Two weeks ago, a lecturer at the Tengku Ampuan Afzan teaching institute in Kuala Lipis, Pahang invited me to put up a stall at the institute to promote my books. He asked if I could attend from 20-24th October as there's was an upcoming event involving people from teaching institutes all over Malaysia.
This lecturer is a big fan of my "Berpetualang ke Aceh" trilogy of novels. He wanted to help me promote the books, so after verifying my schedule for the affected time-frame, I decided to come but only for one day, on Wednesday 22 Oct...
So there I was arriving just before 9am. After attending a function at Kampung Baru the previous evening where I was also asked to promote my books, I immediately head for Raub to sleep at my late grandmother's place. The next morning, I rushed to Kuala Lipis and set up the stall.
Too bad the location of the stall which was at the institute's cafetaria proved to be a poor choice. Later did I learned that there was a miscommunication between the lecturer who invited me and another lecturer who actually laid out this spot. You see, the first lecturer already informed his colleagues and students that I would be coming. It's just that I was supposed to set up stall at another place, closer to the on-goings. Too bad, he had to go to Melaka and was not around.
Instead, the other lecturer who was supposed to assist me in his absence thought the cafetaria would be the main centre of attraction... in-between the on-going events, that is. As it turned out, the people were converging by the numbers elsewhere.
Never mind, at least there's some who passed this way. Some did have a look at the books (and the DVD, I also brought my recently self-published "Sekitar Perjanjian Pangkor 1874" or "Around the Pangkor Treaty of 1874" DVDs) and grabbed a few. Otherwise, I would have been reduced to being a complete fool waiting at some non-event...
Logistically and economically, it was a bad trip for me. Imagine having to attend a function in Kuala Lumpur until evening then rushing to Raub some 110km away after escaping the madness of Kelang Valley traffic jam only by 9pm. Then the next morning, I had to rush another 70km to get to this teaching institute only to set up a stall with not much people in sight.
As it is, the following morning, I have to be back in the Kelang Valley, in Petaling Jaya to deliver a speech on being Malay and what it means... So I didn't have much rest in between. But yet, I drove to Kuala Lipis because I respected the first lecturer's efforts to help promote my books and his invitation.
Miscommunications, logistics and economics aside, visiting the institute has its good points. At least it proved my commitment and words. When I say I would do something, I would do it regardless of the obstacles and rewards. And at least ammenities such as the bridge above made the trip rather worthwhile...
There... how often do you find a hanging pedestrian bridge like this, much less in a teaching institute?
A look at another part of the institute...
Parts of it look like a hill resort...
And here's the lobby to the main office. That's all! :]
I first learned about the kingdom after watching a segment on the night-news on TV3 sometime half a year ago, if I remember correctly. Since then, I thought I would have a look but it's only that day that I actually tried to look for the place said to be somewhere in Presint 4.
That's when I arrived at this parts of Putrajaya for the first time ever. For the record, I've been to the new federal administrative capital several times including from its physical inception more than 10 years ago, when I was first invited as a journalist to have a look at its progress...
Hmm... Now I know there's some sort of waterfall down there...
This is the hill nearby which fits the picture and description about the existence of the seat of an ancient kingdom as seen on TV3 sometime ago.
This is a picture of parts of central Putrajaya as seen from in front of the hill. So is this really the seat (or site? both words could be used but the word seat is more specific implying it as the centre) of an ancient kingdom? Do have a look at the article Tapak kerajaan lama di Putrajaya? (Site of an old kingdom in Putrajaya?) posted in the blogspot SENI LAMA MELAYU (MALAY OLDEN ART) yesterday. Good night! :]
