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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, May 12, 2009

Remembering the "A" Level college days. My dear sweet Ann...

Time to continue the remembering process...


Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur...


Towards the end of the article Remembering the "A" Level college days. The radio station at 51C I said this:


While the radio station started illegally only to die out naturally after it was legalised following a visit to our room from a college lecturer, what I do remember was the whole activity was actually stopped when the college guards came rushing into 51C... looking for me after I ran through a girls' dorm...


OK. A weekend was coming and me and the guys were planning our activities ahead. This time we're going to see a movie at the Cathay theatre in Jalan Bukit Bintang. I do remember it was at Bukit Bintang but whether it was a Cathay I'm just hazarding a guess. After all the theatre has been closed since more than 10 years ago when multi-plex cinemas inside shopping complexes began to take over the place of single-screen establishments.

Anyway the plan was to catch a movie and I couldn't remember the title. It was to be played early night-time giving us enough time to head back to the college to refresh for the next activity the very same night, dancing our way at the discos of course. I already have a date lined up for the weekend, a girl which I often like to taunt whose antics I've grown quite fond of. Let's call her Pah. If I remember correctly, she was studying to be a lawyer. I often hanged out at her class during night time just to play around and jest with her and the other beautiful girls. Ah... if I remember correctly, my first girlfriend during the "A" Level days, Az (refer to Remembering the "A" Level college days. Start of the disco fun and girls... ) was also in the same class.

Soon the much awaited weekend night came. Me and the guys were ready to go when Pah declined saying she can't make it. She didn't say why, it seems she just refused to go. Later I learned she declined last minute because I had told the guys I have never been refused by any girl. Hmm...

Never mind, I was confident enough of my own self to get a date in time. Even if I don't get one for the movies, I am sure I could charm one from the disco floors at least to spend the night with. But time was running short and if I remember correctly I've already bought a ticket for a date. I didn't want it wasted. As I was walking around college, I bumped into another beautiful college-mate and decided to ask her out.

Let's call her Ann, sweet dear Ann. Again I suddenly remembered she was gearing to study law. Oh, God... now while writing these very words do I realise that the majority of girls I went out during college days were actually law students! While I'm very much a hard science student. Does that say anything or what?

Anyway, I can't remember what was actually said to Ann. Perhaps having a ticket already bought for the movies with no date in sight yet helped. Perhaps. Never mind that. Ann said yes and in no time she was ready to go for the movies. So there we where, I think a car or two full of guys and girls heading for Bukit Bintang to enjoy the night.

I can't remember all that has happened but I do remember this. After a while sitting in the theatre, I felt some sort of warmth and began to press my body close to Ann's. No, it was not sexual, honest. Although since secondary school days I have developed the sort of skills (apart from an appetite) for using the slightest of touch to practically melt the girls into my arms, that was not foremost in my mind when with Ann.

Yes, the devilish part of me would like to do so. After all wasn't she another girl ripe for conquest? But the innocence that is Ann's face (and the way she carried herself) managed to put the darker side of me away at least at arm's length. Instead I'm afraid, in a funny way I was beginning to fall for her.

When it comes to looks Ann do have it. After all she looked almost exactly like the Malay movie actress of mixed parentage Susan Lancaster which was quite famous in the late 1980s to the early 1990s, so that should say enough.

OK. Let me get this straight. I think by then my relationship with my girlfriend from secondary school, Z was officially over. Refer again to Remembering the "A" Level college days. Start of the disco fun and girls... As for Az, we simply drifted away. OK, I took off for God knows greener pasture or what. Then again, what greener pasture? I don't think I ever went steady again with anyone after Z or the short stint with Az and to be honest, despite the fact that I could still get a different date everyday and sometimes a few in a day, I was beginning to feel lonely at heart.

Ann's always smiling face with her sweet innocence managed to knock a part of my heart which I probably have long left unattended. But I'm already getting ahead of the story. We finished watching the movie feeling quite happy, at least that's what I felt. So I asked her to join me going to the discos later and she again said yes.

We returned to college to freshen up. Ann went up to the girls dorm and me back to the guys'. Soon enough me and the guys were ready but Ann was nowhere to be seen. What gives?

We had a car waiting outside the girls dorm. At the same time we have to make sure the college guard's can't see us as no one is supposed to be out of the dorms after 10pm if I remember correctly. Unless you have written permission to spend the weekend outside. We waited... 5 minutes, 10 minutes. It felt like almost an hour before I lost patience. I didn't know what I was thinking, I decided to run up and enter the girls dorm.

Hmm... I think I should continue this story another time. Adios! :]