BERPETUALANG KE ACEH

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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, April 08, 2011

Al-Rasyid going around Pak Habib's place

Continued from The hillside resort called Saufiville

The next day I went to the house of the political writer S. H. Alattas also known as Pak Habib.

Like at Saufiville I brought along the wife, our almost a year-and-a-half old baby Al-Rasyid and a friend.

There has been many additions to this place since I last stayed here early 2005. For the record I used to bunk at one of the houses from 2002...

Suddenly I found baby Al-Rasyid sitting in a reflective mode staring down at the river.

Why, he looked like a character from the Japanese Manga comics!

Here he's staring at one of the older parts of Pak Habib's gardens.

Despite one time falling out with Pak Habib who is my foster father, I must admit that I still enjoy walking in his gardens. Look at these old articles...

Janda Baik, again!

My latest trip to Janda Baik and the number 22222!

Janda Baik revisited again...

Janda Baik my resting place

Thursday, April 07, 2011

The hillside resort called Saufiville

Greeting earthlings. I'm going to start a new series in my Malay blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU soon based on my most recent trip to the East Coast made at the end of 2010. As usual this blogspot will host some supporting articles. But before that let me make a number of articles based on my 2-3 most recent trips, small trips that is...

Nearly 2 weeks ago I went again to the highlands area called Janda Baik in Pahang. This time I also went up to this bungalow.

Now, the bungalow itself might not look so remarkable. What is remarkable to me are the vistas hinted by this picture taken at one side.

To really know what I mean you'd better get inside first. Oh, by the way this bungalow is actually a small hill resort owned by private individuals and it is called the Saufiville.

As you walked inside to get outside towards the pool, the superb view available begans to unfold.

A look to the right.

A look ahead.

A look to the right.

I've first savoured the views here while walking around exploring the hillside sometime in 2005 if I remember correctly. Back then the resort was under construction and I thought it was meant to be a house of the owner/owners of a nearby vegetable plantation.

When it was completed I still thought it was just a private home. Then I was invited to a wedding up here. That's when I found out it is a resort. Well... it's probably originally intended to be a private home, and then the owners realised it has the potential to be turned into a resort. Look at the article A wedding on top a hill in Janda Baik made end of 2009.

For one this is the highest located building in Janda Baik. And the whole of Janda Baik is already located quite high up the hills.

I must say this place provides the best overall views in Janda Baik I've seen so far. Kudos to the owners... :]

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

The 'Merong' northern trip compiled

OK, I should have done this right after the "Mencari jejak Merong" (finding the trails of Merong, an ancient legendary Malay king) series in the blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU was finished 31st March. After all most of the articles in this blogspot the last 3 months were made to support the storytelling of the series based upon a northern trip me and family made during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan last year. As usual after finishing a series I would provide articles compiling the relevant links in this and that blogspots. But I've forgotten to do one here immediately and today let me make amends...

1. Sungai Kerian, the natural border between Perak and Kedah

2. The south-east rural road to Kulim

3. The unique mosque at Sidam Kiri revisited

4. Tomb of Daeng Parani revisited

5. Revisiting the tomb of Tok Soh

6. Going through Sungai Petani

7. Mencari jejak Merong - Perjalanan ke utara pun dibuka...

8. The trip up Gunung (mount) Jerai

9. The superb views from on top of Gunung Jerai

10. The well of Tok Sheikh

11. Bringing the family to the place designated as Padang (field of) Tok Sheikh

12. Mencari jejak Merong - Keistimewaan Gunung Jerai

13. Night visit to Masjid (mosque of) Zahir

14. Mencari jejak Merong - Pokok besar, Alor Setar dan surau tepi kubur

15. Around the national border at Bukit Kayu Hitam

16. The town of Sadao

17. First time in Hatyai with the family

18. Mencari jejak Merong - Melihat 'masyid' ke Hatyai

19. Walking with the family in Hatyai

20. The Thai side of Padang Besar

21. Mencari jejak Merong - Dari Hatyai ke Perlis Indera Kayangan...

22. The ostrich farm in Perlis

23. The road from Padang Besar to Kangar

24. The lake called Timah Tasoh

25. Timah Tasoh at its 'source'

26. A quick look at the town of Kangar

27. Kuala Perlis, the town at the estuary of the Perlis river

28. The tomb of Maharaja Khadi Abdul Jalil in Jitra revisited

29. Mencari jejak Merong : Kesan yang ditinggalkan di Perlis?

30. The old mosque at Langgar revisited

31. Revisiting the Kedah royal mausoleum in Langgar

32. Mencari jejak Merong : Sheikh Abdul Qadir Shah Alirah, Sultan Siam-Kedah atau Sultan Perlak, kerajaan lama Aceh?

33. Mencari jejak Merong : Sekitar Bukit Pinang ke Jitra... tempat Raja Bersiong?

34. The limestone hill called Gunung Keriang

35. Around Alor Setar

36. Mencari jejak Merong : Gunung Keriang... bayangan kerajaan Aceh di Kedah?

37. The Kedah river from the Kuala Kedah fort

38. Passing through Kuala Sala

39. Pulau (island of) Bunting at Yan, Kedah

40. Mencari jejak Merong : Dari Kuala Kedah ke Yan

41. Merbok river mouth at Tanjung Dawai revisited

42. Mencari jejak Merong : Betul ke candi di Lembah Bujang menghadap kiblat?

43. Pantai Merdeka at night

44. Mencari jejak Merong : Sultan Muzaffar Shah I Kedah... betulkah baginda juga adalah Merong Mahawangsa?

45. Going around Georgetown in Pulau Pinang

46. Crossing the Pulau Pinang bridge

47. Mencari jejak Merong : Lebuh Aceh dan faktor 555 di Pulau Pinang

48. The river view at Juru

49. Views from the jetty to Pulau Aman

50. Mencari jejak Merong : Juru apa entah dan pulau yang aman

51. A visit to Bukit Merah Laketown Resort

52. Revisiting the Gunung Semanggol mosque

53. Mencari jejak Merong : Bukit Merah, Gunung Semanggol dan makam laksamana sebagai penutup

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Revisiting the Gunung Semanggol mosque

Continued from A visit to Bukit Merah Laketown Resort.

After Bukit Merah we went to the nearby small town of Gunung Semanggol. Here lies a small mosque which I liked to stop at whenever I passed this area.

Actually I stopped by after bringing the wife and baby around to see a number of places around Gunung Semanggol.

As dusk approached we need to take a break from all the travelling.

Remember it was the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan. After a whole daytime of abstaining from drinks and food apart from other things we were obliged to break the fast at dusk.

So might as well break our fast here apart from taking a rest.

Anyway here's a look inside the mosque after dusk.

I took this picture after the Maghrib (after dusk) congregational prayer.

There. A look outside during the dark. For information this is the last article in this blogspot about the northern trip made during the Muslim fasting month in the year 2010.

A visit to Bukit Merah Laketown Resort

Peace be upon you all. Today the 31st of March 2011 it's time to bring the curtain on the northern trip stories. For that I need to make a few articles starting with this. Come... :]

From the jetty to Pulau Aman we headed towards the North-South highway (see Views from the jetty to Pulau Aman). We took the highway down south until an exit in Perak leading to small road.