-----------------------

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".


-----------------------


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.


Thursday, February 17, 2011

Cousin's wedding on the night of Maulidur Rasul

Continued from Masjid Wilayah at night.


OK. The event I was talking about in the previous article is a cousin's wedding.


Hmm. Come to think of it. I've made a number of articles on my cousins' weddings in this blogspot. Then again I've got plenty of cousins.



Anyway, this cousin whose name is Arief has been a bachelor for quite long. If I'm not mistaken he is 35 this year. Being quite established as a doctor and already having a big house to his name, he should have long had a wife to bring balance to his life. Anyway congratulations from Abang G (that's me) to you Arief for finally taking that big step...


This wedding held at Masjid (mosque of) Wilayah on the night of Maulidur Rasul which happens to fall on February 14th is actually the solemnisation ceremony.



God willing, the actual wedding reception would be held after Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the Muslim Eid celebrations sometime in September. With that I leave the following pictures without comments ya. :]



















Masjid Wilayah at night

OK. I will resume the northern trip stories, God willing in a few days time. Before that let me just touch on whatever I feel like. This is one is about what happened on the recent 14th February.


Western readers might only know February 14th as Valentine's day. Well, I must say... don't bother to celebrate it so much as it is only a public relations exercise to perk up sales and prices of 'love-related' goods such as flowers, chocolates and greeting cards. Anyway it happened that for the year 2011, the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad SAW which is calculated using the Muslim lunar calendar falls on February 15th. As the Muslim calendar states that a new day starts after dusk, the night of February 14th this year coincides with the start of the birthday of the Prophet.


In Malaysia the Prophet's birthday also called the Maulidur Rasul is a national holiday. That of course falls on Feb 15.



The night of Feb 14 which happens to be the start of the Maulidur Rasul, there's an event involving the family. So I went with my wife and baby to Masjid (mosque of) Wilayah for the event.


These are pictures of the mosque at night. Beautiful mosque this is, if I'm not mistaken, following the architecture of the Blue Mosque in Turkey.


A short story on the event would be made after this. Just stay tuned... :]

Sunday, February 13, 2011

The river Kesang from Kesang Tasek


Soon we left Muar to return to our home in Bandar Tasik Puteri. For the first time I can remember I decided to take a turn near Sungai Mati towards an area called Kesang Tasek where there's a bridge entering the state of Melaka.



The bridge crosses over the river Kesang which forms the natural border between the states of Melaka and Johor.




A look back towards Johor.


A look upriver...



In the background is the legendary mountain called Gunung Ledang.






Al-Rasyid enjoying the kompang at a kampung wedding

Still on the Chinese New Year holidays last week. On Sunday I went to a wedding at my mother's kampung or village.


As usual there is a kompang or traditional drum group playing.



Baby Al-Rasyid who just turned 16 months old day always enjoy the sound of percussion.


I was having a hard-time watching over him as he weaved in and out of the crowd as he pleases...





Enjoying the scene at Tanjung Emas

Continued from Playing with the flood at Kota Buruk.


Enough of the floods, It's time to enjoy something more pleasant, the scene at Tanjung Emas.


Situated near the Muar river estuary it offers really pleasant wide vistas...


Then there's playgrounds to fete the kids.


Al-Rasyid enjoying the slide...



The parks are wide and everyone gets to enjoy.














Al-Rasyid trying his hands at one of the battery-powered cars, the pink-colour not withstanding as it was the only one available at the time. For the record this is the 686th posting in this blogspot.


Playing with the flood at Kota Buruk

After Pagoh we went to another part of Muar also hit by flood. This time we stepped out of the car and wade through. I have to censor this picture a bit for the sake of modesty...



We want to get to an ancient site called Kota Buruk. What is it all about? Please read the article The legendary Kota Buruk (ruined fort) of Muar... made more than 3 years ago.


The Muar river is in the background. See how the water overflowed...


Yet my wife who has never been here before wanted to see it so much that she's willing to take the risk to wade through whatever's necessary.




One of the things she wanted to see was an old tomb ahead.



Luckily the tomb itself was not covered by water.




Al-Rasyid touching the headstone out of respect. Having followed me to many field trips, he did that without having to be asked to do so...





There's another tomb nearby but it was not as lucky.



This one is partly submerged underwater.




Well, it is closer to the river...





Experiencing the flood in Pagoh


In the afternoon we headed to Pagoh where we wanted to visit a certain place.



Then we found the main road submerged with water...




For the record Pagoh is one of the places hit worst by flood plaguing the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia over the last few weeks.




Thank God the rain had stopped for 3 days. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to pass this road.








However we can't go to the place we wanted to go to as the road had to be closed.










You see Pagoh has some hilly parts. So higher grounds were spared the flood or at least in some cases the waters have subsided enough.







But lower parts have yet to recover. This included a petrol station situated slightly lower than the main road in front. Let it be noted that this article is a milestone in my blogging days. Counting all my three blogspots which includes the bilingual SENI LAMA MELAYU (MALAY OLDEN ART) and Malay CATATAN SI MERAH SILU this is the 2000th article I've written so far on-line!