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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".


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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, May 20, 2016

Sungai Pahang before Chenor water festival 2016 part II



About 200 metres downstream lies the main jetty of Chenor old town.


I understand the water activities or rather water sports lined up for the water festival is centred around here.


Looking ahead and across one could see a long sandbank indicating the water level was indeed lower than normal.





Thank God the water along banks besides the old town is much deeper. So the organisers can be rest assured that the festival can be held up to its full original intent, God willing...





Sungai Pahang before Chenor water festival 2016 part I



I've said that the Chenor old town is situated along and close to the Pahang river. So here's looking at the river.





Since the annual water festival was scheduled to be held on 14-15 May 2016 there were concerns that the water level might be too low to conduct waters activities like boat race and such, This is due to the extreme dry season which has ravaged many parts of Peninsular Malaysia the last 2-3 months. Then again it has been raining cats and dogs in many places the last 2-3 days...





From what I can see the water level looks good enough. While I noticed that it was lower than what I know (or assume?) to be normal it should be sufficient to conduct all the scheduled activities, God willing...


Around the water festival at Chenor old town



To close the day's activities I went to Chenor old town to check the happenings there.


I had late lunch at local stall then a nap at small town's old mosque. It was after 3.30pm that I started to really have a close look around.


Stalls were abound selling all sorts of goods.








For the record they were preparing for an event called Pesta Air Chenor, the water festival of Chenor.




















The old town is situated along and close to the Pahang river.




















List of activities. The festival was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday 14-15 May. But I came to check the going-ons on Friday as I must return home to attend a function in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday...





Kampung Bunian at Chenor, the elfin village?



Next I went to Chenor about 30 km east of Temerloh to look at the preparations for a certain festival there. On the way to old town Chenor there is a place called Kampung (village of) Bunian. I have been curious about it for some time and decided to have a look.


You see, Bunian is a Malay word referring to supernatural creatures much live elves in English and European folklores. They are reported to live in another dimension which could not bee seen by humans being but could be accessed by those with knowledge.


However there are many stories about of people accidently entering the Bunian world and spending time before they were returned to the normal world. The stories always mention the existence of Kampung Bunian. which could literally be translated village of the elves!


So how do you expect a Malay like me to react when there is a place officially called Kampung Bunian in Chenor? I have passed the entry point a number of times on the way to Chenor old town but this is the first time I decided to explore.


What I found was large tracts of plantations and few houses situated quite far from each other. It is only when I reached a part closing in on Chenor new town that the houses are situated close to each other.


Anyway I entered via a small rural road but came out from another road closer to new Chenor.



Not satisfied I ventured in again to catch the following pictures...








Temerloh signboard and the current extended sandbank...



Going further south I finally arrived at the place I wanted to visit most for the day.





Situated right across the town of Temerloh it is probably the place most pronounced as being affected by extreme dry season of the last 2-3 months.





By right the sand should all by under water, under normal circumstances that is.


But the extreme dry season had caused the Pahang river to dry up at many places to the extent that the locals could built resting huts at parts which are situated close to the middle of the river on normal days...


Still there seems to be plenty of water around.


I say this because in the previous 2-3 weeks I've seen pictures on Facebook taken at angles that seemed to imply that the Pahang river had totally dried up at these parts...


Well yes, I could see water level is down but to say the river has totally dried up? That is quite an exaggeration.


Then again I came when it has rained heavily the last 2-3 days.


So the effect of extreme season might not be as pronounced as it was days before that. For the record the normal water level should be at the foot of the green green grass...