a medium to share my thoughts and adventures apart from promoting my books. Below are the books which have been written or authored and published by myself.


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti".

ISBN 983-42031-0-1, Jun 2006


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal"

ISBN 983-42031-1-x, May 2007


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Sirih Pulang ke Gagang?"

ISBN 978-983-42031-2-2, November 2007


It is interesting to note that while these books were written in Malay it has gained enough attention to merit being part of the collections of the American Library of Congress and National Library of Australia. Look here and here.


While the first three books were published by my own company, the fourth titled "Rumah Azan" was published in April 2009 by a company called Karnadya with the help of the Malaysian national literary body Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. It features beautiful pictures along with stories behind selected mosques which could be related to the history of Islam and the Malays alongside the formation of the Malaysian nation. Look at the article A collaboration of old collegemates - the book "Rumah Azan".


My fifth book "Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and Malay Sultanates", an English translation and adaptation of the Malay book "Ahlul Bait (Keluarga) Rasulullah SAW dan Kesultanan Melayu" authored by Hj Muzaffar Mohamad and Tun Suzana Othman was published early 2010. Look here... My 5th book is out! Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and the Malay Sultanates... . For more information check out my Malay blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU.



Like my fourth book "Rumah Azan", the sixth book "Kereta Api Menuju Destinasi" is also a coffee-table book which is published by the company Karnadya with the cooperation of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (the main Malay literary body in Malaysia). Coming out January 2011 it features pictures and stories on the adventure travelling by train to all of Peninsular Malaysia along with the interesting places which could be reached this way.


My seventh book "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" in turn is a coffee-table book which is written, editted, designed and has pictures taken by me. Coming out of the factory October 2011, this book which combines family history with history of places such as Singapura, Johor, Batu Pahat, Muar and in fact the history of the island of Java and England has been reviewed with me interviewed live in the program Selamat Pagi Malaysia at RTM1. Look at the article Siaran langsung ulasan buku "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" dan temu ramah di Selamat Pagi Malaysia. Some selected contents have been featured in Sneak peek "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah".


-----------------------


The "Berpetualang ke Aceh" series of novels could be obtained in e-book form. Enter http://www.e-sentral.com/, click general novel and go to page 4. You can also type the word "Aceh" at the search box. Or click straight Book 1, Book 2 and Book 3.


Friday, November 06, 2009

Masjid Tanah, the mosque made from soil

Early October, after returning from a raya trip back to Muar I visited again the town of Masjid Tanah, Melaka where lies and old mosque which gives the place its name...


The words Masjid Tanah literally means the "soil mosque"... or mosque made from soil. Yes, this mosque was originally built using soil as its the main ingredient. This could be attested by a 'window' inside the mosque showing an untouched part from those days...

For me it is a very peaceful and tranquil place...











While this mosque is still used by some to conduct their prayers, nowadays it is kept mostly for history and prosperity. If I'm not mistaken it has been gazetted as a heritage building. Prayers now are mostly done at the main mosque in another part of town...





Here, let me present the following pictures without any more explanations ya. To know more about the mosque you can read the old article titled Asal usul nama (Origin of the name) Masjid Tanah in the blogspot SENI LAMA MELAYU (MALAY OLDEN ART) . Cheers! :]




























Thursday, November 05, 2009

'Ngeteh' session at Viccudha Damansara Utama...

Alhamdulillah, all thanks to God. Since I've started keeping back in touch with my old 'A' level collegemates, we have had a number of little reunions, some of it 'ngeteh' session. For the record, 'ngeteh' is our word for a drinking session... no, not beer, nothing like that, at least not anymore. It's just the usual rounds of harmless and non-intoxicating (in its usual sense although some might argue otherwise) teh tarik, coffee and such made meaningful when done by old friends who mostly got to know each other some 21 years ago and only recently started to meet again.

Earlier tonight we had one such 'ngeteh' session at the Viccudha (I hope I spelt this right) restaurant just around 200 metres or so from what used to be our old college. I'm so glad I could come to this one after missing a previous recent meet in Seremban which is just too far away for me to go to when I have a still-recovering wife and a newborn baby to attend too.

