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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.


Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Remembering the "A" Level college days. The disco circuit of those days... and the girls




Back to the remembering process. The last article on the matter Remembering the "A" Level college days. Start of the disco fun and girls... talks about my first disco day in that college. It was in the first weekend after we moved to Damansara and it immediately became a regular fixture for us youngsters. Every weekend night practically became disco night. In fact every Saturday and Sunday nights plus any night before and during public holidays, we would rush to our favourite discos.

If in the the last article, I only talked about the one called Scandals at KL Plaza, soon the list included such celebrated places like Faces in Jalan Ampang and then the newly-opened (new in 1988 or 1989 that is) Phase II at Jalan Tun Razak, which is practically Faces phase II. While I couldn't remember if I have ever been to the Tin Mine, a well-known upper-class disco inside a hotel, I don't think I ever really need to check it out it as I understand the patrons where mostly middle-age VIPS looking to chase sweet-young-things especially local celebrities actresses and singers, fashion models and stewardess. Never mind, I had my fair share of encounter with such SYTs in other discos especially in Scandals. But let me just continue this piece with what I can recall from the disco days ya.

OK. In Remembering the "A" Level college days. Start of the disco fun and girls... , my first disco day was started with a girl called Az. While she continued to be a close girlfriend who accompanied me to many places for at least another month, I began to develop (again) the appetite for having many partners. Now, I can't remember everything off the cuff but I do remember having a number of liasons with other girls from the same college. Sometimes I would go the discos accompanied by any of these girls. Sometime I would practically go alone and meet the college girls at the discos where we normally hit on immediately after a game of deep staring from across the floor to get us up in the mood.

The supply of girls increased dramatically when our juniors entered college sometime in 1989. You see my batch totalled about 200 only while the next batch, Batch 8 had more than 400 students and majority of them were girls... sweet young things who tends to come to class fully attired with high heels and matching hand-bags. By then I already had a rather huge reputation for getting my way with girls. Having the juniors around just upped the stakes to a whole new level.

God Lord, it's been a long time since I tried to remember this. For many years I was so proud that I could simply pick a SYT from across the floor just by playing with eye signals and body language. Then some time later all these memories became something I would like to forget and burn out of my skull because of what happened during a later relationship. You see despite the fact that I was succesful in getting many SYTs to lodge cosily under my armpit, the fact is when it comes to actual love relationship, I was a total failure. Maybe because I was not disciplined enough to last the actual mile of developing a real meaningful relationship.

Yes, I was shallow in wanting only things of beauty which would last only for a little while before I got bored, before the thirst for the next conquest developed. But never mind, I'm digressing. Let's just say, judged in terms of having fun like what most youngsters would want, I had a hell of a good time. Like I said, I had my fair share of encountering SYTs who were local celebrities, models and such. And by the word encounter, I mean it's not just me admiring them from afar, but us getting close enough to fit the description of a scandal. Again I digress, between trying to remember what happened then as a way of opening up certain parts of me that seemed to be lost over the last two decades, against the more conservative me now who have realised and felt really bad for the amount of mistake and sins I've made.

OK, for the sake of writing this article and keeping up to the sub-title "The disco circuit of those days...", let me just add a few more memories. So I've mentioned Scandals, Faces and then the later opened Phase II. Then there's DV8 in Petaling Jaya, I've forgotten where it was and the house disco at PJ Hilton. Later there's also 11 LA in Lebuh Ampang and the few discos which I have forgotten the names in Jalan Pinang. Back then, the area known as Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) was still a horse racing track.

Whichever disco we go to, and we do go up to 7 discos in one night, it tends to end at the basement disco in the Merlin Hotel (now Concorde where the Hard Rock Cafe is situated years later). Hah, now I remember another favourite disco, the Traxx inside a certain building at Jalan Ampang. Anyway, the basement disco in Merlin was called Reflections if I remember correctly. We tend to end the day (or rather the night) there because as far as we know, it is the only respectable disco in town which opens up to 7am, sometimes 8am.

Now on the favourite spots inside the discos. I can't remember much except the favourite spots at Phase II and the one in Scandals. Hmm... let me start with Scandals. Oh, by the way our (me and my guys) like to go to discos known for its middle and upper-class patronage and the music tends to be soulful, RnB with a tinge of jazz and the discos mentioned so far met the criteria.

Scandals had this winding staircase inside leading to a platform where the DJ plays his music. It is among the darkest area providing room for 'private' matters. On the platform were a few chairs and this is a favourite place for me to spend 'quality' time with the girls.

Phase II had a similar staircase connecting it to a sister pub called Patio if I remember correctly. While other parts of the disco and the pub tend to be sardine-packed, the area under the stairs provided relief and enough space for me to enjoy proper liasons.

I think that should be enough details spilled out. Oh, forgot to tell, my favourite activity at the discos was to dance, at the dance-floor of course. Being students, we don't spend much on drinks. As we already had to pay a cover charge of between RM15 to RM20 per head at each disco (except when there's special occasion or the night is late enough and there's no need to pay for entry anymore) entitling us to a drink, we tend to just hang on to that drink for hours. A normal routine I remembered was to hang at the tables with the drinks as we eyed the crowd. This was normally when I look for potential 'victims'. Upon the slightest opportunity, I would try to lock my eyes on the eyes of the sweet thing of the moment. If she is available, then we exchanged signals before getting near and actual conversation ensued. Then it's time to pull them to the dance-floor for the mating ritual to fully kick in before we head for the more private spots, in the disco or later outside.

With that I end this piece. Cheers all. If any of you remember me from those days, please forgive whatever bad thing's I've done. Thanks! :]



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