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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, November 04, 2014

The big tree which used to be my favourite playground



At another suburb of Muar town I felt a strong urge to have a close look at a big tree.


I wanted to make sure is this the one I used to regularly climb up when I was 12...


It's hard to tell from afar as it has been 32 years ago. What I do know, the tree is close to the old colonial bungalow shown in the first picture.



The location looks right but I remembered it slightly different. There were no other tree of this size besides. Then I saw a big branch which brought up some clear memories.



Ah yes. This is the one. Me and friends used to climb up to the base of this branch. Then we practically ran all the way to the end where there used to be a vine good for swinging.



It's just they have cleared most of the growths around and then fenced the tree outside the compound of the bungalow. That is probably why at first I found it hard to connect with the memory.






I had to spend sometime examining it from all angles before I could confidently say this is the big tree which used to be my favourite playground. For the record this is the 1,300th article in this blogspot.. :]









A nostalgic look at my old primary school in Muar

This is some sort of continuation from The 'secret' wedding in Pontian....


After the wedding in Pontian I returned home to Selangor only to rush down south again Sunday morning to settle an official matter in Muar. The following day, while waiting for the matter to be resolved I drove around the suburbs. Coming across my old primary school I decided to check it out.


As it turned out they have shifted the gates to another location about 100-150 metres to the east. For the record the buildings here used to be shared by two schools, one known as Ismail 1, another as Ismail 2. Mine was Ismail 2. Now the buildings are left to only Ismail 1.


Still, it is the same premise and they still have old buildings from the time I first studied here nearly 40 years ago.



I still remember the meeting hall well.



At one part there used to be a big glass cabinet containing a number of stuff animals. If I remember correctly there used to a stuffed sun bear and leopard among others. Those were the catches made by a previous headmaster, a Briton who was an avid hunter.


The back part of the hall.



Time to have a look at the classrooms. This is a new building.


It is the old ones the gave me fond memories.






Hah. This used to be my first class, the one I entered in Standard 1 in 1977, the class called 1 Serindit.


I used to regularly climb the roof of the hallways and jumped down. Yep, I was one of the hyper-active kids.


I wanted to check out my later classes. But as it turned out most have been demolished to make way for new buildings...





The 'secret' wedding in Pontian...



It has been said in the article At Kuala Linggi with college old friends that me and some old college friends visited a number of places en-route to another friend's wedding. Well, on Saturday afternoon we met the friend in Batu Pahat and then accompanied him and family to Pontian for the wedding.





For certain reasons I have to conceal his face and that of family members who could make him recognisable.



The wedding which is his second one has to be kept a secret at least for a few months.






Only some people are allowed to know and they have been reminded to keep it a secret to others. A pix of the old friends. All of us used to stay in the same room 26 years ago except one.



Me posing too...


On with the bride and groom. We could share stories about the wedding, just don't say who got married, hehe... :]





Looking for the island called Pulau Sialu

Continued from Batu Pahat river mouth.


Next I walked south feeling my way for a certain purpose.





I want to look for an island called Pulau Sialu. It should be somewhere around here.









At this juncture I've walked for nearly half a kilometre with no island in sight.



So I went further south or rather south-west until I caught sight of what could be the island,



But I could only see half of it. You cannot verify that is an island just on sight... for all you know it could a peninsular of sort.



It is hard to negotiate around the waterfront due to the steepness of the stone face. So I have to cut through the nearby hill...









I walked until I reached an opening to the waters...






There. At last I could confirm this is the island called Pulau Sialu...





Batu Pahat river mouth



Close to the 'beach' you can see a bay of sort...



It is actually the place where the Batu Pahat river flows into the open waters of the Straits of Melaka.



The actual river mouth is not so wide.



Zooming in...



But the way the land around extends make the river mouth looks this wide...