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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.


Thursday, January 05, 2012

The river Babalan at Pengkalan Brandan

Continued from Walking at the market area of Pengkalan Brandan.


From the market area we approached a water front.


For the record Pengkalan Brandan is situated close to a river called Babalan.


Here's a look downriver.


A look across.


A look to the left or upriver.


But I actually wanted to have a look from a particular jetty which I've visited more than 7 years ago.


I soon found it located 100-200 metres upriver from the water front previously seen.



But the jetty itself has been dismantled. For a better view I have to pass through someone's hut and hop onto this boat.



Now I could see better. A look to the right or downriver.



A look across.


A look upriver...



Walking at the market area of Pengkalan Brandan

Returning to the Medan-Banda Aceh trip of November 2-13th, 2011. Continuing from Aidil Adha eve at the famed Al-Mashun mosque of Medan.


The trip then took us to Pengkalan Brandan, a town 75 km away north-west of Medan.


After having a good rest at the local rest house we decided to take a walk around town.


It was Wednesday 9th November 2011.


I wanted to show the wife the route I've taken once in this town more than 7 years ago as I walked following my heart without knowing where I was headed to. A look to the right as I crossed a small bridge.


A look ahead.



A look to the left. Pengkalan Brandan is predominantly a Muslim town but here you can still see two churces in the background.


Making a right turn further ahead we soon came into the market area.


Not far from here is an area which I consider as among the most interesting in town.


What area is that? I would continue in the next article. Meanwhile just have a look at this less busy part of the market area ya... :]






Sunday, January 01, 2012

Boat trip to Riau from Johor

OK. For the past few days I've started a new series at my main blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU. It is based on my latest long trip, one that covered most of the state of Johor and included forays into the island republic of Singapura or Singapore on to the Riau archipelago in Indonesia made December 10-18. The main stories are posted in-between another series which is currently running, the one on the Medan to Banda Aceh trip of November 2-13. As usual supporting stories are made in my other blogspots and here is the first for this one.


The trip started when we left home for Melaka early Saturday morning 10th December 2011. Then we spent the night in Muar and left for Pontian in the afternoon entering Singapura in the evening. After spending a night in the island we reentered Malaysia via Woodlands to Johor Bahru. At 5 pm we took a boat or ferry to Riau and here's where this story starts.


A look to the east from the jetty at Stulang Laut.


That's the wife and our 2-year-old son inside the boat.


After a time I went up the rooftop.


By then we were passing the port of Pasir Gudang.


These are pictures taken as I turned around anti-clockwise.




To the left of the boat is what looks like an uninhabited part of Singapura, I don't know which.




Further on we passed Singapura's smaller island of Pulau Ubin.


I know this for sure after having studied the route taken by the boat in maps. And Pulau (island of) Ubin could be recognised by the presence of security fences all along its visible coast.


Here we were approaching what could be Pulau Tekong, another of Singapura's smaller island... much bigger than Pulau Ubin.


Oh. Forgot to tell you the waters between Singapura and Johor is called Selat (straits of) Tebrau. To our right is still part of Johor.


As I understand it at this juncture we were veering southeast to head south of Pulau Tekong, a part of water inside the borders of Singapura flanked by the main island. I could say for sure that to our right as seen here is the mouth of very wide Johor river. And the hills seen lie at a place called Belungkor.


Here we were already south of Pulau Tekong.


To the left could be seen the tower of Changi airport, on furthest east of Singapura's main island.


As we left the waters of Pulau Tekong we could see a hill which I know to be located at Tanjung Pengelih, within the Kota Tinggi district of Johor.


There seemed to be thriving port facilities off its coast.


Much later we were passing through the waters off the Indonesian island of Pulau Batam. See the sun about to set? That should clearly tell this picture to the left of the boat is taken facing the west.


Batam is one of the islands of the Riau archipelago.


But our target is the bigger Riau island called Pulau Bentan. And here we could see it to our left. But the port we would embark at was still more than an hour away...