OK. I went to this 'ngeteh' session thinking I don't have to take pictures anymore as I've taken a number in the last few meets and featured it at my blogspots. Then it dawned on me, regardless of how many meets we have had, each and every one is unique in itself and deserved to be shared at least for the sake of prosperity for everyone. However I only took 3 pictures and 2 of it quite similar in position and composition. Luckily our friend Shukor @ Utoi took more using his camera phone and quickly posted it on Facebook. So I nicked some to feature it along with the last 2 pictures taken by me ya. Do have a look...



This one must have been taken before I arrived. It seems Rashes @ Nik Rashidi (on the right) came straight from his office somewhere mid-town Kuala Lumpur to catch this meet and Mirul @ Amirul (on the left) obliged by being one of the early birds.


Utoi @ Shukor (in red) has to come earlier, that is by 8 pm because he's the one suggesting this meet. The guy works in Pulau Pinang (I don't like to use the Anglicised word Penang) and is having some sort of training workshop in town.



I don't know when Topek @ Taufiq Khalid (left) came. Funny enough, he is a partner in a lawyer firm of which Mirul is now a temporary employee, he said. Yep, Topek, Mirul and Rashes used to stay in the same dorm as me while Utoi was in the same class...




That's me in the middle, arriving at around 9.30 pm. A few minutes later Nam @ Tajul Aznam (in black) came into the picture...



Luckily Utoi took these pictures. Otherwise I won't have a single picture with me in it...




Then came Adik (on the right). Hmm... his real name is Shamsul Rizal or something like that right? He also used to stay in the same dorm as us in 51 C. Have a look at the article...

Have a look also at these old articles...

While I'm at it, might as well also put these following links too as Utoi and me came from the class. And he was also involved in staging the same drama...

This is a sample of Nam's famous nuts, the kacang salut hehe! It seems he has been doing a brisk business with this. Mat Dag @ Nizam plays the hand model. He actually ordered 10 packets for this meet! I can't remember whether Mat Dag came before Adik or later...



Anyway, we all had a good time recalling the good old days while sharing our latest developments, career, family and personal-wise. It seems that a number of us have not been "paying our water bills". Be carefull, too much water retention up the head and you can suffer from encaphilitis, hehe!

(Aku pun main bantai daaa. Yang aku tau satu jenis encaphilits yang kepala jadi kembang beso semacam tu je... still double meaning aaa. Kepala mana yang kembang tu, hehe...)



Here, let me recall again the names or rather nicknames of those who attended... minus Rashes who had to return earlier to his home in Kelang. Counter clockwise from the most right is Adik followed by Mirul, Topek, Nam, Utoi and Mat Dag. You might also like to read articles on our collegemates previous meets. Here are the links, good night! :]

An A Level ad-hoc reunion at Pelita Jalan Ampang...

A reunion which lasted well into the wee hours...

3rd A Level Batch 7 reunion / Hari Raya festive do in Bangi...


Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Looking for a tomb at a scenic bay in Kuala Linggi..

Here's another set of pictures from my month of August travelling file waiting for the story to be told...


One fine evening me and wife went to this scenic bay in Kuala Linggi, Melaka, near the state of Negeri Sembilan's coastal border...


We came here to look for the tomb of an olden person said to be a saintly figure...

He is known simply as Tok Bali...


Now, among the many Muslim graves here, only the one with the blue walls looks outstanding. Is this the one?



We went to have a closer look...




A grave flanked by another which could belong to the wife seemed to fit the description given by a local. But I don't remember her talking about any grave of a child...





So we went around looking for another suitable candidate...






Nah. Can't find anything that seemed to fit. So we started heading back for the car...







That's went we noticed this rather prominent grave or tomb, the one closest to the entrance to this cemetery area. Luckily there were locals passing by outside and we managed to verify. It is indeed the tomb of the said Tok Bali. That's all! :]