BERPETUALANG KE ACEH: Taman Nurani, Garden of the Heart

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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.

Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Taman Nurani, Garden of the Heart

Peace be upon you all. Something from last weekend...

Saturday 5th January 11am I went to the Petronas Gallery at KLCC to attend a function.

A new art exhibition has just started and I was invited along with a number of bloggers to be shown around by the curator.

The curator is Prof Dr Muliyadi Mahamood from UiTM's Faculty of Art & Design. The exhibition is called Taman Nurani which could be translated as Garden of the Heart.

Muliyadi said the works displayed were chosen from Petronas catalogs which contains thousands. Of these, just over a hundred were deemed relevant to the theme and these were shortlisted to 56 pieces. The exhibition covers works done from as early as 1969 to the present day.

OK. I have been invited to a number of art exhibitions before including at the Petronas Gallery. But I was never much of an art person. So my appreciation might be cursory.

Still I had my own fun interpreting things to my own satisfaction. For example these pieces titled "Voyage" (if I remember correctly) might imply the artiste' personal voyage in soul-searching. But it reminds me instead of islands floating in the air as in the movie "Avatar".

There came to a point that I just could not concentrate anymore. You see I was attending a seminar at Pusat Islam (the Islamic centre besides the National Mosque) which to me talks about much more important things, among it the real status of Islam under the constitution which is very very important especially under the present onslaught of certain people who are trying to demean its position. But since I've said yes to the invitation to this art function, I had to leave in the middle of a very interesting talk among many...

The talk was made by a former National Chief Judge, Tun Dato' Seri Ahmad Fairuz. Between hearing out a person of such prominence talking about topics dear to me and spending time with some bloggers and artworks which should I prefer?

You see I've started a loose organisation called HIKMAH which is trying to achieve the same aim of putting Islam up at its right pedestal. The organisation might only be 3 months old but it is already in the midst of setting up its 3rd function coming soon in Lumut, hopefully to be graced by the Sultan of Perak. Refer to the blogspot Himpunan Kedaulatan Melayu Islam Akhir Zaman (HIKMAH).

At times I felt like just leaving this gallery to rush back to Pusat Islam if not for the fact that I'm still a decent person trying to respect an invitation. Then I calmed myself down in the name of almighty Allah and submerged myself to the dictation of fate as He detemined...

I started feeling nice about the gallery and the artwork.

Mind you I could appreciate this much better alone and not when I'm in the middle of trying to stomach something I felt more important.

So there you have it, Taman Nurani, Garden of the Heart... or rather my take on it based on the situation then. The exhibition is open to anyone until middle of February if I'm not mistaken.